Prosser, WA

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03e8dfc3.jpg"> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03f8dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <B>Prosser, WA</B></div> <div> <B>July 2007</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03f8dfc3.jpg"> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Tired of Taxes going up?</B></div> <div> <B>Tired of the High Rates We Pay For Utilities?</B></div> <div> <B>Tired of paying RIDICULOUS Salaries to City Employees who could</B></div> <div> <B>care less about you, the taxpayer?</B></div> <div> <B>IT IS TIME TO TAKE BACK OUR TOWN & CONTROL SPENDING!!!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>VOTE FOR SAM GIORDANENGO</B></div> <div> <B>FOR MAYOR</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="046dc570.jpg" border=0 width="220" height="343" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Here is background information on Sam and his intentions if elected Mayor of Prosser.</B></div> <div> <B>We need to have a city government that is TRANSPARENT. There are no secrets </B></div> <div> <B>in city hall, nothing that goes on there is national security. Currently </B></div> <div> <B>City Hall operates on a publics "need-to-know" basis. This is un-American </B></div> <div> <B>and it needs to stop. Sam Giordanengo will have a</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>totally open form of government where the pubic will be informed about what </B></div> <div> <B>the local government is doing and why. Washington State law is very clear on </B></div> <div> <B>what a city can keep confidential. The current administration abuses those </B></div> <div> <B>loop holes to the extreme. Public documents will be available without the </B></div> <div> <B>extreme bureaucracy there is now and the city hall will cease to be hostile </B></div> <div> <B>to public requests. The citizens what their city back, the only way that can </B></div> <div> <B>happen is if the city is open and transparent in everything it does. That </B></div> <div> <B>only person running for Mayor that will deliver that is Sam Giordanengo. </B></div> <div> <B>Transparent government will mean that honest mistakes will be more obvious </B></div> <div> <B>but at least the people will not be lied to about and bureaucratic cover ups </B></div> <div> <B>will be a thing of the past.</B></div> <div> <B>Education Background:</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>B.A. in Political Science, University of Portland, Portland, OR; M.A. in </B></div> <div> <B>History, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA</B></div> <div> <B>Qualification(s):</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>Citizen of Prosser, Washington 1999 - present; Prosser city council member </B></div> <div> <B>2004 - present; Prosser Chamber of Commerce President 2007; Instructor of </B></div> <div> <B>U.S. Constitutional Government, 1997 - Present, Yakima Valley Community </B></div> <div> <B>College History Department Chair 2002-2006.</B></div> <div> <B>Motivation for Running:</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>I am running for the mayor of Prosser because I believe the city government </B></div> <div> <B>has forgotten who it is supposed to serve: the people of Prosser. I see </B></div> <div> <B>that the current administration is alienating not just citizens from city </B></div> <div> <B>hall, but also the business community. I believe the city government should </B></div> <div> <B>foster a healthy business climate. This will keep jobs in Prosser and help </B></div> <div> <B>keep the local economy strong for everyone. City hall should help </B></div> <div> <B>businesses succeed by not put up barriers that hinder free commerce.</B></div> <div> <B>I know that I have done all that I can as a council member to keep taxes low </B></div> <div> <B>and to be a voice of fiscal responsibility. I have voted against every tax </B></div> <div> <B>increase presented. I voted against the 2007 budget because the amount of </B></div> <div> <B>wasteful spending in it and the increase of taxes and utility rates.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>I am a strong supporter of the mayor form of Government that citizens of </B></div> <div> <B>Prosser overwhelmingly voted to keep in 2004. I believe that the head of a </B></div> <div> <B>city like Prosser should be accountable to the people. I am running for </B></div> <div> <B>mayor in order to bring the city back to the people of Prosser.</B></div> <div> <B>What do you see as the most pertinent issue(s) you will face if elected:</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>One of the most important issues facing the city deals with growth </B></div> <div> <B>management. Prosser is growing, but the question is: how will it grow? We </B></div> <div> <B>need a city government that will have smart growth and planned expansion as </B></div> <div> <B>its goals. The balance will be having steady growth without losing the </B></div> <div> <B>small town life that the citizens of Prosser love. People choose to live in </B></div> <div> <B>Prosser because of its size, the friendly atmosphere, and sense of </B></div> <div> <B>community. The city, port, county, hospital, and school district need to </B></div> <div> <B>work together to keep Prosser the kind of town people want to live in. We </B></div> <div> <B>the people of Prosser need to make sure that our elected officials know we </B></div> <div> <B>do not want to become a city of strip malls with a dead downtown like other </B></div> <div> <B>cities in the lower valley.