People have been asking me questions about where I stand on the issues, so here it is:
My name is Leah Hansen and I have lived here in Saratoga Springs for 14 years. I believe that the proper role of government is LIMITED to protect a person's life, liberty, pursuit of happiness and property and nothing more, and if elected, I will see to it that that is the ONLY thing that government does. Anything more than that is a usurpation of power and is not only unjust, but un-American.
If elected, I plan to use these questions to guide my decision-making and the way I vote:
1. If I were acting individually would it be right for me to require this of my neighbor?
2. Could I, in good conscience, punish my neighbor for disobeying this law even to the point of personally taking his life, his liberty, or his property?
3. Is this the smallest or lowest level of government that can possibly undertake this task?
You're not understanding?
Response: Where do you stand specifically on the issues?
What, that's not enough?
I do not see how we as a city can allow for growth without considering the potential for negative externalities that result from it. We need more roads, we need to ensure that we have enough water/water pressure to service all the residents in our city, and only addressing them when it becomes a problem is a problem. It is important that we do all we can to consider all the actions of the decisions we make.
Density to me is one of biggest issues that we face here in Saratoga Springs right now. We are only 12 miles long and the idea that we are going to be growing so fast concerns me greatly.
Having been one who moved here to get away from it all,
it makes me sad that things are not going to be as quiet as I'd like.
Having been one who moved here to get away from it all,
it makes me sad that things are not going to be as quiet as I'd like.
I know that we will be getting 2 extra roads that will run parallel to Redwood Rd (Mountain View Corridor will be extended to SR 73, and Foothill Blvd), but we needed those roads yesterday. I understand that density will continue to be a thing here, so I will do everything that I can to encourage, promote and advocate for responsible growth. I have heard that density is doable, if done well, so I'm really interested in seeing what that will look like, and would love to be a part of that decision-making team.
I've attended City Council meetings and come home bothered as I've watched developers fight for their right to build on their property to the point that they have wanted to keep roads narrow so that they can have more of their property to build on, but then I've also spoken with residents who park their trucks or SUVs on the sides of their roads because they can't fit their vehicles into their garages, because their garages are too low, so they park their vehicles on the side of the road, but it makes things difficult for other drivers to be able to drive on that same road, because the truck/SUV is too wide, not to mention fire engines and ambulances not being able to get to a house in time due to the narrow roads.
So there's density in the neighborhoods, there's density on the roads and it is not only hazardous, it is irresponsible to allow for such growth without considering the consequences. I would LOVE to be able to find ways to encourage responsible growth here in our city. I will work to encourage developers who want to build to consider not only their bottom line but the overall health not only of their potential buyers but the effect that their decisions have on the overall health of our city as well.
The best thing about Saratoga other than the lake, the wildlife and the agricultural lands in the beautiful area that we live in? I'm not saying this to sound like a politician, but the people, honestly.
I've had the opportunity to meet and speak with many of you, and I am floored each time. I come away having learned something new about how I can improve my approach, improve my stand on the issues, and with most, if not all, I have felt like I'm meeting with old friends and we are catching up on life. I feel a responsibility to this city and to the people here. I want to help protect it, and I feel that the best way that I can do that is by making sure that government does ONLY what it is supposed to do and then get out of the people's way and let freedom flourish.
xoxo,
Leah :)
P.S. People still want me to be specific on issues. To be honest, I don't think I could be more specific than wanting to apply the principles of Freedom to government. If we could look back on matters or issues that bother us and if we could go back to the root of the problem, it isn't just the decisions we make that are problematic, but not understanding and applying the basic principles of Freedom in government. I plan to apply the principles of Freedom to any action or decision that comes my way. I prefer to act on principle, not on expediency because principles go much deeper than our need to fix things quickly. Our actions are a reflection of our understanding of principles, and if we don't understand principles of Freedom, our actions will reflect it as well.
P.S. People still want me to be specific on issues. To be honest, I don't think I could be more specific than wanting to apply the principles of Freedom to government. If we could look back on matters or issues that bother us and if we could go back to the root of the problem, it isn't just the decisions we make that are problematic, but not understanding and applying the basic principles of Freedom in government. I plan to apply the principles of Freedom to any action or decision that comes my way. I prefer to act on principle, not on expediency because principles go much deeper than our need to fix things quickly. Our actions are a reflection of our understanding of principles, and if we don't understand principles of Freedom, our actions will reflect it as well.
