Issues
- Traffic
Traffic is a very real concern in Fairfax. Over the last several years, it has continued to worsen with little effort to relieve the strain. Golden Gate Transit has been reducing bus lines and attempting to cut some altogether, an approach that seems to me to be the opposite of a solution.
To address the traffic issue, it seems only logical that the town encourage alternate transportation. Perhaps our mass transit should not be subject to the ill-managed Bridge District and their funding issues. Maybe we should be encouraging people to ride bicycles more often. I know I would ride into town more if I could find a place to lock my bike!
- High Speed Internet
Fairfax is just beyond the distance that SBC will serve for DSL access. Our ridgelines prevent most residents from being within line-of-sight of wireless internet towers. That leaves Comcast as our only high-speed internet provider. While the local office has been wonderful, the parent corporation continues to degrade in service quality. Comcast used to be AT&T who used to be TCI. As soon as Comcast took over AT&T's stronghold, they immediately raised rates for internet customers $15/month in the name of "rewarding their better customers." In case you are not aware, cable providers are not overseen by any regulatory body except the FCC. They are not considered a utility, even though they offer telephone services and other services that are not redundant.
I think the Town of Fairfax can eliminate this monopoly by supplying high-speed wireless internet access to all residents.
- Keeping Fairfax Dollars In Fairfax
Our local businesses need our support. More and more, small towns across America are falling prey to superstores like Wal-mart. We should be proud that we don't have any of these local revenue destroying stores here or very nearby. But, they aren't all that far away. By encouraging residents to shop at local markets instead of Costco, encouraging local stores to stock some more popular items found only at superstores, and by advertising the benefits and locations of our local shops, we can ensure that local businesses will survive and serve us tomorrow.
- Some of Jory's Ideas for Fairfax
We can hold contests to have local artists design posters and newspaper spreads that expound the virtues of shopping in Fairfax. We can herald the now-common concepts that originated in Fairfax, such as the hot tub and the mountain bike! We can grow the perceived size of the downtown area by expanding seasonal and non-seasonal decorations (like the "Welcome to Fairfax" banners) all the way to the Fairfax-San Anselmo border. We can ensure that all crosswalks and street corners in town are wheelchair accessible. We can have a website that represents all the fantastic goods and services available in our unique town.
