JUSTIN J McCARTHY FOR SUMMIT COUNTY COMMISSIONER

 Summit County Green Party Campaign Platform for 2002

                                                                                                                                        (back to Justin McCarthy home page)

So many of us have come to this special place we call home for the quality of life it truly offers.  This quality of life in not just materialistic in nature, it is a desire to live a more simple and fulfilling life in a beautiful place.  As our community continues to grow we, as a community continue to meet new challenges.  Some of these challenges have not been adequately addressed.  Too many of our voices have not been heard. 

 There needs to be more affordable housing in Summit County with the support of local politicians.  The current building of housing over $200,000 is not affordable and does not target workers and families that need it most.  More and more of our workers are being priced out of our communities and are now commuting from less expensive communities outside our County.  In order to help address this problem, the Summit County Housing Authority needs reliable and permanent funding to carry out its goals.

The ski areas need to be held more responsible to the environment that supports as all economically, ecologically and spiritually.  In Summit Count, too often environmental issues receive lip service, workers go underpaid, and the real estate market fuels ski area expansion.  As we grow our infrastructure is failing to serve our local and tourist needs adequately.  Our County and Town governments need to truly challenge and scrutinize new development proposals.  

New developement’s demand more water supplies are becoming more and in conflict with ecological and recreational needs.  This summer we will most likely see the lowest CFS flows in over twenty years.  This situation only tightens our scarce water supplies.  In addition, low water can mean higher temperatures, which increase the threat of disease, and slower flows, which result in less oxygen in our rivers and streams. As a result our trout populations can severely suffer.  With lower water flows, concentrations of heavy metals that wash in to our watersheds from old mines become more acute.  This situation damages aquatic life.  As your Commissioner, I will restore 1041 review powers over the development of water rights for golf and snow making.  Without the preservation of our natural resources, Summit County will lack the ability to compete with other destination resorts.

As your Commissioner, I will support local independent businesses in light of ever increasing corporate domination of the economic market.  As a community we need to keep economic diversity and uniqueness alive.  Small business is an important part of the American dream.  I will also denounce the continued corporate welfare that some Summit County towns have perused in order to obtain corporate business.

The Bush administration currently plans to ship thousands of tons of nuclear waste through the nation including through our mountain home on I-70to Yucca Mountain, Nevada.   The Department of Energy believes there will be 150-400 accidents over the next 20-30 years involving the shipments.  The reality of terrorism has many concerned that these trucks and trains could become terrorist targets.  According to the Department of Energy, a containment cask break during shipment would contaminate a 42 square mile area.  The DOE believes it would take 460 days to clean up and cost at least $620 million.  As your County Commissioner, I would continue to ask our state’s congressional delegation for a sane solution such as dry cask on site storage instead of the endangerment of our lives and community. 

As your Commissioner, I will directly address these issues.  I will state a vision of clear public policy for affordable housing and environmental policy to preserve and protect our natural resources for future generations.  I will serve as a voice for higher wages and working conditions for our citizens.  I will challenge the ski areas to have environmental vision statements be more than Public Relation statements but actual corporate policy.  I will continue to demand that local police forces respect civil liberties.  I will lobby our congressional delegation for a sane solution instead of trucking nuclear waste through our home. I humbly ask you to join me in this cause.