Position Statement

By Robert "Bob" Larsen

Dr. Bob - The Alternative's Platform

I came to Orinda 18 years ago because I believed it would be a great place to raise my two children. The schools were great and the semi-rural nature of the town seemed an idyllic place for a kid to grow up. My kids are grown now and living elsewhere doing their own thing. I remain in Orinda because I continue to believe that it is an idyllic place to live. Over the years, though, I have become increasingly troubled by how our City has been run. I watched with sadness last year as the City of Vallejo crumbled. I don't want to see this happen to our town. We all have very busy lives. I strongly believe, however, that complacency is not an option. I threw my name into the hat with two thoughts in mind: 1. The people of Orinda deserved a choice, and 2. I have a great deal of experience to contribute should I win.

My basic platform is:

• Improve the business climate
• Invest in Orinda's bucolic character
• Invigorate communications between citizens and City Hall
• Instill transparency in Orinda's governance
• Ignite a plan for the roads and infrastructure
• Initiate a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan

There have been two failed infrastructure bond measures including an ill-conceived special election that cost our town a tremendous amount of resources.

Everyone believes that our roads are one of our biggest problems in this town. I don't disagree. The big question is how to address this issue. I spoke at the City Council meeting last year and objected to the Measure being place on the ballot. My objections, as well as those of quite a few others who spoke at that meeting, fell on deaf ears. I said to the Council, your last measure failed and this one is substantially the same, why do this again? It was clear the citizens didn't trust that the City had exhausted all other sources of revenue when proposing Measure Q . I predicted the Measure would fail and the Council would be wasting valuable resources on the election.

To fix the roads we need money. Every source of money should be explored. We should look to any available funds from the State and Federal governments. EBMUD and the Fire Department should pay their share. Is there a way for heavy trucks that travel our roads to pay a surcharge through the local businesses they serve? Sales tax is another source of revenue. Boulder, Colorado just approved an increase in sales tax to support their public parks. I am not in support of raising sales tax, but I am in support of bringing in new businesses to Orinda so we can increase our revenue in that way. Only after we exhaust every other source of money should we go to the citizens of Orinda. And when we do, we should not place the lion share of the burden on a few. Finally, when we have a realistic plan, there needs to be an effort on the part of the City to explain why and how the sacrifice of Orindans is necessary. The next road Measure must succeed.

There has been a Shop Orinda Campaign. This has not stimulated much business in our town. Our vacancy rate is higher than ever. Anyone who has been to Theatre Square has witnessed a ghost town. I will look to what other similarly situated cities have done to successfully revitalize their downtowns. I will propose hiring an outside firm that specializes in downtown revitalization. We need help and a long range plan to recruit targeted businesses and to incentivize Citizens to shop in Orinda. A free Shop Orinda bag is not going to do it.

The City Council should do more regarding citizen and merchant complaints. The Council has an obligation to act on those complaints and to instruct the City staff that the citizenry wants and deserves assistance and cooperation. A citizen ombudsman with authority to follow-up on citizen concerns could improve communications between residents and our City Council and staff. I will be a voice for change. This is not an "us versus them" game. The people of this town must also take responsibility and participate if Orinda is to deal with its very real problems and have a chance to flourish as a community. Now that would be a change about which we could all be proud!

Respectfully submitted,

Robert C. Larsen, M.D., M.P.H. Dr. Bob - The Alternative