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Hello. My name is Roger Chan and I'm asking for your vote for Place One on the Austin City Council.
You can find me online at RogerChanforAustin.com and on Twitter @ChanforAustin.
I want to serve the people of Austin as your Council Member
because these economic times require both fiscal responsibility
and the social-conscious point-of-view.
I'm an entrepreneur and a small business owner who's worked in both the private sector and
the public sector so I'll bring a voice of reasonableness
to Austin's tough economic development issues.
I believe that the public-private partnerships are a good solution for many of the issues we're
facing as Austin grows.
We need parking, traffic relief and economic development.
We, if we do this in a reasonable business- smart way
through well negotiated public-private partnerships Austin can continue to stay weird and unique
and interesting while addressing its growth in a planned and controlled way.
I wish I could tell you that people won't keep coming but I can't.
I can tell you
that I'm committed to making sure our city stay economically healthy and still retains
an essence of what makes Austin
Austin.
I'm running for Austin Council
because I believe that the right experience counts.
Before entering government service I was an award-winning teacher
and a co-founder of one of America's first alternative education programs.
Now I've been serving and working in the government arena for about fifteen years
I've been an Austin Assistant City Manager
as well as a City Manager for our nation's capital,
Washington D.C.,
a top-five city in America so I understand the needs of a large, complex, growing city.
For example I know why the cities of our size are run with the single-member district
and a mayor form of government.
It's time for Austin to choose its future wisely,
to make the adjustment that's needed so that everyone is represented well
so that every area of town has its own voice of leadership and that means single member
districts. The courts have already forced Dallas and Houston to make the switch and
we're next.
But I believe it's in our best interest if we make the decision ourself
and now's the time to make that choice on our own terms. I'm also seeking your vote for office
because it's time to move past politics as usual
and do more for the citizens of Austin.
I see the very harmful and mean-spirited divisiveness
that's infected the political arena
and I don't like it.
We don't need partisan squabbling here in Austin. There's a reason why our City Council's
supposed to be nonpartisan. I've worked in both Democratic and Republican administrations
in a Carter, Clinton and Bush era so my team calls me
a purple candidate.
We don't need anger and hatred towards each other. We need to come together.
All of us love Austin and want to see the best for our city. Sure, we may disagree from
time to time but that's natural. That's healthy.
That's democracy.
The point is I'll bring approach point
disagreement with the reasonable
purple point of view
From what I've heard from many of you
you want that, too.
On the personal side, I'm running because I love Austin.
I live here,
I work here.
Just like you.
I'm a professional chef.
I'm an avid motorcycle rider
and I'm the proud father of twenty-one year old twins. I live a full life like many of you
do.
I understand the everyday concerns of running a family
and making a future better for our kids.
I think we have a beautiful city with the rich scenery and history and are poised to see
a future of even greater prosperity.
People have asked me why I'm running now.
I've gotten a lot of media attention recently due to a motorcycle accident which cost me my leg.
I was headed to serve Thanksgiving dinner at a community event
and a car side-swiped me. Well,
the rest is history.
My accident
has been an important, rather painful reminder to me
that every minute of our life is precious. When I look at Austin and how it's being managed
and what the future is likely to bring,
I get more than a little worried.
I don't want the time and effort that we citizens give to Austin through our work and our civic contribution
to be squandered.
I believe if we make the hard choices and work together
our efforts will pay off in a better economic future,
a better place to start and run a business
and a better, more cooperative and functional civil experience.
This'd demonstrate the way I'd act in office. I've instructed my team to run our campaign the
same way I intend to govern.
Open,
connected and responsive. We're doing all we can to stay in touch with and answer your questions.
Please reach out to us on our website rogerchanforaustin.com and be a social media
we're chanforaustin on Twitter and RogerChanforAustin on Face Book and YouTube and if you'd
like to get involved with the campaign,
we'd welcome you. I'm Roger Chan and I'm asking for your vote for Place One.
I will do my best to serve you well and represent your interests. I appreciate your attention and
humbly ask for your vote. I thank you.