Tran responds to question: How to deal locally with credit meltdown

Ed. note: Yesterday we posed the following question to city council members and candidates:

The worldwide credit crisis looms large on the economy. As an Elk Grove city council members what contingency plans have you made/would you make to assure the city does not suffer budget deficits/financial problems from things like decreased property and sales taxes in the ensuing recession?

Within minutes of that posting Elk Grove City council candidate Khanh "KT" Tran responded. Here is his complete unedited response.




Before we talk about our local economy and jobs, we first need to set a vision for the future of our city. We also need to ask where we want to be many years from now. We need to have a mission to pursue thegoals we set for our local economy and how we bring in new high-paying jobs to our region.

In these troubled times, we do not want government to cut cost. We need to expand and invest in our future. People need jobs and it is up to the government to create new means for new jobs. Jobs that Elk Grove needs and jobs that will be here in the future. It is like investing in our future and like investing in your children education. In the near future, the investment will pay off. If we do not do anything, we will get nothing. No economy, no industry, no jobs, and no one to fill those empty foreclosure homes. When we have a greentech economy and bring jobs to Elk Grove, your home value will go up. Retail businesses in the area will have more customers. There will be many jobs from blue collar to white collar all kind of jobs that are the results of having a fuel cell (FC) auto plant in the region.

Elk Grove needs to build hydrogen FC refueling stations to provide infrastructure for FC vehicles. Without hydrogen refueling stations, there is no market for FC cars. Texas and other states are not within the radar for fuel cell. Only California and New York are designated FC markets for the industry. Do we want GM or Ford or any FC auto manufacturer to build there auto plants in southern California, San
Francisco bay area, or do we want them to build these FC cars here in Elk Grove. We need to decide and compete for our economic fate. To help pay for this economic jumpstart in Elk Grove, KT will ask a small investment fee (fee) through a bond measure to finance greentech growth over the next 10 years. The propose fee will only be against registered gas-powered vehicles residing in or doing business within
Elk Grove which is approximately $20 per year. This fee will increment yearly as the gas-powered vehicles continue to be in operation. During the next 10 years, there will be a period of time whereas the revenues will peak. At the end of the 10-year bond measure period, which reaches maturity, the fee will cease. It is likely gas-powered vehicles will be phase out and replace by fuel cell. This is not an
expense but an investment for Elk Grove to jumpstart our leadership in the new era of FC automotive innovation and industrialization.

All we need is majority of voters to decide that they want this and it will happen. Think about our future. Think about our children future. What will we do when all of the jobs as we know get offshore to other countries. We need to invest today so new jobs will replace jobs that will not come back.

If voters want to bring back jobs that are made in America for Americans, then vote this election. Vote for KT and Leary, the Green team.

Learn more about KT's energy and greentech plan at www.KTPlanforElkGrove.com

Khanh Tran for Elk Grove City Council FPPC ID# 1308944