Cottage Meeting

We had a great cottage meeting last night at the Cox home. I am so glad that I was able to participate and I truly enjoyed meeting more amazing people! Thank you so much Cox family - I so appreciated your hospitality and you were great hosts!

Campaign Update

I've had a great week that I'd love to catch you up on...

Last Thursday I had a Meet & Greet hosted by Pat in the Trilogy neighborhood. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear concerns and answer questions from the residents of the 55 and better community. These great people have a wealth of information and come from a variety of places and backgrounds. I appreciated their ideas and truly enjoyed my time with them. Many thanks to Pat for hosting and for all who attended.

Monday evening the Gilbert Small Business Alliance hosted all of the mayoral and town council candidates at a forum held at Warren's Jazz Bistro (SW corner of Val Vista & Williams Field) - great location and good food by the way. Each candidate had five minutes to introduce themselves, explain why they are running for town council and share their goals and vision for the town. The Gilbert Small Business Alliance did a fantastic job putting on a quality event for their members and the best part was getting to mingle with some amazing people - people who put a personal investment into Gilbert by owning a small business in our community. Here are the three things that I think are crucial to Gilbert:

1) Budget - its time for the town to tighten its belt, define the priorities in our community and make a clear statement between the wants and needs in Gilbert. I believe strongly that the role of government is to protect and preserve the freedoms that are innately ours. The top priorities in our town should be police, fire, streets and water. We must eliminate the waste within our town and focus on the needs.

2) Transparency within our town government and clear communication with the citizens. We don't just need good communication - we need good communicators. We need someone willing to sift through the information and convey to the general public the good, the bad and the ugly. Our local government must be held accountable for decisions that they make with our tax dollars.

3) Family Values - As a young mother, I see this town from a different perspective than the other council candidates. I want to maintain and then enhance the family-oriented community we call home - this is the reason that so many people came to Gilbert! Everything that comes before town council needs someone to ask, "Is it true? Is it right? Is it good for the Gilbert family?" I want to be that voice and I have the judgement and common sense to make the best choices for Gilbert families.

Finally, tonight was the Arizona Republic Town Council Candidate Forum - a 90-minute question and answer session moderated by the AZ Republic's East Valley Editorial Board. I was excited about the format - questions followed by 1 minute answers from each of the candidates. The questions were thoughtful and gave me a chance to share my views on a wide variety of topics including Field of Dreams ballfield, the relationship between the Town and the school district, the quality of the streets in Gilbert and lots of questions about the budget - would we favor a tax increase (NO!)? What are the top fiscal priorities for the town? What would you cut out of the budget?

All in all, a very productive week! Lots of behind the scenes work still going on...including a new look to this website...coming soon! **Don't worry, I'll be keeping the blog updates going as I've received great feedback about the need for timely information! Thanks for all of your support! - Jenn

Gilbert Chamber of Commerce

Today was the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce forum at the Southeast Regional Library. I can't say enough about the quality of the event and the caliber of the people. We were treated well and asked relevent questions in a format that was fair and allowed for the candidates to speak freely about their personal vision for Gilbert. As part of the candidate endorsement process, the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce issued a questionnaire. My answers, as well as the answers from the other candidates can be read on the Chamber's Website. Click HERE to check out the answers. Many thanks to the Chamber and APS for hosting a great event!

SUCCESS!

We had a fantastic turnout this morning at our Campaign Kick-off Breakfast.
Many thanks to all who helped make this morning such a success and all who attended! We can be especially grateful to Ron and Linda Anderson - the chefs! Thank you so much! Pictures of the event, coming soon!

Heritage Academy

I had the great privilege today of speaking to the students at The Heritage Academy in Mesa, AZ. How impressed I am with the students' knowledge of the constitution and the proper role of government. They taught me a thing or two about our government and I was so encouraged by their participation in the discussion. They don't just have knowledge, they know how to apply it. Rest assured, I met with the future leaders of our country today and we're in very capable hands.

More Questions and Answers

Hope everyone is having a great week! We've been very busy this week at campaign headquarters (i.e. my living room) and there just aren't enough hours in the day to do it all. You've probably seen lots of signs up around town...we can thank my husband and lots of friends for that. They've worked tirelessly to get the signs up and it's been fun to hear my boys in the car screaming "Mom, it's you! LOOK!" as we drive around town.

By far, the best thing about this process is the people that I've been able to meet and talk with. I've learned so much from all of you and your love for Gilbert is contagious! I'm also loving aswering your questions via email too so keep them coming. I hope that you get to know me, my principles, my vision for Gilbert and my position on the proper role of government through the answers. Here are a few more of the questions and answers:

Reading your web site you note excess spending needs to be controlled. Could you explain this comment and cite me a couple examples?

