Local Issues

Public Safety: Job 1

Because of the presence of Los Alamos National laboratory, this county needs excellent Fire, Police and Public Utilities Departments. We were very well served by the members of these departments during the recent fire and evacuation. We need to make sure their pay and benefits will keep them eager to work here, and we should do what we can to make it possible for them to own homes in this county.

Although Los Alamos collects substantial Gross Receipts Taxes (GRT) from Los Alamos National Laboratory as well as other businesses, maintaining infrastructure for the Lab and the town is a substantial and continuing expense. The County can and should support its public schools, to the extent allowed under under New Mexico's state-funded educational system. Amenities, such as libraries, the golf course and the aquatic center, also require staffing and maintenance. Public safety, basic infrastructure and education are my priorities, followed by reasonable encouragement of economic development. If we manage these activities well, we will be able to further develop the amenities that make for a nice community. I have seen Lab budgets go up and down in my years here, so we don't want to be too aggressive in spending money we haven't yet received.

The role of the Lab in our national security is not going to disappear, so it should remain a solid economic engine, with some fluctuations. Downtown Los Alamos and White Rock, with all the people living and working here, should be able to support more small businesses. It is not government's role to guarantee profits for anyone, but it is appropriate for County government to support a stable environment where businesses can expect to earn a fair return on their investment.

Major new capital projects above a reasonable threshhold, such as five million dollars, should be subject to a popular vote. There aren't that many such projects, no more than one or two each year, so this would not require many additional elections. It would require the Council and the proponents of any project to make a clear case to the people who will ultimately pay for the project. Capital expenditures to maintain existing infrastructure should not be subject to popular vote; that is one of the jobs we elect the County Council to do.

I strongly support Atomic City Transit, and reasonable funding in support of regional transit. Roads should be planned to accommodate peak automobile traffic loads, but make room for all the alternate forms of transportation including walking and bicycling. Trinity can be made a much safer and prettier way through our town, that will invite people to stay and do more business here. I believe several pedestrian underpasses and/or overpasses will be needed for people to cross 502 safely.