Candidate for
Councilmember; City of Monterey; Long Term

Dear Friend:

As you may know, I am a candidate for one of two 4-year seats on the Monterey City Council in the November 2004 election. Two years ago, I finished a strong third (in a field of seven candidates) for the Council.

I am running this year because the issues and challenges facing Monterey are as compelling as they were in 2002. We continue to be faced with fiscal and budgetary woes, debates over growth and development, battles over traffic and parking, and even a crisis in our schools.

And, I have continued to offer leadership on many of these issues. For example, I helped:

· Lead the effort to downsize the $16 million new city government center and convince the City Council to reduce the scale of the project and save taxpayers over $3 million.

· Mobilize neighborhood support to reduce traffic on Franklin Street to limit late night and early morning noise. The result: The City worked with the DLI to limit neighborhood traffic impacts.

· Persuade the Council to maintain library hours and the Bookmobile.

Actions speak louder than words. Too many voters today are alienated from the political process. They feel cut out of the decision-making process.

My candidacy is a commitment to the people of Monterey that they can again have a voice in their city government, that they can again influence the policy choices of their leaders.

As Vice President of the Old Town Neighborhood Association from 1998 to 2002 and as an active volunteer in such organizations and events as the Old Monterey Preservation Society, Monterey Peninsula Sunrise Rotary, the State Theatre Preservation Group, Christmas in the Adobes, and First Night Monterey, I feel my experiences will bring a broad "big picture" perspective to the Council.

In a Council that has often been bitterly divided over growth and other issues, I can bring a balance that seeks to preserve our city's historic character, protect our environment, while enacting fiscally responsible policies and supporting the needs of local businesses.

Will you join me in this campaign to build a community of opportunity for our children and grandchildren and to safeguard the precious quality of life we all enjoy in this pocket of paradise we all call home?

With your support, I am confident that we can bring bold new leadership to the Council, leadership that leads and doesn't just talk. If you have questions or would like to discuss an issue with me, please feel free to contact me at 372-5453.

Sincerely yours,

Jeff Haferman