Political Philosophy for Jim Burch

Candidate for
Council Member; City of Palo Alto; Unexpired Short Term

The voters of Palo Alto deserve to know the core values and principles that will guide my decisions as their elected representative . . .

A SENSE OF TIME ....

• Time Past. We have inherited a precious gift from the past--our diverse neighborhoods, the magnificent canopy of trees, our parks, a privately-owned utility, a vital downtown area, quality schools, open space, and much more. We must never lose this inheritance.

• Time Present. We need to recognize the importance of the present moment and respond in a timely manner to current challenges. Some of these are the impact of traffic and parking, the lack of affordable housing, the pressure for over-sized buildings, the right approach to historic preservation, and the City's relationship with Stanford University.

• Time Future. We have a profound obligation to future generations. What kind of City will we leave to those who come after us...twenty, fifty, a hundred years from now? Let's always evaluate the long-term impact and consequences of the decisions we make today.

A SENSE OF COMMUNITY ...

• Our families, our neighborhoods, and our city are all communities that together make up our larger regional community. One cannot exist without the others. The dynamics and principles are the same at every level: the need for trust, the need for respect, and the commitment to seek the best outcome for all concerned. Working together, listening to diverse points of view, and seeking common ground and shared values is the best way to find workable solutions.

A SENSE OF PLACE ...

• Achieving a sense of place means asking questions such as "what is appropriate here?" and not "what can I get away with?" It means looking at the whole picture and taking in the entire context. Will this house, this store, this building, this parking garage express "a sense of place?" Or will it be "out of place?" One of the primary reasons people visit Palo Alto and want to live here is because it has a sense of place.

As a member of the Palo Alto City Council, it will be through these three lenses that I will assess my decisions and initiate creative solutions.