It is only by working together, in mutual service, with friendship and respect toward all, that we may build a City our children will find worth living in. I challenge you to take personal responsibility for the future of our City through
1. community service
2. direct democracy
3. donating and giving
4. becoming involved
As a 4th Generation Coloradoan, I know you and I yet have an important part to play - no matter how long we have lived here. Please, join my advisory board; please, sign up to be a part of our petition drives and efforts toward direct democracy. Your City needs you.
Click here to sign up and help me.
Here are some other specific ways you can help, from your own home and business...
1. community service
- exercise, eat well, and take care to become financially secure - you are an important part of this city, after all, and we all rely on your strength.
- spend time caring for your loved ones, friends and neighbors: they are as important as you are! We all rely on them as well. And you are the best person qualified to take care of them.
- clean up the trash on your street, and in your neighborhood. No one else can or should do this work for you.
- recycle, reduce and reuse waste whenever possible
- tutor your own children, and other children in school. Prepare them for the day when they will take your place to lead our city's government and business.
- become excellent at your work - whatever work that is - and serve as an example and inspiration to your coworkers, family, and friends
- at work, treat your clients with fairness and respect, make sure your workers and coworkers are paid enough to live on, and ensure your business's products and services benefit your community.
- if you do not own a business, be an asset to your employer. If you do own a business, be an asset to your employees and customers.
- attend a house of worship different than your own, and invite others into your sacred places too; celebrate with everyone their happiest days; respect what other people believe is holy.
- beautify your home and the areas just beyond it
- be a friend to someone less fortunate than you; be a friend to someone you disagree with; be a friend to someone you agree with; be a friend to someone you never met before
- buy local whenever possible, and from businesses which support your community, and your neighbors
- volunteer: at the jail, hospitals, senior center, schools, or even with your city's numerous departments or in your favorite NPO or faith organization.
- bicycle or walk when possible, improve the areas around your home to make them more accessible to bicyclists and pedestrians
- produce art and science to improve the resources of our city; patronize local, living artists and scientists working to improve our city.
- plant an extra row in your garden to share with family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. No garden? Buy an extra bag of groceries to share with others.
- share our limited water by planting water-wise and xeric landscaping, plant native plants to give food to the butterflies and birds.
- work hard to prepare your children to continue your work of building this city
2. direct democracy
- please join my advisory boards and sign up to be a part of our petition drives and efforts toward direct democracy.
- make campaign signs out of recycled materials, like cardboard or scratch paper, and display them proudly at your home and places of work. Whether for or against, engage in respectful dialogue to develop friendship and find solutions: remember, your opponent is not part of the problem, but part of the solution. They love your city as much as you do - and are an important part of it, just as you are. Care for them.
- talk to your neighbors - make sure they are registered to vote and actually vote
- talk to your neighbors - and be a good friend to them. Even if you disagree with them.
3. donating and giving
- no political campaign needs your dollars. Especially mine. Money has no place in politics.
- instead, donate to nonprofit organizations which do need your help.
- or donate to the city to support those city programs you believe are most beneficial to your home and neighborhood.
- no money to give? give and share your talents with your family, friends, neighbors and community - while you strengthen yourself financially to be able to give money.
- no talents to speak of? develop yourself, and in the meantime give your time to assist those you admire in the community.
4. becoming involved
- look around and find unfinished work, work that hasn't begun yet - and lend a hand. What is our City lacking, except your presence and leadership?
- attend municipal and district court cases, even if you are not on the jury or a party.
- attend meetings of your city, even by internet broadcast
- read the city charter, code, policies and rules; sit down and talk about them with your elected and unelected representatives
- regardless of your political party, organize your precinct and make sure everyone is participating to the extent they are able to and want to
- write to your elected and unelected representatives - they need your advice
- research and develop solutions to our city's problems
- challenge your beliefs with facts: try to see an issue you care passionately about from someone else's perspective.
- learn something new every day
- learn about the history of grand junction from those who lived through it, and from history books, and by visiting our museums. Then consider our city's future. And your role in it. Why did you move here? Will you ever leave here? What will you do while you are here to make it a better home?
- explore the outdoors with a friend and understand the world in which you live and our city was built.
- Enjoy life: fulfill the full potential of your humanity. Whatever you believe in, become passionate about it. Whatever you do, do it the best. Cities are built and matured by those who love and are enthusiastic - not the fearful and reticent.