Prum

If I haven't demonstrated my support of public participation in government by my campaigning for a seat on the Town Council, I surely don't know what the meaning of "public support" is. I have registered at least 35 people to vote since I began my campaign and encouraged people to vote, regardless of whether they choose to vote for me.

I have also asked that the community help in my campaign. I do not consider financial support adequate public participation, so I asked that people who attended my gigs at the BookBeat help make signs.

Weinsoff

As part of my legal work over the past year, I have been writing a book for Nolo Press titled "An Activists Guide to California Environmental Law." The book is designed to provide California's community activists with a roadmap to the public participation opportunities under federal, state, and local environmental laws. To help redress this problem, the book is designed to provide a simple synopsis of the principal federal and state laws that regulate the environment, a description of how the agencies that implement these laws operate, and the specific opportunities members of the community have to participate in the regulatory process.

Extending this idea to Town government, the community would benefit immeasurably from the preparation of a brief handbook explaining how Fairfax government works, focusing directly on the rights each of us has to request staff, commission, and council action, as well as the appeal process when we disagree with their decisions. Complementing this idea, I am concerned that the public, with lives growing busier by the year, is unable to follow the decision-making of the council. A quality Fairfax website with links to council decisions as well as a broad range of Town programs must be up and running by the middle of 2004.

Bragman

The current campaign has been my most direct effort to reach out to the community to encourage public participation in Town government affairs. This campaign is really intended to provide a voice and an ear for the local residents. My intent in running is to simply serve the people from whom I have learned so much about the community and the environment. In the past, I have worked with the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana in order to forge a workable relationship with the Town government and protect that community's safe access under the Compassionate Use Act. This effort did establish a workable relationship which has resolved most of the suspicions and concerns on both sides. I am dedicated to the concept that the Council provide fair and dignified forum for all citizens and participants. All current candidates for the Council have signed a Pledge of Civility to encourage civility and respect among the candidates. While a political campaign must educate the voters as to the differences among the candidates, it must constantly refocus its efforts to do so with non-violent communication techniques that concentrate on issues and facts.

Over the next four years, the Town must develop a website to encourage education and outreach to the citizens. It must also foster citizen friendly processes to reduce the sometimes intimidating and inconvenient atmosphere at meetings. I favor the idea of having two meeting per month in order to avoid long waits for citizens with simple or uncontested matters. If we split the meetings into contested and uncontested calendars, for example, it would greatly reduce the waiting time for simple matters. I also think that volunteer groups such as the Parks and Recreation Department should be agendized first to reduce their waiting time for matters that they bring before the Council.

Hailer

What the public needs to realize is that they ARE the government. People should feel empowered. In my time as a representative on the Academic Senate at the College of Marin, and recently on the Planning Commission, I have fought in defense of people whom attempt to reclaim their role in the democratic process.   I frequently tell people about when our meetings are and how they can get involved in their local and regional government.

I will continue to promote public participation in town decisions. We can get meeting minutes on the town website. I have a website of my own that, after the election, will be dedicated solely to disperse information of goings on in town.

Tremaine

It is my philosophy that all segments of the community should be represented in town government. People don't always agree on issues and the diversity of opinion must be present on all the town's boards and commissions. We have achieved that representation over the past four years and I intend to continue this practice.

Participation in local government should never be limited by whom you know. Residents who are qualified should have a fair chance to serve, if they wish and a diversity of opinion should always be encouraged. Residents should be encouraged to come together and create proposals to the town. A good example of the success of this philosophy is the Safe Routes to School Program. Residents were encouraged to create their own vision, independent of input from town officials. The result was Fairfax's designation as a National Model Community and the $400,000 grant that came with that designation.