Points To Ponder - Where I Stand

I've been asked by a number of the local newspapers why I've decided to run for the open Selectmen's seat. I wish I could give some kind of profound political statement in the style of Winston Churchill or Ronald Reagan, but that's not me. I'm just a hardworking guy who happens to believe I can make a contribution to our home town and help it though the rest of this first decade of the 21st Century.

In the past the Board of Selectmen had the luxury of taking some time to make decisions affecting our town. That no longer holds true in some circumstances. There are times when decisions must be made in a relatively short time, even without every bit of data or facts at hand. Failure to act in a timely fashion can end up costing the taxpayers far more than if a decision can be made swiftly, whether for or against taking an action. That's something I've had to do in my profession over the years.

Our society is constantly becoming more technological and more dependent upon new technologies. Understanding them and their pluses and minuses is crucial. The Board of Selectmen needs one member with a technological and/or scientific background that can help the rest of the members understand how these technologies can affect Gilford. As an engineer, I believe I'm the one that can fill that need for Gilford.

In regards to technology, I am a firm believer that access to high-speed broadband Internet will be a deciding factor for businesses and potential homeowners when it comes to locating in a given town. While Gilford has access to what is presently considered high-speed broadband access, that will not be true in only a few years. I believe Gilford should investigate the means needed to ensure our town, and by extension, the rest of the Lakes Region will not become a broadband backwater. Through my job I have seen on more than one occasion how access to future-proof high-speed broadband has influenced businesses and residents to choose one town over another.

Probably one of the most difficult task for any member of the Board of Selectmen, town department heads, school board members, school administrators, and town residents is being able to discriminate between need-to-haves and nice-to-haves when it comes to spending the taxpayer's money. Also, being able to look ahead to determine whether an expenditure now can save taxpayer money in the future is a must. Performing cost/benefit analysis is something I do in my profession on an ongoing basis.

When it comes to our environment, I cherish it as much as the next person. In regards to the Liberty Hill Coal Tar site, I must say that on an emotional level I feel the decision by NHDES was the wrong one. Who in their right mind wants that toxic pit in their backyards? That being said, I have to look at it dispassionately as well, looking at the facts of the case. As I haven't been privy to the data used by NHDES to make their decision, I cannot say their decision was the wrong one...or the right one until I can go over the data and their decision-making process.

Those are the major points I wanted to present to you. I'm sure you may have question about other topics or points of interest you'd like me to discuss. Please feel free to e-mail me or to post a comment to this blog post.