SG-W:/ An Anti-Sprawl Ann Arbor Mayor?

[Anne Heise <aheise@orchard.wccnet.org>]

Friends,

What if the largest city in Washtenaw County had a Mayor who believed that
out-of-control development was the greatest problem we face?

What if Ann Arbor had a Mayor who stood on a piece of property next to
concerned citizens and said "This land should be preserved not bulldozed?"

What if this Mayor pledged to use the considerable leadership and
resources of Ann Arbor to find regional solutions to the devastating
sprawl that's choking our roads, wrecking our schools, destroying our
natural areas and rivers, and emptying our pocket books for developer
subsidies?

This isn't true today.  Far from it.  All of our efforts to fight sprawl
suffer for the lack of leadership in Ann Arbor's City Hall.

But Sunday night (5/7) at 7pm will mark the beginning of the 2000 race to
see if this vision can become a reality. Long-time environmental activist
John Hieftje (that's Heef-te-yuh) will formally announce his Mayoral
candidacy at a party at Arbor Brewing on Washington Street (between Main
and Fourth) in downtown Ann Arbor. You can park for free in the structure
across the street.  You are invited to come on down, have a beer, and
see what kind of Mayor John Hieftje would be.

John's campaign will center on the need to stop out-of-control development
in order to preserve nature and protect neighborhoods.  He'll have
substantial opposition from those who want government to continue to
passively accept the bad developments and excessive growth that are
wrecking the character of our community.  The only way he can be the next
Mayor of Ann Arbor is if people who care deeply about successfully
fighting sprawl - not just talking about it - will actively work on his
campaign.  I hope to see you Sunday night as we take the next step
forward.

Doug Cowherd



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