Local Lincoln County Issues

SOME LINCOLN COUNTY ISSUES

Land/Resource Use and Infrastructure
· Water
· Fire Safety:  fire safe forests and urban interfaces (current issue of inadequate communications and planning)
· Development
· Fort Stanton
· Watershed Health
· Sub-Division Ordinance, annexation, golf courses, etc.
· Goal:  Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  Planning that recognizes the diverse nature of communities, people, occupations, and ideologies in Lincoln County and respecting each.  Planning for the good of all. 

It’s getting more and more expensive to be poor
· Energy costs
· Health care costs
· Inflation
· Living wage
· Goal: An affordable community: including housing, child care, and health care

Local Economy and Politics
· Tourism
· Better education
· Knowledge-based good paying jobs; equal opportunities
· A vocational education program to prepare students and to supply trained employees for businesses in the community
· Village councils and county commission responsive to the needs of the whole community
· The creation of a bipartisan Economic Development Committee to develop a 10 year economic growth plan
· Goal:  a well diversified economy with incentives for small businesses to grow and prosper, good jobs, safe work places, and career opportunities for our young people

Education
· Lincoln County Vocational Education/Pathways to Self Sufficiency
· Leadership Lincoln, Head Start, Read Aloud
· No Child Left Behind  ß à Local Control
· School Board
· Adequate Teacher pay based on performance
· Recognition of outstanding teachers
· Greater participation of parents (focus on education over extracurricular)
· The value of Adult and Vocational Education
· Goal:  An excellent school system that address the community needs

Strong Families and Healthy Children  –  Justice System
· Drug and alcohol abuse
· Domestic violence
· Family Counseling 
· The value of treatment rather than incarceration
· Public Defenders branch office in Ruidoso
· Affordable and available healthcare for all citizens and regions of Lincoln County
· De-centralized Community Centers
· Insure that adequate facilities and care is provided to the elderly in all areas of Lincoln County
· Police chief and officers with sensitivity and understanding
regarding the drug and alcohol issues facing our community
· DA’s competence?
· High turn over in the police force

Electoral Process
· Liberation of the electoral process from the undue monetary influences of selfish interests, and better service of the public interest through campaign finance reform.   Insure that our elected officials recognize and act upon their responsibility to all not just the influential few. 
· The people of Lincoln County assume their share of the responsibility for the local, state and federal government and thus know the issues and VOTE
· Personal integrity be demanded of our elected officials

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If you have further thoughts about issues the Lincoln County Democratic party should be addressing and positions/solutions that could be proposed, please e-mail (preferred) or call: