Desert Dispatch Questionnaire and Responses

Note- The Desert Dispatch Newspaper sent our a questionnaire consisting of four questions that each candidate was asked to respond to with answers in the range of four sentences. Without an actual word count limit, there is no way to know if this will work or be cut, but this is what was submitted.

The Desert Dispatch Newspaper

Candidate Questionnaire and Responses for:

Lawrence (Larry) Douglas Halstead

What in your background is important to holding the office of Barstow City Councilman?

I received my degree in Political Science from the University of California at Davis in 1976. I have spent a lifetime as a community activist fighting for issues such as: the environment, freedom of choice in health care, civil rights, and against government corruption. Professionally, I have been the founder and CEO of businesses relating to: publishing, graphic arts, health product distribution, international marketing, and political consultation. Currently, I am the Founder and Director of the Earth Haven Foundation for Kids, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating on behalf of children that are born addicted to drugs.

What do you believe sets you aside from the other candidate?

To begin with, I am the only candidate that has a background that includes over 30 years as a Political Scientist, community activist, and business management. But what really sets me aside is that I am the only viable voice for change and reform. Unlike most other candidates, I attend ever City Council Meetings, speaking out on the current policies that reflect an attitude of: mismanagement, insider deals, misleading, closed sessions, conflicts of interest, do nothing, or total lack of vision. If you like the current stagnate mundane leadership at City Hall, then I am not your choice. But if you are looking for a change toward a better quality of life in Barstow, I will work hard to improve Barstow for all of our citizens.

If elected, what would be your priorities for the City of Barstow?

1. Youth. We need more toward youth activities to keep our kids out of gangs. We need to get the Al Vigil pool open and keep the Henderson pool open. We need to do more to support and improve our local schools and utilize those resources that already exist..

2. Economic Development. Jobs, jobs, jobs. We need to be more active in marketing the Enterprise zone and attract the type of business that would add to our quality of life. At the same time, we need to work hard to support our existing businesses, especially Route 66 and the Outlet Mall.

3. Safety. I fought hard (against the Mayor) to help the police get their raise. More still needs to be done. The fire department likewise needs more support. Most importantly, we are ill prepared for any natural disaster such as an earthquake when it occurs.

4. Environment. The quality of our water is an enormous challenge that we face. An outdated sewer plant resulting in 1.5 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Mojave River when high nitrates levels are showing up in local wells is a perfect example of City leadership doing too little too late. I will work hard to clean up our water supply instead of continuing the policy of adding to it.

What do you believe are the biggest Problems Facing Our City?

The biggest problems are the same challenges that constitute my priorities when elected and listed above. Supporting our youth, economic development, fire, police, clean water, and a quality of life, are all aspect that represent enormous challenges that desperately need strong leadership