Michael Winkler for Arcata City Council
Dear Arcata Eye Editor,
Even though my name already appears on the Green Wheels election endorsements letter this week, I would like to offer a broader, more detailed and personal testimony of why I will be be voting for Michael Winkler on November 7th.
I have grown to trust Michael to represent me in city government by witnessing his nearly selfless dedication to the moral principles that drive him. Michael has invested the time, energy and money in his professional, academic, and personal life to walk his talk like few others have. Knowing what his practical action-oriented approach has already achieved with HSU administration and programs, I honestly can’t wait to see what it will achieve at the city level.
Michael is a candidate to break barriers and build bridges. Too often, there is a divide between the technical and political worlds, where engineers who create and implement technologies do not take into account their environmental and social ramifications, and where politicians make policy decisions about technical issues they do not understand. Michael’s whole professional and civic life run counter to this frequent tendency. As an engineer concerned about the social and environmental ramifications of technology, he left his high-paying job in Silicon Valley to work in the Schatz Energy Research Center at HSU and earn a degree in environmental engineering. His sense of social and environmental responsibility has inspired him to create new programs and policies at HSU, including the Humboldt Energy Independence Program to make HSU energy independent by 2043 with student-designed educational projects, and the 100% Recycled Paper Policy, which “will save annually the equivalent of 1,200 mature trees; 349,000 gallons of water; 204,000 kilowatt hours of electricity; 3,000 lbs. of air pollution; and 104,485 lbs. of greenhouse gases” (Executive Memorandum for 100% recycled paper). His home is a model of sustainability, giving back more energy to the grid than it uses, and producing one can of trash per year.
Not only is Michael the candidate to connect the technical sciences and policy arenas, he is the best candidate to build bridges between HSU and Arcata. Creating bridges between HSU and Arcata has been a constant theme in the campaigns of all the main council contenders this election, but other candidates’ proposals and goals are vague and undefined. In the debate on KEET, the non-ponytailed incumbent candidate illustrated one of his primary platform goals, to engage HSU and create and enhance symbiotic relationships between the university and the city, by mentioning only one campus organization specifically, Green Wheels, which I have been a major part of. Green Wheels has worked to coordinate transportation efforts between the city and university by presenting at council meetings and study sessions. The incumbent council member of which I am speaking has always been very complimentary of Green Wheels, but, unlike several other current council members and candidates, he has never returned emails addressed to the council, or made an attempt to attend one of our meetings and actively engage our organization. Therefore, his mention of Green Wheels, while flattering, took me somewhat by surprise, and brought me to question whether he is actually ready or able to engage the university campus as he promises to do.
Michael, on the other hand, has an extensive network of university contacts, including President Richmond. His experience implementing successful programs and as a CCAT steering committee member gives him a tremendous advantage in navigating the university’s decision-making structure. His current work at Schatz and recent work in other projects on campus gives him a window into current university programs and opportunities that no other candidate shares.
Michael’s successful track record is not limited to HSU. A six-plus year planning commission member, he he has demonstrated his effectiveness at working with others, his respect for process, and his commitment to long-term planning.
A dedicated listener, Michael is determined to personally meet as many citizens of the Arcata community as is humanly possible to hear their concerns. As I write this, he has reached almost 90% of Arcata’s doorsteps, something no other candidate has achieved, and he plans to cover all of Arcata’s doorsteps by November 7th. With the combination of his listening skills and effective problem-solving approach, Michael is able to break down problems to create effective, implementable solutions. Let’s put this consensus-building, problem-solving, bridge-building listener to work for us in city government on November 7th.
Aaron Antrim
aaron :: Oct.27.2006 :: Arcata, Sustainability ::