1. Big League Dreams - A project that was estimated to cost $22.5 million and came close to $45 million. This is an example of a public-private partnership gone bad and Gilbert taxpayers were left holding the bag. I am not completely opposed to public-private partnerships but they must be economically feasible, they must be closely managed and there must be parameters in place that ensure tax-payer dollars are protected.
2. The Million-Dollar Marble - the town purchased a marble "ball" from Germany for the Water Tower Plaza in downtown Gilbert. Sure, it might be nice for a while - but is a million dollar ball really what Gilbert needs right now? On another note, the Water Tower Plaza park is 1/7 of an acre and took 9 years to renovate. Whenever a Gilbert project is drawn out, the cost steadily rises.
3. The town council recently voted to donate $500,000 to charity. This vote came just minutes after the town rejected a 3% pay increase for town employees (they gave the employees 2%). The additional 1% would have cost the town $800,000/year. I have no problem with personally giving money to charity, but when it comes from tax dollars - that is called a re-distribution of wealth - and it does not fulfill the proper role of government. When we've cut all overtime for police officers and we're talking about raising taxes to overcome a budget shortfall, we simply can not use tax dollars to fund charity. These are just three examples of the waste and misappropriation of tax dollars.

There are many great things about the Town of Gilbert, but if we fail to properly fund essential core services - police, fire, streets and water - town perks like marble balls and enormous baseball fields mean absolutely nothing. Particularly during this economic downturn, we need to get back to the basics and define between needs and wants.

How do you feel about Photo radar?

I’m against photo radar. Studies that have been done show that overall, the use of cameras does not decrease accidents (speed related accidents and intersection turn accidents were down but rear-endings were up) so from a safety perspective, there isn’t a benefit. I also take issue with the principal of photo enforcement – essentially if we allow the government to take pictures of us in our private vehicles, then we are opening the door to allow the government to take our picture in private homes or on private property. It becomes a question of liberty.

Your children look young from the photo. Who watches the kids while you’re away? (People want to know that your kid’s schedules won’t be upset by your new duties.)

My boys are 5, 3 and 1 and I’m loving this stage of life. Running for town council was not a decision that I took lightly – it took lots of prayer and family discussion to come to the conclusion that public service should be one of our top priorities. I am very fortunate that I have a wonderful husband who supports my desire to serve the community and picks up the slack at home. My family is my first priority – not unlike the people that I seek to represent. I am confident that I can balance the needs of my children with the duties of the town council.

I don’t live in a home owner’s assoc. but I can still get fined by the city if a random 10 inch weed popped up in the corner of my ¼ acre plus lot. Do you support Gilbert’s inch by inch move to regulate personal property?

I believe that the proper role of government is to protect our freedoms – the freedom to possess property is included. Of course we want our town to be well-maintained but we simply cannot infringe upon the rights of our townspeople to accomplish that. The water crimes bill that was passed and then revoked by the town council – made it illegal and punishable by fines to allow water to drain from property – (this could have been anything from a broken sprinkler head to a geyser) and is another example of the town government creating an ordinance without realizing the implications. Fining a citizen for a random weed is simply an infringement of property owner’s rights.

Questionnaire after Questionnaire...

I've spent the last week responding to lots of questionnaires, inquiries and issues. I'm finding that the more time I spend pondering the problems and hurdles that are facing Gilbert and the people that live here, the more I want to jump in and contribute to the solutions. I was committed to this process from the get-go but now I'm absolutely certain that serving the people - in whatever capacity I'm granted - is a great privilege and honor.

The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce and the Gilbert Small Business Alliance have an obvious interest in the town council. I think I've brought some great ideas and a fresh, new perspective to the challenges facing these entities and the people they represent. Both have said that the responses to the questions will be included on their website so I'll link it up when they're ready.

I received an email from a Gilbert citizen asking some specific questions. For the record, I don't know this person and I was so glad that he took the time to ask me questions about issues that are important to him. I won't share his name but I will share his questions and my responses - if he thinks they are important, perhaps you do too. Please feel free to email me with any questions that you have. My commitment to the Gilbert Town Council is most importantly, a commitment to you!

Pro-life or pro-choice?

Pro-life. I believe that as a moral people, we have an obligation to protect the unborn.

Republican or Democrat?

Republican. I also serve as a precinct committeeman.

Who are your favorite political thinkers/writers and why?

I love history and find the writings from our Founding Fathers - specifically Thomas Jefferson and John Adams - particularly fascinating. Their perspective stemmed from a deeply principled sense of responsibility to the vision of the United States of America. I also enjoy David Barton and his commitment to Christian values with respect to historic and current government. I am currently reading The 5000 Year Leap by Cleon Skousen and am really enjoying it.

What do you think the proper role of government is?

The proper role of government is to preserve the freedoms that our innately ours and to protect us from infringements on those freedoms. The government does not grant us the freedoms as that would imply that they would be able to take those freedoms away from us. The freedoms; to worship, to bear arms, etc. are God-given and are not to be regulated by the government -only preserved and protected.

Did you support or oppose Prop 102?

I supported Prop 102! I have been a board member of United Families Arizona for the past five years. Our organization was part of the coalition to protect marriage and through that association I had the great opportunity to write many of the action alerts for United Families, work in the call centers and organize sign distribution. It was a wonderful experience.

What should Gilbert be when we grow up?

