I've researched

I asked a City Councilmember last night about the 3500 South widening I wrote about a couple days ago. He didn't know anything about it.

He stated 35th South is a State road and it could be a UDOT project and that UDOT doesn't always inform the City Council about it's projects.

So what part of 35th South needs widening? I asked and still don't know.

Well, tonight's blog is in part to say oops in my being bothered the city has another 35th South project (although the City Planning Commission seems to know about it) and to inform you about what I'm hearing as I hit the streets.

I've been talking to people in the City and I hear this, they're concerned about crime and not what their neighbors yard looks like. There are a lot of concerns about graffiti, but not yards.


Always searching the "bigger picture."
Jeff

Wow! Really? You've Got to Read This.

According to a member of the City Planning Commission (I just read this on his Blog), the city is going to widen 3500 South.

Again? Really? How many times has this road been widened in the last ten years, or been ripped up to provide a different drainage system? It seems constant.

How many businesses are no longer on 3500 South because of this? Is this thoroughfare always going to be picked on? If we have such great planners, why is this street in constant upheaval? Did the businesses on 35th South request this, again? Let's get this done right and leave these businesses and the surrounding neighborhoods alone. Give them peace.

Here's a "link" from the past regarding 35th South. An idea to help the businesses on this street or any businesses in a similar situation. http://jeffwhiteforcitycouncil.blogspot.com/2009/09/lets-help-35th-south-businesses.html

I'm stunned. Really stunned.

We all make mistakes, I know I do and I know how to correct them when I make them. Let's correct this mistake of constant destruction (oops, I mean construction) and move on, let's correct this constant rebuilding of 35th South and leave it alone. I drive it regularly because it's well designed as it's currently constructed.

Wow! I'll fight for you 35th South. I'll fight for you.
Jeff White

Emancipate Your Property Against Tax Increases

Here's the promised idea based on lifetime hunting/ fishing licenses Utah used to offer. I'm not sure how to work this logistically, but if we could...

We're facing an 18.15% property tax increase depending on a vote by the City Council on August 9th. How does this effect those among us on fixed incomes, what about those struggling to survive paycheck to paycheck.

I understand a City needs money to operate. I also understand some of our neighbors (and perhaps even you) are struggling as well.

The idea: We could pay the City say $10,000 to $20,000 and emancipate our property against property taxes for the lifetime of the homeowner. Emancipate before retirement and your fixed monthly income will never be effected by a tax increase. (We may be able to apply this to the County, School District, and the Library also.)

If you look at how the property tax pie is split up, it may take a little negotiating with the other entities who have their fingers in the pie, so to speak. Follow this link to see what I mean. http://www.wvc-ut.gov/index.aspx?NID=1115

This property tax calculator is on the West Valley Cities home page and it's enlightening.

I don't know how to do it, but lifetime memberships are nothing new. The United States Fencing Association offers this, the State offered it with hunting/ fishing licenses, why not our City. Emancipate your property and never see another tax increase as long as you own the home (at least the WVC portion.)

We could then say, "The only constants may be death and taxes; but not in West Valley City."

Perhaps this idea is workable, perhaps not, perhaps it'll lead to an idea that's better. As Alfred Nobel stated, "If I have a 1,000 ideas a year and only one of them works, I'm satisfied."


Jeff White

Gumps

My grandfather, Gumps, spent the last several years of his life with us. This was great for him (he loved family), it was great for us (Gumps was my hero growing up and our children developed a close relationship with him.)

Our children enjoy visiting our retired neighbors and Gumps's influence is a huge part of that. He passed away a little over a year ago at the age of ninety-three.

All my life I thrilled to hear Gumps beckon, "Come over here, I have something to tell you." It meant a story (o.k., it meant a lot of stories.) He was a story teller and his favorite stories were about courting my Grandmother, his experiences as a forward observer in WWII and his childhood on a farm.

When I campaigned for City Council two years ago, he couldn't stop telling me how proud he was. He loved this country and fought for the liberty of all countries during World War II. He was pleased as punch that I was fighting for the liberty of West Valley.

We have a great city. There was a needed vision to beautify West Valley several years ago and the city leaders went to work. Now, think of a pendulum. We needed beautification and started the pendulum swinging to this end. As is always the case, a pendulum will swing too far and must be brought back to center. With the monumental task of beautifying the city, the pendulum of city ordinances went too far. It's simply nature and physics.

We need someone with vision and the ability to fight for liberty to go to work on the city ordinances. I'm that someone. I believe in liberty. Let's keep the ordinances that make sense (safety comes to mind), modify the ones needing modification (who's to determine how much "clutter" in a carport is too much?) and eliminate the bad ones (mandatory gutters, for example.)

Vote for liberty
vote for Jeff White

The Last Two Years

I'm running for West Valley City Council, District 3. To begin the campaign, I wanted to tell you what I've been doing since I ran for the At-Large seat.

Two of our three children are fencing with me through Granite Peaks and last month, I competed in the Utah Summer Games. There's at least one current Councilmember that wants next year's Westfest to be the best ever. I say let's include games similar to the Utah Summer Games on a citywide scale. This would be a revenue generator and a lot of fun. I had a Blast.

We planted a huge berry patch (blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries and of course strawberries.) I love reading and have read around fifty or sixty books since 2009. Oh and you might be interested in this, we found the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. Ask and I'll share it with you, it's in public domain.

While I'm no longer a Scoutmaster, I'm still actively involved with the Troop and the University of Scouting.

I've spoken with a multitude of people regarding the direction of the city; I'll share just a couple thoughts now and more later. I love living in West Valley. I believe the City could allow more liberty and freedom for the citizens. Actually, I don't believe the city has the right to "allow" us liberty (it is after all "we the people.")

Why are the Housing ordinances "reserved" on the cities website. We're cited for ordinances we can't have knowledge of until after we're cited. Wow.

I'm an ideas man. Do you recall the lifetime hunting and fishing licenses Utah offered a decade or so ago. These licenses gave me a brilliant idea regarding property taxes. Does the last statement give you ideas? I'll share my idea in a few days.

Welcome back my friends, I'm really looking forward to this campaign.
Jeff