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 What questions would you ask the candidates?

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nascargirl
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nascargirl


Number of posts : 236
Registration date : 2008-06-08

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PostSubject: What questions would you ask the candidates?   What questions would you ask the candidates? Icon_minitimeTue Sep 15, 2009 4:56 pm

I would like to see these candidates answer questions from the community directly. How about a DEBATE?

Let's hear their visions for this community...how they would handle local issues -- the Police Department, bring jobs/industry into the community, how they would 'save' money for the tax payers, etc.

Personally, the few 'questions' that are are answered in the local paper when there is an upcoming election or a brief appearance on the local radio station do not go far enough.

Let's ask the hard questions of our candidates.

What questions would you ask the candidates? 138877
nascargirl
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Lady Hawk
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Lady Hawk


Number of posts : 622
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Registration date : 2008-05-16

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PostSubject: Ask the Candidates...   What questions would you ask the candidates? Icon_minitimeThu Sep 24, 2009 10:29 am

Great idea Nascargirl. applause

This is an opportunity for the residents of the area to voice your opinions.

What questions would you like to ask the candidates?

I'll start.

With declining population comes declining tax revenues and with the state cutting back on the money they send to the city coffers there is a huge loss in revenue for the City of Ortonville.

I would like to ask the candidates what items would they eliminate or cut all together, to bring the budget into balance?

Are there more questions from What questions would you ask the candidates? 142813 else?
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nascargirl
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nascargirl


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PostSubject: Question for the Candidates   What questions would you ask the candidates? Icon_minitimeThu Sep 24, 2009 9:06 pm

Ortonville obviously needs to create and maintain jobs in order to bring and keep citizens in our community.

What are your current and long range plans for keeping Ortonville a viable community?

What questions would you ask the candidates? 138877
nascargirl
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angdoren
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angdoren


Number of posts : 29
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Registration date : 2009-10-15

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PostSubject: Re: What questions would you ask the candidates?   What questions would you ask the candidates? Icon_minitimeThu Oct 15, 2009 4:16 pm

Hello. I would like to take a moment to reply to a few questions that were asked here? I am running for City Council for the first time. I am not going to sit here and pretend that I have all of the answers. I would be happy to think at this point I may have one or two.
First of all, Ortonville is a retirement community. YES. That is what brought me here over a year ago with my family, my husband is ill and was forced to retire prior to hitting the Senior CItizen age expected. However, retired does not mean dead. There are many things that retired familys need to maintain a happy life. I am 40 years old and have 3 teenagers in OHS. There has got to be a balance between making life 'enjoyable' for the retired people and yet offering the rest of us the ability to make a living.
I read a post in here where it was mentioned that retired folks bring an abundance of income monthly that can be spent in our community. I guess I find that very hard to believe. I know of more than 10 families in this town that are receiving social security benefits and if it were not for housing assistance and heating assistance programs, they would not be able to keep a roof over their head.
No disrespect intended, but working to replace the population with only the retired folks in mind is not a good plan. It is a fact of life that as people age, death happens. If Ortonville waits to long to understand this is a critical time to bring families of all ages and sizes to call this town home, it will be to late.
In order to do that, we need jobs. It is not necessarily true that it would be hard to find employees without first spending a fortune on housing. There are plenty of current residents that travel 45 miles plus to get to work every day. If those people had an option to work locally with the price of gas what it is today, do you really think they would not make a change in employment.
I think the hardest decision made recently for me to stomach was the idea of printing newsletters to send with the local utility bill. With the internet what it is today, it is almost at no cost at all to make any information that one feels the public needs to know available to them. It is more likely that someone who wants to read about this information will find it, than it is likely that each home that gets that newsletter will read it. A simple addition to the postcard listing a website one can see if they want info or leave print outs at the desk for one to pick up if they want to read it. The point here is mute, as the decision has already been made.
To answer Lady Hawk's question, "I would like to ask the candidates what items would they eliminate or cut all together, to bring the budget into balance?",
I do not know if anything can be budgeted until more residents can figure out how to spend their money here in our town for things that they need instead of bringing revenue to neighboring towns or states.
In order for one to have extra money to spend, we have to find a way to bring business here, whether a current business relocating or new business within our own community members. I don't see why it matters if it is 10 that hire 10 each or 1 that can employ 100. Bottom line, we need the jobs. There are enough other towns close to here that may bring employees from outside of Ortonville as well. These employees will in turn spend money here, restaurants, drug stores, lunch time errands, etc...
Competition will NOT kill a town, it is what makes the world tick. Not having a choice about where to spend our money, makes it very difficult to deal with a constant increase in rates and services available to our residents.
I hope that answers your questions and I look forward to hearing more about what the "community" wants and needs. I hope I get the opportunity to sit on the Council and give my two cents on things that will make a difference.
Angela Doren
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Lady Hawk
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PostSubject: What direction is Ortonville going   What questions would you ask the candidates? Icon_minitimeThu Oct 15, 2009 6:29 pm

angdoren wrote:
I do not know personally any member of the current council or employees in the city office. I made the decision to run, when I got tired of wondering why nobody seemed to be doing anything about the direction Ortonville is going in.
This quote comes from the thread Does the city website violate


