Below I've posted John Mars answer to questions regarding his arrest last year. To view his full post, see the comments section under the Mars Update entry in April.
......As for the famous arrest last year I will address that briefly. Last year my family and the community suffered the loss of two young men in a very needless fashion. Young men with great promise. The second of the two had become quite close to our family in the year preceding the tragedy. I had some terse words with him regarding his attitude the day before leaving on a business trip and when I returned he was gone. I am afraid that emotionally I handled the experience very poorly. To the extent that one Saturday a few weeks later w my wife felt the need to summon the police as she was in fear for my own safety. Bad judgment on my part and probably very good judgment on hers. I will not address the issue in any more depth than that.
I believe I represented Arkansas City very well on the Board of Education for four years but if you are in need of someone with a flawless past to represent you at the county level and let that be the basis of your judgment at the ballot box then please cast your vote for someone else. If you would like someone with proven leadership ability with a passion for the county’s future and is willing to acknowledge that elected office is a privilege and will always listen to you then I encourage you to contact me at 442-0764 or at jmars@cox.net to find out more about where I stand on the issues.
Sincerely,
John Mars
A novice's take on the local, state and national political scenes
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David Allen
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15 comments:
You did good on the School Board. Thanks. You got my vote, John.
I have a serious question for John.
Are you eligible to vote? Or have you been convicted of a felony?
I would not feel comfortable voting for someone who could not even vote themselves.
it is most important to feel comfortable voting for a candidate. It is more important to feel comfortable approaching the elected official once they are in office. Candidate Mars offered a couple of manners by which you could contact him directly. That is important and would be even more important if he were elected. So, rather than trying to call him out (anonymously) on a blog site, where 1 out of 100 will read the answer for informational value and the other 99 will just find something else to criticize or dispute, why not contact John direct and then let the people know how accessible and approachable he is.
There have been comments on the blog in the past concerning current elected officials who do not respond to contact efforts or who do not listen. Some even say that the incumbents will give sharp and somewhat hostile replies to their constituents.
I know one of them responded to a simple comment I made to them by lashing out and scolding me for about ten minutes. That is the type of behavior that lets a voter know that their interests might not be best entrusted to that person's care. Personally, I still consider her a valued friend. I just do not trust that person to represent my interest as a public official and share that message with anyone who would ask (face to face).
Maybe I just imagined that John left his phone and email address?
Yes.I am eligible to vote. My convictions were in Arkansas 18 years ago and I received a 10 year suspended sentence. At the conclusion all rights are restored except for the right to own or posses a firearm which I do not. Please remember this will not be the first public office I have held and I have always been completely up front.
Also--As Charles indicates I can be reached at 620-442-0764 or by email jmars@cox.net and am always happy to address any issue
Thanks charles, for my 2cents worth, it is too bad, that so much attention is focused on the past. Not that it's not important, but, not much attention or energy on the future. How many poeple have asked anything about what Mr. Mars stands for? Not much. 1 snippet about "legal problems" in David's blog long ago, and it's still an issue. People are funny. Too bad they didn't read the rest of David's blog. Just took that and ran with it. Hope I never make a mistake in life. Gotta remember to be perfect. :)
Mr Mars,
Where do you stand on the issues of Illegal Immigration, Gun control, Abortion, and The Global Warming debate?
Illegal Immigration--If you’re not an Indian somewhere in your family tree there has been an immigrant. The United States has become the greatest nation on earth largely on the backs of those that came through Ellis Island. To think that those that come through Texas from the south can add any less to our “melting pot” just doesn’t make sense. Not all will be perfect but there is good and bad in all things including all ethnic groups. That said the United States has immigration laws and those that come here should follow legal channels or be deported. They should also be prepared to embrace and be loyal to America, our language, and our culture. Now I do make an exception to this position. If someone is brought here illegally as a child, has spent the majority of their lives here, and largely know no other country there ought to be an expedited path to citizenship. It is unjust, to say the least, to punish these young people for the actions of there parents by denying them the legal right to pursue a future in the only country they know. Several years ago my wife and I legally adopted one such young man and we view having in our family as a blessing.
Gun Control—I am all for it. If you have a gun you should be completely competent in its use and be able to control it at all times. If you are referring to my feeling on governmental laws to regulate firearm ownership I have no use for them. If you outlaw guns then only the criminals and police will have them which puts society at higher risk to those that choose to break laws and take advantage of the knowledge everyone around them is most probably unarmed.
