Jim is proudly endorsed by the Sierra Club.

Green Campaign

I have also been a forceful advocate on the Council for protecting our environment. Bringing about real environmental change requires more than words. It requires real life action. Therefore, I am eliminating the traditional yard sign from my campaign in order to save trees and energy as well as reduce the carbon footprint of our campaign. Although some political advisors have warned that this move is bad strategy, I am foregoing this significant political advantage to demonstrate real responsibility and dedication to change. What funds I would have spent on yard signs will be donated to Highland Park to plant additional trees that will continue this legacy for years to come.

Top 10 Environmental Accomplishments

1. Commercial recycling for businesses in Highland Park.
2. Micro filtration system at our water facility which preserves the existing structure, reduces the use of chemicals and provides comparable water to any bottled water allowing us to campaign for residents to drink tap instead of bottled water.
3. The aggressive conversion of our public buildings to the best environmental practices and mechanical devices and materials available.
4. Lobbied for funding for the Healthy Highland Park coordination with the Green Ways initiative.
5. Open space preservation via purchasing private land and dedicating it to our open space plan in Highland Park.
6. Running the first local campaign that eliminated the use of lawn signs, lowering the carbon footprint of a campaign by over 70%.
7. Implemented a program to keep harmful waste out of our storm sewer system through education and signage.
8. Preserving the natural habitat for not only our animals but our flora via educational efforts in coordination with the Highland Park Park Board.
9. Active involvement with the Great Lakes Initiative to preserve and enhance our fresh water resource.
10. Negotiating volume based recycling to create a financial incentive for our residents to recycle resulting in a model program for others to emulate.

Environmental Priorities

Our largest challenge is achieving local, universal adoption of good environmental practices. Leadership requires that we create the necessary structure and tools that will enable our community to reduce our dependency on fossil fuel, encourage public transportation, conserve our precious natural resources (like Lake Michigan water) while enhancing our quality of life and enjoying our natural habitat.

My top priority will be the completion of our Green Ways plan to facilitate passive recreation and active physical transportation within the next four years.

This coming term I plan to propose a credit for using public transportation by eliminating the costs of parking at our train stations. I want to make it as easy and cost effective for commuters to utilize public transportation. I personally have switched to a full time rail commuter and walk from my home to the train and the train to my office each day. I also walk or ride my bike to our public meetings at city hall.

Furthermore, I am planning to implement a conservation challenge for all residents to first determine the amount of fuel they consume as a family on a monthly basis and set a goal of reducing their consumption levels by 20% in 2009/2010.

Additionally, just two weeks ago my committee, The Business and Economic Development Commission, presented a preliminary plan for the reuse of a Solo Cup Manufacturing facility in our town which is being vacated. Our preliminary plan calls for the reuse of the existing facility as a Green Business Campus. The Campus would provide a fertile environment for small to mid size firms to operate businesses that our part of the green economy, including but not limited to green manufacturing of tools for the green economy,research and green consulting firms. Our plan envisions cooperative funding from local, state and federal agencies as well as a plan for angle and venture capital funding for new and existing businesses. This is a project we have been incubating for almost two years and is finally starting to come together.