If you don't know anyone then where did you get the idea that nobody seemed to be doing anything about the direction Ortonville was going in? What direction do you think Ortonville is going in and what do you think you can do to change it?
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angdoren
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angdoren


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PostSubject: Re: What questions would you ask the candidates?   What questions would you ask the candidates? Icon_minitimeThu Oct 15, 2009 7:13 pm

I live here. You do not have to know anyone personally within the city office to see everyday what is happening to the town you live in. I am not pointing fingers, I am not blaming anyone. I plainly stated that Ortonville needs growth both with business and with the population decrease. I never once said I think one person or another caused these problems, I said I want to try to make things better.
That means, instead of talking about it, I want to help.
The direction Ortonville is headed in is obvious to anyone who has ever driven down main street ten years ago and then does the same today. The lack of open businesses and jobs available is scary. The population is at a steady decline. I would like to see economic development that we can hang our hat on not just talk about. I would like Ortonville to let people know how wonderful this town can be.
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Lady Hawk
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PostSubject: Should the city sell the golf course?   What questions would you ask the candidates? Icon_minitimeSat Oct 17, 2009 11:03 am

angdoren wrote:
I read a post in here where it was mentioned that retired folks bring an abundance of income monthly that can be spent in our community. I guess I find that very hard to believe. I know of more than 10 families in this town that are receiving social security benefits and if it were not for housing assistance and heating assistance programs, they would not be able to keep a roof over their head.
No disrespect intended, but working to replace the population with only the retired folks in mind is not a good plan. It is a fact of life that as people age, death happens. If Ortonville waits to long to understand this is a critical time to bring families of all ages and sizes to call this town home, it will be to late.

Well said. No one has pointed that out to my knowledge. A very good argument.

angdoren wrote:
In order to do that, we need jobs. It is not necessarily true that it would be hard to find employees without first spending a fortune on housing. There are plenty of current residents that travel 45 miles plus to get to work every day. If those people had an option to work locally with the price of gas what it is today, do you really think they would not make a change in employment.

Thank you for that statement. As I pointed out in another post there are people who travel as far as the cities to get a job. No job = No House

angdoren wrote:
I think the hardest decision made recently for me to stomach was the idea of printing newsletters to send with the local utility bill. With the internet what it is today, it is almost at no cost at all to make any information that one feels the public needs to know available to them. It is more likely that someone who wants to read about this information will find it, than it is likely that each home that gets that newsletter will read it. A simple addition to the postcard listing a website one can see if they want info or leave print outs at the desk for one to pick up if they want to read it.

Wish you could have said that at the council meeting but some of the council members appeared to have an agenda and logic and reason did not enter into the vote.


In regards to my about question about the budget angdoren, have you considered the golf course? In this time of budget crunch we have a city that operates the golf course in the red. See Golf course lost $126,000

What would your position be on the golf course?

Do you think the city should operate it at a profit?

Should the city sell it and thereby collect the taxes on the land as well as the income?
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angdoren
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angdoren


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PostSubject: Re: What questions would you ask the candidates?   What questions would you ask the candidates? Icon_minitimeSat Oct 17, 2009 2:48 pm

I personally do not think at this time, I am equipped with enough information to make a vaid argument when it pertains to the golf course. I think it is a fact that this is a retirement community and at this time, the golf course brings the only activity available for many people. That is something I would like to change.
I think Ortonville needs the golf course and I would like the opportunity to look at all the numbers and understand the issue completely before being quotes as making a statement. I hope you understand.
I believe with any business, if you are operating at a continuous loss, a change is needed. Whether that is changing things within its current position or not, I do not know. Continuing to operate at a loss, is not an acceptable solution.
I understand that may not be the answer you wanted from me with an upcoming election, but, I will not blow smoke about an issue that I can not validate with facts yet. Thank you for your support on my previous post.
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PostSubject: Re: What questions would you ask the candidates?   What questions would you ask the candidates? Icon_minitime

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