Gilbert has the potential to be a place where we can live, work and play. The 202 corridor and the long-term plan for the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport presents some unique opportunities to the town. We are an attractive location for businesses and employees as we maintain our small-town traditions and high-quality of life with the accessibility and convenience of a much larger city. Growth is inevitable however, we must stay true to the family values that Gilbert has been built upon and do all we can to protect the best interests of the family. My goal as a member of the town council is to represent the Gilbert family: Is it true? Is it right? Is it good for the Gilbert family? Financially, it is essential that the town get back to the basics, begin operating under budget and define between wants and needs. There are many things that make a town great to live in, but without proper funding of essential town services (fire, police, streets and water), those town perks mean absolutely nothing.

Closed Door - On the Record

Today was the AZ Republic, closed door, on the record meeting - sounds so serious doesn't it? -with the editors and reporters who are covering the Gilbert election. I will admit that I was nervous. So nervous in fact that when the bottle of water on the table was looking mighty refreshing, I didn't drink it for fear that I would spill it. But after a few minutes and a few questions, I felt myself again and the angry swarm of bees in my stomach must have settled in for a 90 minute nap.

The questions that were asked were thoughtful and the answers given by my opponents helped me to better understand their position as well. Some of the questions were (I'm paraphrasing here);

"Why are you running for town council?"

"What is the top priority for you to make Gilbert a better place to live?"

"Who do you think your target voter is and which demographic do you feel you represent?"

"As a candidate who wishes to represent the Gilbert family, is there anything that Gilbert does that you disagree with or is there anything that Gilbert should be doing better for the Gilbert family?"

All in all, I was pleased with the discussions that followed each question. When the meeting was over, I walked out with another candidate. He asked me how I thought the meeting went and I found myself smiling. "It was fun!" It wasn't Disneyland, but I enjoyed the meeting much more than I anticipated. That might be how I end up describing this entire process - "It isn't Disneyland, but it's fun!"

Oh yea...and I picked up a few of my signs from the printers which was very exciting! Look for them around town and if you don't mind, if you see one damaged or in need of repair, please email me. Thank you for your help!

Exciting Planning Meeting!

Just a quick update... we had a great planning meeting tonight and I'm very excited for the upcoming events. I said to my husband earlier today, "I'm sorry if the campaign is taking over our lives." He just laughed and said, "Yes, but isn't it fun?!!!" This is fun! We've been working hard but it really has been such a great experience. We have loved meeting so many people and working with many of our friends (new and old) to make "Jenn Daniels for Gilbert Town Council" a reality. The work - and FUN - continues!

My Turn Article

A few weeks ago, the AZ Republic asked all candidates to write an intro for themselves. My article was published in the Gilbert Republic section on January 3rd - thought I'd share with you the full content of what I wrote (some of it was edited by the Republic for space constraints).

My name is Jenn Daniels and I am excited to be a candidate for Gilbert Town Council. Running for town council is a great opportunity to increase my community involvement, to represent the Gilbert family and to connect with those who, like me, want Gilbert to thrive.

I am a wife and mother of three boys and I feel that Gilbert is the best place in Arizona to raise a family. I have a bachelor’s degree in Humanities from Brigham Young University and I have continued my education through classes at MCC and ASU. I was raised with strong values and morals and have been given the great opportunity to serve the community as a board member of United Families Arizona for the past five years.

I may be “just a mom” but I have a unique perspective and some tangible strengths to bring to our town council. I sense a real disconnect between our town government and the people of Gilbert. It is time to create and repair lines of communication. I want to clear the way for transparency within our town government and facilitate the sense of community that will only strengthen Gilbert. When decisions are made on behalf of Gilbert, we must ask: Is it true? Is it right? Is it good for the Gilbert family? Such a perspective will be well-represented if I am elected.

Gilbert is at a crossroads – growth has slowed and excessive spending requires that we immediately tighten the belt on the town’s budget. Tough economic times shouldn’t just apply to the hard-working Gilbert family. It is time to see restraint in spending along with careful planning to ensure the future economic prosperity of Gilbert. It may take a little creativity, some thinking outside the box, to bring solutions to the budget that preserve essential town services while cutting waste. I am whole-heartedly up for the challenge.

The role of government is to preserve the freedoms that are ours and to protect us from infringements on those freedoms. Especially at the local level, these principles are critically important. It’s time for Gilbert to get back to basics with an eye towards the future prosperity of our town. On March 10th vote for family values - vote for economic prudence – vote for Jenn Daniels.

Happy New Year!

Now that the holidays are behind us, I feel like I can go full steam ahead on the campaign. I'm so looking forward to the challenges that are ahead.

The AZ Republic has already published a few articles about the candidates. Click here to read the online version of the candidate intros.

*** Just a quick clarification about my bio info: In a few of the articles I had to laugh because it said I was a "self-described housewife." While I've never actually used the term housewife, I did say that I was a wife and mother which I guess to some people = housewife (for the record, I'm not actually married to my house :) ). I did notice that the reporter has changed it to say homemaker. Semantics. The bio information also says that I have no political experience but I am a precinct committeman. It just would have been better to have that little piece of info in there instead of the word "none." Oh well, I'm learning as I go!

One more thing...if you are a member of Facebook, please join my group

Have a great day!