Issues
CATHY CAN...
Solve Budget Issues
When taxes and insurance continue to rise, our neighborhoods and families deserve experienced public servants who are trusted to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. Responsibility, cooperation, effective management, and planning ahead can help bring solutions to our community.
The biggest issue facing us today is an unworkable property tax system and skyrocketing insurance rates. Taxes and insurance have to be reformed, but we have left behind the people who needed the most help in the first place: mom and pop stores taxed out of business, new home buyers, and even the second-property investors whose rentals provide much needed affordable housing. Frankly, some of the homestead reform proposals are confusing and may likely not survive a ballot vote in January. This is no way to run a business, and it is no way to run government.
The first round of misguided attempts from Tallahassee has resulted in our city facing $14 million in immediate budget cuts with no solution to the original problems meant to be addressed. What's worse, we expect even deeper cuts later in the year, and more cuts affecting county services. We can do better than this, and we will if we have more planners and fewer politicians in the mix making decisions.
I understand financial issues and making the books balance. As a financial professional for over twenty five years, I know how to trim a budget and solve problems the right way. I understand the need to take a balanced approach in investing, which applies directly to the critical needs of our city. As in financial management, I believe we need a balanced approach to government. We have so many voices in this city – neighborhoods, community groups, businesses, and individuals — we must make it our sworn duty to hear them all.
Having worked for small and medium-sized businesses and as a small business owner myself, I understand the importance of a friendly business climate. The jobs and opportunities created provide not only economic health, but also equate to safe, livable, strong communities. Incentives to local businesses, who keep their dollars local, create an economic recycling effect – one that keeps dollars in the community. As a mother, I know that a wise budget, cutting spending and planning ahead is the best way to run a household, a business, and a government.
CATHY CAN...
Fight for Safety and Less Crime
We all want to feel safe within our neighborhood and the four walls of our home. We shouldn't have to worry about the safety of our children. I do not know of one mother who does not flinch when we read about shootings in any part of the city and feel the loss and pain of the family affected. Living with violence diminishes us all. One of the primary jobs of city government is providing for the safety of its citizens. Our first responders must be allowed to do their jobs. Criminal acts touch us all, regardless of where they take place. The loss or injury of any man, woman or child is not only a tragedy, but a cause to be examined. It is a loss to the community, not simply a story in the paper or a political football.
However, our police are overworked and suffer low morale. An independent managerial review can help determine ways to make our police department function better. We need to increase the number of community police and give them the support they need to be effective. When our police have the time and resources to do their jobs, they will be our partners in creating safe neighborhoods by taking the time to talk with our neighbors before situations get out of hand. I support better pay and support for all our officers who put themselves in harm's way. Our police officers need support from the top of the administration on down to help them do their best job for all citizens. I stand with them in their effort to make St. Pete a safer city.
On a personal note, my son worked for several years at the Durango Restaurant on 4th Street North. He worked with the young manager who was murdered in cold blood during a robbery. The employee who was implicated in the crime continued to come to work while it was being investigated, thus making the closeness of this crime even more chilling. My son and his co-workers were not only devastated by the loss, but were deeply affected by how close and random this terrible crime struck them. I fear we read about these types of crimes far too often, and I worry what kind of damage lingers in the aftermath long after the headlines fade.
This kind of tragedy not only caused a devastating loss to this young man's family, but after struggling for over a year and a half to regain its business, the restaurant finally closed last month. The closing threw many people out of work, and leaves a gap in the neighborhood where there was once a thriving business and meeting place in the community.
I will make the safety of all St. Pete citizens my highest priority.
A Leader in Conservation Values
We have a duty to be good stewards of the earth, and we have a moral obligation to leave this world a better place as a legacy for our children.
I have been passionate about conservation issues throughout my life, whether it is picking up a pair of binoculars as a birdwatcher and enjoying a kayak ride, or putting the binoculars down to step up to a podium to speak for stronger protections in our community. I would like to have the opportunity to exhibit the kind of stewardship I have brought to environmental issues in Florida. My love for our St. Petersburg community is why I work for solutions to a cleaner and safer natural environment, as well as better recreation, parks, and bike lanes.
I have always understood the connection between a green environment and a strong economy. Perhaps at no time in history has this connection been more pronounced and more economically responsible than it is today. It is a quality of life issue that affects us everyday. Energy costs continue to rise, and this affects our pocketbook whether it is at the gas pump or paying the utility bill. Runoff into our watershed is creating a new and expanding list of harmful algal blooms, including Red Tide, which forces us to avoid coastal areas for longer and longer amounts of time and causes health problems for many who breathe in the air. Sprawl and traffic congestion will continue to mount as Pinellas County grows by 40% by 2050. Storm water run-off and flooding is an issue with which my Shore Acres neighborhood is quite familiar. We can tick off many problems, but we can list just as many solutions with the right knowledge, attitude, and desire to do better.
I have hope that we can always correct the path we're on. We have many solutions at our disposal. Good planning, smart growth, and looking at best practices from other cities can help provide answers to keeping our environment safe and clean. St. Petersburg is a beautiful city, and Sierra Club was one of the original groups to push for the City's participation in the Green Cities program under my leadership.
I have stood out as a leader in conservation values. Because of my work as a Sierra Club Leader, I was chosen to participate in the Pinellas County Environmental Science Forum. The Forum helps give critical advice to county leaders on important conservation issues facing the entire community. St. Petersburg City Council needs a strong conservationist who also knows the science and financial policy for balanced policy decisions. I am that leader.
Affordable Housing
Every person deserves a chance at the American dream of home ownership.
However, many of our workforce, including emergency responders, teachers, police and firemen, cannot afford a basic starter home in Pinellas County or find decent rental housing. Working people are the bedrock foundation of any community, and affordable housing is critical to support that foundation.
A city like St. Petersburg works well because of the tapestry of diversity we embrace. Affordable housing is the key to supporting our middle-class, and helps to build equity and stability for beginning families and workers in our community.
The city and county have studied various strategies to address affordable housing: community land banking, inclusionary zoning, and mortgage deals for workforce housing are just a few. I understand these approaches. But I also know that we have to move beyond studying the problem, and start working in cooperation with the county and state to start acting on solutions. This requires vision, courage, and an ability to cooperate and negotiate.
One of the ways we can achieve affordability is to build housing that reduces the energy and water use of homes and developments. As our community grows, lifestyle centers in which to live, work, play, shop and learn will become the critical hubs of activity. We need to educate the public about good examples of what affordable housing means to our community and erase the negative connotation of this term. Finally, the document stamp tax funds that were earmarked for affordable housing that have been locked up in Tallahassee must be used for their original purpose, and not raided for other purposes. Let's make our community a place where all families can live and support themselves.
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