Abortion—Personally and religiously I believe that the taking of an innocent human life is an abomination to humanity. However, this is a moral issue surrounding personal choice and not a governmental one. This battle can only be won in the churches, synagogues, and mosques of our communities. I do not believe that you can legislate morality and would no be supporting laws to do so.
Global Warming—Global warming due to the emissions of greenhouse gases, largely from the consumption of hydrocarbons, is a serious issue that affects the future of our children. While I do not like paying the price at the pump I am at least encouraged that the burden the price places on our economy has encouraged investment in alternative energy sources such as the new wind farm Boone Pickens is building in Texas and the solar fields in the west. This drive to reduce greenhouse gases should be embraced by business and government and as County Commissioner I would support moving to newer and more efficient technologies as they become available and cost efficient.
you don't sound too much like a democrat to me.
So, if a vote on abortion came up, you would NOT vote against a womans right to choose? Did I understand that correctly?
That is correct I would NOT vote against a womans right to choose but I would pray for the life of any unborn child
Since county commissioners don't normally concern themselves with abortion, illegal immigration or gun control, what are your views, John, on zoning along the 77 corridor, rebuilding the east chestnut bridge, allowing improvement of county roads to the Ponca casino, and the future of cowley first?
-david allen
Yeah, all those prayers have worked wonders up to now.
77 Corridor Zoning-When I hear the word zoning the hair on my neck stands up. I am a proponent of a property owners rights to put their property to whatever use suits them. Now I wouldn’t want to live next to a pig farm but implementing zoning ordinances to prohibit it in the county I view as a cure that is worse than the disease. However, the 77 corridor poses a unique situation. Growth along the corridor is needed for the long term economic health of the community and zoning will have to be part of the equation. If growth is not planned well there will be a price to be paid. I know I am stepping out on this ice with this opinion but I would rather see growth along the corridor restricted to the Strother Field Industrial area and the area North of Arkansas City and possibly south to the state line. I believe that encouraging growth of retail areas between Winfield and Arkansas City would serve to pull more shoppers out of the downtown areas of both communities complicating an already treacherous landscape for merchants in those areas. We should press for the industrial development in the short term to give the county what it needs most which is more jobs that pay a living wage. As the population grows and stabilizes and the economies of scale increase to the level that retail developments can then be established thus minimizing the impact of these developments on local merchants and preserving our already troubled downtown areas. While I would love to have an Applebees I would not like to have one at the expense of restaurants that are locally owned and put their money back into the community.
The East Chestnut Bridge-While the East bridge is old and should be replaced eventually I would like to turn attention to the closed West Chestnut bridge A country setting and a short trip into town is a nice quality to have I a home for some especially with the price of gas these days. Without this bridge those living on the West side of the bridge have lost this advantage and we have also left a safety hazard for teens in the area that frequent the bridge. On occasion I have had to travel the west side of the river and have grumbled silently at the inconvenience. I would like to see the bridge replaced and the link to the residents in the surrounding area to downtown be restored.
Road Improvements-I really haven’t given this a whole lot of thought and probably won’t until I see a proposal that offers some facts to digest. To this point there has been no proposal.
Cowley First-I would support Cowley First and I would encourage a focus on workforce development. One of the challenges for existing businesses, and as Executive Director of a business with over 200 employees I know this first hand, is getting technically qualified workers. As we develop a workforce with a technical aptitude to supplement the general labor we then have a foundation to support current businesses and develop an infrastructure and then proceed to recruit larger employers. I would like to see the college step back up to the plate as they are the ideal entity to support this focus. An added benefit for businesses looking to relocate is that they would have a one-stop shop when looking for locations, reviewing quality of life issues, workforce evaluation, etc. Recruiting and supporting small business to grow our industrial base while enhancing the skills of our local workforce is a two pronged approach that I believe would become a winning formula.
The west Chestnut bridge should be replaced! No other town would have left it this long!
It's got at least 20 years left. It just needs some paint.
John is spot-on also on economic development and what that would mean for the local economy and has good insights on the tenuous nature of bringing them in and where they locate compared to what also needs to be considered in the protection of the downtown.
No question about it, John would be a significant improvement over Carmelita.
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