voteheather2008.com Blog

Last weekend, I drove back from a Friday night wedding in Ft. Myers in time to attend the GLEE Expo at Marathon High School on Saturday afternoon. What a turn-out! I remember the attention paid to the environment during the last energy crisis — let’s hope the attendance at GLEE heralds a real commitment (that won’t fade when gas prices fall) to long-range planning that acknowledges our limited resources and fragile ecosystem.

It has sort of amazed me that, at the County level, we haven’t really done much on this front. We’ve got two new construction projects (the Nelson Government Center and the McCoy Airport) that haven’t been designed for real efficiency or to anything like LEED standards. We don’t seem very interested in developing a reliable and affordable transportation system. I can’t find recycling containers in County buildings. We don’t provide any incentives for folks who might like to pursue green building.

I know a lot of this can be expensive. I run a business, and we’ve been “going green” for the past few years. Those initial investments of compact fluorescent bulbs, of amenity dispensers, of low-flow shower heads, of biodegradable cleaning products, are all pricey. But now, we don’t change lightbulbs nearly so often, we don’t order soap and shampoo so often (and we don’t have so many little plastic bottles to dispose of), our water bills are a little lower, and our new cleansers not only last longer, but they also don’t wreck fabrics and finishes quite so much. So although we had up-front costs to consider, the long-term pay-off is positive. Plus, it’s the right thing to do.

I would like to hear from you about your ideas on the green issue. I would also like to work with County employees to see how we can better control our construction costs and hopefully save some money to finance any greening efforts. I’d like to hear their ideas about improving both energy and cost efficiencies. These are tough economic times, and I’d like to hear new ideas about “going green” without raising taxes — something we can’t afford to do right now.

We live in an environmentally sensitive — and obviously unique — area. I’m guessing that most of us actually like its uniqueness, and that’s at least part of why we’re here. Let’s work on a new commitment to managing change from a long-term perspective, and to “greening” our beautiful green islands.

Heather

Hello Friends!

Well, it’s been just about a month since I filed and announced I was running for the County Commission. Thank you all so much for the support you’ve already given me. I had well over the required 472 petition signatures in the first two weeks, which will help us save about $2,600 in filing fees. Many of you have contributed (personal notes are on their way), asked how you can help (click on “action” and “volunteer” on the website), and given me encouragement as I’ve traveled up and down the Keys. It is humbling and gratifying, and I am thankful to all of you.

This is likely to be a difficult campaign. Things can sometimes get unpleasant and emotional in Keys politics. I can speak for my entire campaign team when I say that we will campaign vigorously, and we will do so in a civil and respectful manner. I hope you share my commitment to keeping our focus on issues of relevance to Monroe residents and responsibilities of elected officials to them.

We all love this place, and so much is at stake in the Keys for each and every one of us. Let’s work together for what’s best for ALL of us here. Please let me know if there are issues of importance to you. (And if you can contribute your time or any of your hard-earned dollars, we’d appreciate that, too!) Thank you.

Heather

P.S. This is my first experience blogging, so don’t hestitate to tell me how I’m doing! Drop a note to heather@VoteHeather2008.com.