As your next Mayor of Thornton I will make it a centerpiece of my Blueprint for Thornton to utilize technology to help make government more efficient, hold our elected representatives more accountable, and attract new economic development.

I've spoken with numerous citizens about the city's performance clearing the streets after our record snowfall this winter. One I learned is that we can improve our efficiency and communication with citizens. Simple GPS tracking on snowplows would give us complete information about their progress, and it could even be linked to maps on the city's website to show their performance. Much of the anxiety over the snow could have been alleviated with this simple communication tool, and this increased knowledge also helps improve efficiency when deploying Thornton's resources.

Since elected in 2001, I have been a big proponent of televising city elections, and in January 2006 we began this practice. It could have happened earlier, but unfortunately only former Mayor Noel Busck, Steve Lebsock, Ron Kuehn, and myself voted for it. The effect on the community has been greater than I expected. I often speak with people who watch our meetings, and I believe we have a more engaged citizenry than before. Now that we also stream these meetings on the web we ought to increase the interactivity by allowing instant message and email questions for public hearings and perhaps even public testimony directly through the web.

In 2005 I initiated discussion to bring wireless Internet access to Thornton, and since then Thornton has joined the Colorado Wireless Coalition in order to bring wireless Internet to the entire north metro area. Building technology infrastructure like this can also help the city attract employers who value technology and helps position us as a leader in the business community.

I hold strong beliefs about government. In particular I believe that government should serve the people; people should not be servants to the government. Using technology to make government better is a good way to ensure that we continue to enjoy the freedoms we hold dear. For more information about my campaign for Mayor, please visit my website at www.hansenforthornton.com.

Erik Hansen
Thornton City Councilmember and Candidate for Mayor