Candidate for
Council Member; City of Elk Grove; Council District 5

Elk Grove faces numerous problems as we move forward to the next decade. Due to the housing sector collapse and a poor national and state economy, we need to quit our previous strategy of growth and expansion, which worked only during the housing boom and has now left us with no major industries or businesses within our city. Our city leaders based our economic stability on the real estate market, thinking erroneously that our housing boom would continue. Now Elk Grove is basically a large bedroom community, with scattered retail shops in various strip malls. There is no major industry in the city.

There's been too much special interest activity in the past, catering primarily to builders in return for fees, and the shortsightedness of our incumbents in basing Elk Grove's future security on a once thriving real estate market has failed miserably. Land the county once zoned for industry (like Apple) has since been rezoned for houses, which sit unfinished, unoccupied, deserted & bank owned in several areas.

Take a look at what's happened in our city. Our problems will not be solved by any candidate who makes unkeepable promises about how they will bring business to Elk Grove, because it will be impossible in this era of tough economic times. We need a candidate who's honest and realistic on our council now, and I am that person. It's going to take 10 years or more to redirect our efforts, correct our mistakes and lock down our future. And it won't happen until the national economy thrives again, no matter what any other candidate says or promises. We are all (Sacramento included) a microcosm of our national economy, which is in serious trouble, and we won't recover until it does. Don't be fooled by false candidate promises of bringing in businesses to Elk Grove, because money, loans and new businesses will be scarce everywhere until the nation recovers. We must live with it for a while.

We need to take care of what exists within our current confines. We must tighten our belts, not raise taxes, not give away our tax revenue to developers, have a no-deficit strict budget, keep our debt minimal, plan for the future and be ready when the time comes to work with big business and work with them to bring us a business park or industrial area -- but only when we can financially afford to do so, and not before.

I'm running a low-level campaign for City Council, and I have no sponsors, special interests or political machinery behind me. Consequently when I win this election, I'll owe no one any favors. I'll serve the voters alone, and I'll immediately go to work on the problems our incumbents have left for us. I intend to work for all citizens when I take office & heed their suggestions as much as possible after I learn what's been happening behind the doors of the Council and in our city administration -- about 2 months, most likely. Then I'll start working on our recovery.

It's my first time in the political arena, and it's time someone of intelligence and integrity stepped up to the plate for Elk Grove, because we need both character traits desperately. I can and will deliver both.

Here are only 6 of my many goals:

1) Reclaim integrity for our city council 2) Budget and plan for our present and future economic stability 3) Slow our expansion and cease annexation efforts 4) Establish term limits for elected officials 5) Enhance support for our seniors and veterans 6) Increase and ensure citizen safety by enforcing our nuisance, municipal and community enhancement codes

I ask for your help in redirecting and restoring this fine city to a stable condition. There'll be some hard times ahead, but by cautious optimism combined with proper budgeting, planning and implementation, we can ensure we'll have lasting economic stability in the future. Please join me in this effort for the future of Elk Grove.

Robert Felts