David Gakin
Occupation: Small business owner and parent of three.
Relevant experience: I actively advocate for accountability and transparency from our local government. I have my finger on the pulse of this city and my feet on it streets, volunteering my full time to correct our issues with a hand full our other like minded Candidates from every ward running including.
1. Describe your thoughts on the city’s response to the complex homeless issue, including its purchase of the S. Michigan St. property, its handling of federal court rulings directing the city’s response, and what you, as a city council member, would do to tackle the issue over the next several years.
Homelessness has been perpetuated by handing out freebies for them to continue their lifestyle. In a sense it has created “learned helplessness.” Instead of helping the homeless get on their feet and becoming a contributing citizen the governments have created a means for them to be reliant on others and not contribute, but do the opposite and become a burden to tax paying citizens. Throwing thousands of taxpayer dollars at putting up temporary tent cities is not solving the problem it is creating a larger one. If you build it they will come. You need to ask yourself why the small rural towns don’t have homeless issues. Is it because they are all well off? Or is it because they don’t hand out free needles, free tents, pick up the garbage they leave, and free methadone. How is this motivating and engaging the homeless to improve their situation? If we continue to give without expecting any return or change in the people when or how will this get better? What ever happened to earning what you have and good old fashioned hard work? We have created and perpetuate the idea that you don’t have to work for what you have that it is a right that should be handed to you. The founding families that came to America did not come expecting someone else to do the hard work, they did not come with the expectation that someone else would feed, clothe and give them shelter. With all this said how do we move forward and help the homeless become self-sufficient? We can start by making temporary housing truly temporary and requiring they complete steps to becoming self-sufficient while they are in the temporary housing. Job skills, budgeting skill, social skills, opioid blockers instead of free needles, basic hygiene, and counseling. This takes money as well but if it works it will be cost saving in the long run. Another area to look at is the prevention of becoming homeless in the first place. We have agencies that could address prevention measures if it was put at the forefront instead of an afterthought.
The city is moving forward with its quest for a City Administrator. Do you believe such a hire is a good investment for the city? Do you support the idea of a City Administrator?
Does Aberdeen really need a city Administrator? No. The issue of more government to solve current problems is not the answer. If the Administrator makes an average wage of $65,248 per year to oversee the already paid government employees it is just one more expense for the taxpayers without any real benefit. Accountability within government needs to happen with those already being paid to do the job. Fiscal responsibility and being responsive to the voice of the citizens should be the focus not adding another administrator or upper management position. Feet on the street, the workers actually doing the work would be money better spent than one more person telling the people, actually doing the work, what to do. The city has managers overseeing each department this should be enough if accountability is taking place.
Aberdeen faces a lot of complicated issues in the coming years (infrastructure improvements, catching up with a constantly changing economy, lack of affordable housing, etc.). As a council member, what would you do to address what you feel is the most pressing issue facing the city in the near future?
Aberdeen has many pressing issues that will take time to address and cleaning up the city and making it safe for families to visit should be forefront. If people don’t feel safe they won’t come and if they do come they won’t stay or come back. Being the city known for its free homeless camps and needle exchange won’t encourage new business or tourism it will have to opposite effect. We need to put more energy into helping small businesses get up and running and then supporting the business community by making the streets safe so citizens can enjoy the benefit of shopping in their local community. As you add revenue to the city it will have more opportunities to address affordable housing and the changing economy. You can’t put the horse before the cart and add programs for those who don’t contribute to the economy without the resources to support it. Clean up the streets encourage businesses to come to generate the needed revenue. If you tax the already suffering tax payers you will only compound the problem.
