O'Brien, Welvaert outline platforms

**WARNING** Looooooooong post

During a press conference held Thursday, Pat O'Brien put forward his proposals, plans, and hopes for the city of Moline.

Not surprisingly, he's in favor of keeping taxes to a minimum, believing that tax increases can be avoided by focusing on economic development, saying, "Economic development is the key to paying off our bills without straining our homeowners and residents."

Though noting his support for many downtown development projects, O'Brien expressed his belief that economic development must be spread throughout the city, not solely focused on Tax Increment Financing districts or TIFs such as the one downtown.

As part of this diversified approach away from focusing all development and funding towards small areas of the town, O'Brien believes in supporting neighborhoods, particularly in the older sections of town by providing stronger city services, continuing and expanding infrastructure repairs in these neighborhoods, and developing a stronger sense of pride by encouraging and supporting neighborhood associations and owner-occupied housing. "I think we need to put more money back into our neighborhoods," O'Brien stated, "I think that makes Moline a desirable place to live."

Mr. O'Brien feels his relationship with Dem politicians at local, state, and federal levels who are supporting his candidacy will prove a great advantage in bringing support for the expansion and development of the Western Illinois University campus along River Drive. He would also focus on plans for creation of a high-tech corridor centered on the Western Illinois University riverfront campus with the belief it would bring with it new businesses and high-paying jobs.

He believes in the city's plan to create a high-tech corridor around the proposed Western Illinois University Quad-Cities campus, a corridor that could attract new businesses and high-paying jobs.

Mr. O'Brien stressed that as mayor he will be accessible and open to residents, continuing to hold town hall meetings as he has as alderman and maintaining regular office hours in order to allow constituents the ability to share their suggestions and concerns. "By respecting people’s ideas, we can remake the city. I pledge to gather the best and brightest people we have in Moline to work in unison to make our dreams and plans reality, for business expansion and many other future projects."

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Don Welvaert offered his three-point plan for Moline.

The first is creating and retaining jobs through strong economic development policy. touting his history of advocating for jobs in Moline, and his participation last week in a lobbying trip to Springfield with the Illinois Quad City Chamber of Commerce.

The second point is building community pride through the maintenance of streets and buildings, and providing high-quality services.

"By doing this we show people who are looking at Moline that there is pride in Moline, that we take care of the city and the infrastructure, and we are a good community in which to raise a family and do business," he said.

Welvaert said the third point in his plan is to providing a good quality of life through schools, parks and libraries.

"I firmly believe that it is a balance between those three things that creates a vibrant community and provides for growth for the future of Moline."

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Both men's platforms appear to be almost interchangeable with the same basic goals stated differently. The key difference being which candidate's approach to accomplishing these goals is best for the people of Moline.

In this respect, though Welvaert has done commendable work as a part of pro-business groups, their commitment to the concerns of those who are not business owners, might be called into question.

The desire for the WIU project represents an issue where the interests of both labor and business happen to intersect. Business has a need for trained workers, and workers have a need to gain skills and therefore it is hoped, well paying jobs.

While Welvaert states his desire to improve services and maintain streets and buildings, he lacks O'Brien's emphasis on building and promoting the sense of neighborhood by the creation of neighborhood associations and other measures, such as has been done successfully in Rock Island.

Welvaert's third point, of improving quality of life by providing good schools, parks, and libraries, while commendable, seems to be an expected goal. After all, one might trust that neither men would neglect schools, parks, and the libraries, all of which are currently well maintained and well funded. Welvaert mentions parks as a way of highlighting his work as liaison to the Parks Department and his interest in development and maintenance of city parks. While this too is to be commended, it's certainly not something new and one would hope that either man considers good schools, parks, and the libraries to be a priority.

Both candidates have a lot to offer the city, however The Dope feels that O'Brien has the experience and outlook that would make him a mayor that better balances the desires and needs of the average resident of Moline with those of it's business community.

Under the current mayor, the balance has been skewed far too much towards business interests at the expense of deteriorating infrastructure and declining neighborhoods. O'Brien seems to understand that what is important to residents is the condition of their neighborhoods and infrastructure, and has the ability to see things from a ground level with a sensitivity to those who aren't part of the investor class. Too often, development deals have been sold as benefiting the city, while in reality, they only benefit and serve a small slice of the population. Mirroring the national situation, Moline has too long been engageded with helping the rich get richer and providing development for their use and enjoyment (such as incredibly high priced restaurants, boutiques, etc.)at the expense of neglecting older areas of town and the people that call them home, people who rarely, if ever, step foot in the businesses and facilities built with the help of city funds.

Looking forward and focusing on trendy projects is not the only thing a mayor should focus on. It's wise policy to look back towards the neighborhoods and the currently less lucrative areas of towns and to attempt to funnel some development support into those areas as well.

Business leaders are important partners in a city's vitality and growth, but it takes a leader to show them that investing in less glamorous projects will reap tangible returns as well. Another trendy coffee shop, while nice, does far less for the city than fixing crumbling sidewalks or forcing absentee landlords to maintain their properties.

O'Brien brings a more populist approach which seeks to provide for the needs of all residents of Moline while working towards the same goals shared by his opponent. In this respect, the Dope feels that O'Brien would provide fiscal balance and a welcome change for the city of Moline.