Barstow First!


I have strong views on a number of issues and topics, but everything comes back to one central theme--Barstow First!  Every action…every decision should be focused on putting Barstow first. 

After a career in public safety, it should come as no surprise that the safety of our families and neighbors is high on my priority list.  As a council member, I will continue my efforts to reduce the influence of drugs and gangs in Barstow and seek opportunities to insure we reduce other crimes in our community.

No task is more important for the City Council than working to improve our community and position us as a place of opportunity.  A place where business can grow and our residents can find meaningful jobs.  We need to insure that where ever possible, bureaucratic hurdles are reduced and red tape eliminated so businesses and residents alike can find it as easy as possible to work with City Hall. 

The effort to better position Barstow includes improving the overall appearance of Barstow and working to improve our community self esteem.  Barstow is a great community with many fine people, but sometimes it is hard to remember all that is good in Barstow because we have been down for so long.  The national economic mess has had a terrible impact on our community, but we cannot wait for others to come and save us…we must do this ourselves.  We must as a community pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and go out and make for ourselves the opportunities that will lead to success.  We must capitalize on our good qualities, build on our strengths, and seek innovative and creative approaches if we are to bring opportunity and success to Barstow.

Local government can create an atmosphere that can encourage and foster business, but only the people in the community can spend the money necessary to make business a success.  Residents must support local businesses by Buying in Barstow, but business too has a role here…they have to be responsive to the needs of the consumer.  As we consider this issue, we must recognize that the Barstow community is more than the businesses and people here, but also every person traveling through Barstow.  Because the time they are here, these travelers are part of our community too and we need to encourage as many travelers as possible to stop, eat and shop in Barstow.  Their dollars will help create jobs and economic success while adding to the tax revenue that makes government services possible.  This is one of our resources…a resource that we must cultivate and nourish.

We have a number of challenges ahead of us, but with each challenge is an opportunity in the background, like the silver lining behind a cloud, waiting to be revealed.  As a member of your City Council I will commit myself to working on these and other issues always mindful that at the end of the day, every decision and every action must focus on putting Barstow First.

--Rich Harpole
   February 3, 2012

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