Our city is going to grow and there is no stopping that. But the reason Austin will continue to grow is because it is a great place to live. It's up to us to ensure is that Austin remains a great place to live long into the future. In order to achieve this ambitious goal we need to maintain diversity, affordability, environmental responsibility and culture as the defining pillars of our community.  Responsible growth means keeping all of these aspects in mind as this city moves into the future.

One way to keep the culture of Austin alive is through strong neighborhood identities. A vibrant and active neighborhood is the cornerstone of a safe and livable city. We need to give neighborhoods more control over zoning regulations so that they can determine what types of businesses best complement their lifestyles. We need to create walkable communities with local groceries  and other stores accessible without a car. We also need to ensure that longtime residents are not being pushed out to the suburbs by the current shortsighted construction of high end condos. As a councilman I will work to create an approval process that will require mixed income housing to be made available as a part of new developments as well increasing community involvement in the planning process.

We also need to keep Austin's subculture alive. Artists, musicians, tattoo artists, bikers and "outsiders" are profoundly important to the character of this city. They are the people who make living in Austin fun. We need to make sure live music isn't pushed out by  the rapid growth of downtown. We need to address the unrealistically small "entertainment district" boundaries and noise ordinance issues that could adversly hurt the businesses that have been in Austin years before the condo owners.

To accomplish these goals Austin needs 10, 20, 50 and 100 year plans. We need the vision to map out what we as a community want Austin to look like in the future. Then, and this is the tricky part, we need to elect leaders who are commited to keeping these goals in mind with every decision they make. If a zoning change or regulation change comes before the city council that does not adhere to the city's long-term goals, then it should not be approved. We need to force our city government to make decisions based on a long term vision for the future of Austin .