Candidate Campaign Info : {PDF}
I have been married to Peggy for 17 years and we have 5 children. We have also been foster parents to 10 children, in addition to our 5.
I come from a military family and was raised by my grandparents who worked hard to provide me a private Christian K-12 education. My wife and I also provide our children private K-12 Christian education based on our religious opposition to the secular humanist poison in Public Schools. I attended a private Christian University founded in 1845, in Missouri. My career, from 1992-2009, was in business and government in key executive positions. I worked in Local, State, Federal, and Native American Government and worked in business investment/ finance/development.
My worldview is based primarily on my Christian faith, experience and what Government SHOULD NOT do. In 2007 I was honored by the Community and City Council as an "Unsung Hero" for making great strides in government relations and developing meaningful solutions to long standing problems that benefited both the Tule River Tribal and Porterville Communities: {Link}.
I retired in 2009, which allows me to dedicate my experience to provide meaningful solutions to long standing problems in our Community absent work and business conflicts.
I am running for City Council to solve problems, rather than engaging in endless discussion and conferences where problems are discussed, but never solved. I will lose NO sleep if I offend feelings of those who engage in anti-social behavior when my proposals are implemented.
As a candidate, I will make NO cheap promises, NOR be purposely vague in an effort to not offend. Unlike all the other candidates, I have posted my proposed solutions, in detail, on my web site: WWW.RODNEYMARTIN.COM
I believe the top 3 issues that need to be addressed are:
Public Safety:
Porterville must increase public safety efforts. Crime and specific crime issues weigh heavily on economic and community development.
Porterville must get in front of the ever escalating rates of Gang and Juvenile crime. I have proposed tough anti-Gang Ordinance(s): {Link} and {Link}. I have also proposed a "Parental Responsibility Ordinance", which proposes to hold parents responsible who allow their juvenile children to run the streets and engage in anti-social behavior, see my proposed Ordinance: {Link}.
Porterville must send a clear and strong message that we are serious about protecting our children and that we do not want our Community to be a "destination resort" for sex offenders. Since January of 2011, the Porterville Recorder has reported no less than 25 sex crime incidents and there are presently 131 registered sex offenders in Porterville. I have proposed an Ordinance that strengthens Jessica Law standards and prohibits sex offenders from being within 1000 feet of schools, school bus stops, parks, libraries and other locations where our children gather. It also prohibits multiple sex offenders from inhabiting the same residence, thus forbidding "sex offender communes" within our City. See my proposed Ordinance: {Link}
I support a review/ restructuring of the City Budget so as to add additional police officers. As the economy worsens, we will see more people move to the region from the "Big City". With this migration, we will see increased crime and social issues, which we see already with spikes in violent and property crime.
I also support partnerships with prevention agencies that have PROVEN records of achievement, such as the Boys & Girls Club. I believe strongly in partnering with these type of low cost/high benefit partnerships, while at the same time adopting firm Ordinances to hold those who engage in anti-social behavior accountable, and in the case of minors, their parents as well. At 11:00PM every parent should know where their children are and what is in their room
Community & Economic Development:
Our City has serious issues in these areas. Our City Development Services has an attitude of "coming at the Citizen" There is no public service in terms of Development Services in the City of Porterville. Citizens are viewed as a revenue enhancement opportunity. I have proposed a complete review of the City's Development Services process and Fee Structure. It is inane that City Citizens are required to pay $319.00 in City Fes to install a $150.00 Water Heater, see my proposed solution: {Link}.
Out City must be BOTH Citizen and Development friendly so as to be able to be attractive to BOTH small and large business.
I oppose the City using taxpayer funds as a bank and picking winners and losers.
Porterville has tremendous assets and benefits and must look to long term manufacturing and other industry that will build our long-term economy. Retail and service based industry, while needed in Porterville, is volatile.
I oppose the granting of liquor licenses as a right, these are a privilege. The Council has granted liquor licenses to establishments which are directly across from schools and other inappropriate locations. I also oppose clustering of liquor licenses, resulting in a ghetto effect.
I oppose allowing non-residential uses into residential neighborhoods and thus a City sanctioned policy of neighborhood destruction.
COUNCIL DIGNITY & ACCOUNTABILITY:
City Council Members must not act like Court Jesters and must put the public interest ahead of short term political gain and must be able to take potential unpopular position for the long term benefit of the Community. I am beholden to no special interest nor will be.
City Councilpersons must have a high level of dignity when holding the office and refrain from actions and language that demean their office. The current Council has failed.
City Councilmembers must be able to articulate issues on behalf of the City to other Government Units. I have a record of positive interaction with different units of government and recently spent the day meeting with Legislators and Attorney General's Office regarding issues.
I support a change to the City Charter that mandates the citizens elect the Mayor of Porterville.
I oppose tax increases disguised as "fees".
The City must NOT do what a City Government is NOT supposed to do.
CAMPAIGH WEB SITE : WWW.RODNEYMARTIN.COM
(Jun 5 2012) - VOTE RIGHT - LIKE THE POST