12 • JULY 29, 2016• ST. LUCIE WEST/TRADITION • YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS
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It is an unfortunate fact that people don’t miraculously get smarter and all knowing just because they have been elected. Those big leather chairs the council members sit on during the meetings don’t bestow knowledge and wisdom. Port St. Lucie has almost 180,000 residents. Every decision the council makes effects everyone who lives in our city. At one time our city council knew this and had formed an advisory committee on the budget staffed by qualified professionals that had volunteered their time and advice. Unfortunately, the idea fell by the wayside. A sad mistake, because no one, now or in the future, will ever know it all, and no successful leader has ever made every important decision on their own without seeking advice. It is my intention to form volunteer citizens’ advisory committees that can help the City Council with a host of important functions: strengthening programs, improving management, reviewing and evaluating projects, programs, Linda Gausten and services, the environment, education, promoting public relations and improving relationships with other organizations. The goal is to have highly qualified hand-picked people with skills that match that committee’s function that would bring their expertise in a chosen field to the table. It would also increase citizen involvement in our government. I believe it would benefit the entire city. A city the size of Port St. Lucie makes decisions that involve not only hundreds of millions of hard earned taxpayer dollars, but effect the very quality of our lives. If elected, as a City Council member, I want to make sure that whatever decisions I make, are made after taking all sides of an issue into account and looking at all aspects of every project. Voluntary citizens’ committees, who are not employed by the City, give all the council members a third pair of eyes, picking up things which might have been missed, or looking at the details with a different perspective to the opinions of the city staff. I’ve had years of experience in dealing with other peoples’ money, and I feel I have a fiduciary obligation to make sure the expenses that I may approve are being spent wisely. In addition to a Budget Advisory Committee, I would like to see an Environmental Impact Advisory Committee to independently study the appropriateness of the city’s decisions from an environmental viewpoint. I would rather not rely on paid consultants alone. Recent events have sensitized us to the rapidly failing ecosystem around us which is a threat to our Treasure Coast way of life and to our economy. Also I believe that we need an advisory committee to investigate and suggest social programs and other needs specifically targeting our young people. Studies have shown that good youth programs invest in our future and help to lay a strong foundation for our youth. This will bring our community even closer together. An added bonus is that they also help to shrink crime which would aid our law enforcement professionals to maintain and even improve the low crime rate we now enjoy in our city. If your votes get me elected, I will be a strong advocate for advisory committees. I don’t think we can wait for those mythical all-seeing all-knowing politicians to come along. Please visit my website: http://lindagausten.com Or my Facebook page: Elect Linda Gausten Political Advertisement Paid for and approved by Linda Gausten for City Council
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WHY I BELIEVE ADVISORY COMMITTEES ARE SO IMPORTANT…