As I campaign for Thornton Mayor, I often ask people where they work. The usual answer is somewhere else other than Thornton, and this anecdotal evidence is backed up by hard statistics. Currently there is less than one job per household in Thornton.

I don't have to tell you that a well-paying job is important for every family, and I understand a little about that myself. I've been unemployed four times in the last 15 years, I've started three small businesses using nothing but my own personal resources and I watched my family's farm as a youth consumed in the economic crisis of the early 1980s.

That's why I am making job creation a top goal in my blueprint for Thornton. Jobs are absolutely essential for a healthy economy. With more jobs close by our tax dollars stay in Thornton, we can spend more time with our family and less time commuting, and with fewer cars on the road we use less energy and pollute less.

As your next mayor I will make it my number one goal to bring 10,000 high-paying jobs to Thornton in the next 10 years. If we were to accomplish this goal, we would effectively double the amount of jobs in the city. It is an audacious goal, but I believe you deserve a mayor with big goals. The question is how do we accomplish it?

I believe we must become more aggressive in pursuing major employers and engage the private sector. We ought to create an advisory council of local business leaders to act as ambassadors and a sounding board for job creation. We need to build the infrastructure that business leaders like such as wireless internet. We should create specific tax incentives and enterprise zones to attract employers.

Most importantly we need to position ourselves in the business community as a leader and create a well-crafted marketing campaign so that Thornton is seen as a great place to do business. That starts with a message, a brand for the city of Thornton. We must implement a well-honed public relations and marketing plan that broadcasts to the world that Thornton is open to business.

I don't want any family to go without a decent living, and I will make it my priority as your next mayor to bring more jobs to Thornton.

Erik Hansen

Thornton City Councilmember