I read with interest Britt's piece on the 3rd ward, but was a little surprised at the closing which said that both candidates needed to be specific on the issues. Surprised because Don Samuels' website (www.donsamuels.org) has his Campaign Platform right there on the site. And since I personally believe that everyone should be informed I cut a section and posted it here to entice everyone to go read the entire platform on the site.
Originally, I was going to write my opinions contrasting Don and Olin's, but I can't seem to find Olin's platform......
Don Samuels on:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
"Our priorities must be small and mid-size businesses in creating living-wage jobs."
- Ensure diversity of employment opportunities, including an industrial policy that promotes green-friendly, living-wage employment. Coordinate private and philanthropic investment in new and emerging environmentally-friendly businesses to revive our industrial areas.
- Support our community corridors and neighborhood business nodes by working with small businesses to purchase rather than lease spaces. Promote coordinated solutions to parking, maintenance and safety challenges among multiple owners in business nodes.
- Ensure that city purchasing and contracting uses local labor, pays living-wage salaries and maintains appropriate levels of minority contractors.
- Focus tax-increment-financed (TIF) economic development projects on truly blighted areas and living-wage job creation.
- Work closely with chambers of commerce and business associations to ensure integrated economic planning which leverages downtown as the region's economic engine.
Jonathan Palmer
in Victory