</B></div> <div> <B>Another important issue that I will face if elected is changing the culture </B></div> <div> <B>of wasting tax payer dollars on nonessential trips and frivolous use of the </B></div> <div> <B>city credit card; in other words, we need to instill a culture of economic </B></div> <div> <B>trust. The city can cut spending on many points, not raise taxes, and still </B></div> <div> <B>maintain a quality of life that the people of Prosser have come to expect. </B></div> <div> <B>The city government needs to listen to the public more and trust in the </B></div> <div> <B>democratic system.</B></div> <div> <B>The issue of interagency cooperation will be a priority for me if I am </B></div> <div> <B>elected. The city, Port of Benton, Benton County, Prosser Memorial </B></div> <div> <B>Hospital, and Prosser School District need to work close together and for </B></div> <div> <B>common goals. All the agencies have the goal to serve Prosser, but at times </B></div> <div> <B>they might not know what the other is doing. We need to pool our resources </B></div> <div> <B>and partner with each other in order to serve the public better.</B></div> <div> <B>Goals if elected:</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>1. I will not propose tax or utility rate increases without equal relief or </B></div> <div> <B>without clear approval from the citizens.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>2. I will appoint council representatives to the Fire Commission Board that </B></div> <div> <B>will up hold the laws of the state of Washington and will replace them if </B></div> <div> <B>they fail to do so.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>3. I will allow department heads, including the police chief, to be their </B></div> <div> <B>own persons and will trust them to be able to make public statements about </B></div> <div> <B>issues that affect the people.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>4. I will study the financial impact of hiring a full time city attorney </B></div> <div> <B>versus one paid by the hour on a part time bases and will present to the </B></div> <div> <B>council the best solution for the tax payers.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>5. I will study the financial impact of hiring a city engineer who has the </B></div> <div> <B>city's best interests at heart, versus one that works for a private firm in </B></div> <div> <B>Yakima whose job it is to make more engineering jobs for his company, and </B></div> <div> <B>will present to the council the best solution for the tax payers.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>6. I will work with Prosser Memorial Hospital, Prosser School District, and </B></div> <div> <B>the Benton County Fire Department #3 to develop a comprehensive city wide </B></div> <div> <B>emergency plan.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>7. The city will adopt a local business policy where local businesses will </B></div> <div> <B>be able to bid on services and will get priority consideration within 10% </B></div> <div> <B>keeping tax dollars local and sales tax being paid back to our city.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>8. I will look for less expensive options to expand business in north </B></div> <div> <B>Prosser instead of relying on only a water tower solution.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>9. I will stream line the public records request process and will authorize, </B></div> <div> <B>within the law, more than one person to handle information requests if </B></div> <div> <B>necessary.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>10. City employees will be treated with respect and the legal rights as </B></div> <div> <B>workers in the state of Washington will be honored in full.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <B>11. I will work hard to find grants and ways to raise money to repair and </B></div> <div> <B>replace city streets.</B></div> <div> <B>What makes you the most qualified candidate?</B></div> <div> <B>I have had four years to look at and study how the city government works </B></div> <div> <B>from the inside and how it could be better.</B></div> <div> <B>I believe that the mayor form of government is the best form of government </B></div> <div> <B>for Prosser and that the people should have the final word on who runs the </B></div> <div> <B>city.</B></div> <div> <B>I have a very thorough understanding of the Constitution of the United </B></div> <div> <B>States and the civil rights that are protected in it. I believe that </B></div> <div> <B>government was created to protect the rights of the citizens and I will see </B></div> <div> <B>to it that every level of the city government will do just that.</B></div> <div> <B>I have had a variety of leadership positions in the past and I will put my </B></div> <div> <B>full attention and experience at fulfilling my duties to the people of </B></div> <div> <B>Prosser.</B></div> <div> <B>I believe the city administration should be as transparent as possible, with </B></div> <div> <B>the public welcomed and encouraged to be part of the process of government.</B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>