The first question in every voter's mind is: Why are you running for City Council? The answer is simple. I worked hard to move my family here and we are staying.

If you're like me, you enjoy the unique nature of this community and your investmen t is your commitment to this way of life. We enjoy the shelter that the Palos Verdes Peninsula offers from the intensity around us.

This quiet area is under siege from those who choose to live off this community rather than on it. Development does not necessarily equal progress. We cannot blindly add thousands of cars to our roads without sacrificing our lifestyle. We need balance.

Part of our problem is our weak economic base. As many of you know, property taxes do little to support cities. Cities derive revenue from sales and business taxes. Unfortunately, Peninsula Center, the Shops at Palos Verdes and Pacific Home Furnishings are located outside our city limits. Our lack of revenue has caused some to focus solely on income derived from projects rather than their cost to our way of living.

The issues presented over the next four years are critical to the future of our community. Our job for the next four years is to preserve and protect our way of life. This plan must include traffic reduction through better school accessibility, increased goods and services available from existing commercial sites in Rancho Palos Verdes and further improvements to our public transit.

There are candidates on the next ballot who are looking past the council position to higher office. Voters of Rancho Palos Verdes should not be stepping stones for someone's future career. I believe that there is plenty of worthwhile work to do right here in Rancho Palos Verdes. In order to do this work, I need your support.

Together we can improve the future of our city while holding on to it's past.