CAMPAIGN KICK-OFF SPEECH

By Hillary Freeman

Thank you all for coming today. My name is Hillary Freeman and I am a candidate for City Council. I want to publicly acknowledge my campaign volunteers, also known as "the dream team" for the tremendous effort, spirit and enthusiasm that they have infused into this campaign. To all of you, from the campaign chairs to the student volunteers, I give my sincerest thanks.

I'd like to invite my entire family to join me. This is my husband, Nellis, who is my Rock of Gibraltar and has done more to support this campaign than anyone can imagine. This is Austinn, my 14-year-old daughter, who is setting a new standard for me since she just won her election as president of the Freshman Class at Paly. This is Alex, my 9-year-old son, who keeps humor a priority in our home and is one of my biggest supporters. And last, but not least, my mother Mabel, whose charismatic flair made such a big hit at my last event that I'm now known primarily as Mabel's daughter.

I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by my friends and family--especially given the events of the past two weeks. I know how difficult it has been to get on with our lives. The loss we feel as a nation, and as individuals, has been staggering. Yet, when I look around at people reaching out to comfort one another, I have such hope. Connecting at a personal level gives strength to our communities. I see this as an opportunity to renew our values. We have a chance to look at our city with fresh eyes.

One of the reasons why I am running for City Council is because I believe in citizen participation in government. I am a citizen and I am fully prepared to participate! Participation is what democracy is based on. Only by hearing the varied voices of our community can we begin to understand each other and build solutions that are truly community-based. In fact, for me, listening to ideas and concerns of a wide cross section of Palo Altans has been the highlight of my campaign. We are very fortunate to live in a community filled with people who have genuine care for our city. Now is the time to fully tap our wonderful natural resource, the people of Palo Alto.

Working together, I am confident that we will be able to address the many challenges facing us, including the following three:

ü We need to match our budget with community values. We need to acknowledge that we are in a period of economic uncertainty and we must get back to basics. We must prioritize funding for our public works infrastructure and our core community assets, like schools, libraries, and parks. This will require some hard decisions and belt tightening. With 14 years of management experience, I feel qualified to approach our budget and priorities with proven business strategies. I offer you common sense fiscal accountability.

ü We need to recognize that only in working together can we solve our challenges and create a sustainable community. That means, planning and partnership with the school district, businesses, local neighborhoods and our regional neighbors, including Stanford. And possibilities exist, like reducing traffic impacts by combining the Marguerite with the Palo Alto shuttle including expansion of routes and frequency of service. The goal of this planning must be results, not prolonged debate.

ü We need to ensure that children, like Alex and Austinn and seniors, like my mom--and the rest of us--can walk and bike safely in our town. I challenge each of you to ride a bike to your local elementary school at the time when children are going to school. See first hand how dangerous the traffic conditions are in your neighborhoods. Speedinign= school zones and running red lights are endangering our children. The most cost-effective and immediate solution is to enforce our traffic laws. We must make traffic enforcement a priority and as citizens, we must commit to driving sanely and obeying our laws.

We are an amazing community with a desire to improve not only our lives, but those around us. We can make this a better world, by starting today, in our home town. Together we can elect leaders who listen, include and engage our citizens. We can elect leaders who are in touch with the will of the people they serve. We can elect proactive leaders with the energy and vision to implement. And now it is important to elect courageous leaders experienced in the management of change; leaders whom you trust will represent you well, regardless of the issues we face. I feel comfortable pledging, to you, my ability to fill those shoes. I ask for your support and your vote, for Hillary Freeman on November 6. Let's shape the future of Palo Alto--together.

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