Lori J. Allen For Ward 3 Council - An Ordinary Citizen, Not A Politician

My mother's name is Lori J. Allen and she is running for Ward 3 councilperson in the primary election on Tuesday, September 8th. She and my dad have been Lakewood residents and homeowners for over twenty-four years. When I was younger, our family utilized many of Lakewood's wonderful assets, such as the swimming pools, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, library, and playgrounds. There is nothing more beautiful than to walk or bike up to Lakewood Park and watch the sun set.

My mom has been regularly attending city council meetings for three years, and has learned a great deal about how local government operates. One of the main reasons she has decided to run for Ward 3 councilperson is she feels the citizens should come first and should have a voice in how their government spends their money. Lakewood is the seventh highest-taxed city in the area. With such a high tax rate, more could be done to benefit all residents of our community.

As she has gone door-to-door talking with residents, they seem to be concerned about the increase in crime in our community and speeding on side streets. Speeding on side streets and in school zones needs to be dealt with. Lakewood is dealing with more urban crime now and less suburban crime. She supports our police and feels they are doing great work. However, more of them need to be out on patrol, especially at night. If elected, she would like to increase the visibility and accessibility of our neighborhood police stations. It would be beneficial to work with Lakewood's court system to ensure that violent crimes, sexual crimes, drug trafficking, crimes against children, animals, the elderly, and assaults against police officers are prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. On several occasions, my mother and I have watched our firefighters put out fires and they do a fantastic job. Our paramedics receive many calls each day, and they are always quick to respond and are our lifeline between home and the hospital. My mom totally supports both police and fire departments and believes that they should always have the latest and best equipment and training available.

Residents on many streets ,to whom she has spoken, are also wondering why their street is in such poor condition. More funds need to be put forth for preventive maintenance for side streets, such as filling cracks which lead to potholes and premature decay. Citizens should not have to wait for years to have their streets paved.

Through grant money and/or outside funding, my mom would like to see more activities, assistance, and opportunities for senior citizens, along with returning our senior centers to full capacity as they were years ago. Another possibility she is interetsed in would be to create a drop-in center for the many young people that live in our community. It would be beneficial to work with the school district to start a program where youth could do odd jobs for seniors to introduce them to the workforce. Perhaps willing seniors could tutor some of the youth. The Community Circulator should be brought back to Lakewood.

The issue surrounding Lakewood Hospital is greatly upsetting to my mother. With 1,100 jobs, it is the largest employer in the city. Considering that there are over 51,000 residents in Lakewood that include families with small children and senior citizens, we definitely need a full-service hospital. The handling of the hospital situation by some in our city administration was done in an unprofessional manner. She has been speaking at council meetings, advocating for both city services and for saving the hospital and its 1,100+ jobs. Lori J. Allen is the only candidate in Ward 3 that has openly supported saving the hospital in print.

If elected, she would strictly follow the Sunshine Laws regarding citizen's access to public records so that the citizens can have access to all of the public records at City Hall. Citizens are important, and they should have a say in how their tax money is spent.

My mom is running her campaign using her own money and is trying to keep costs low. She is not endorsed by anyone and has not accepted any campaign contributions. She has no ties to City Hall. That is why you only see a handful of yard signs and no glossy advertisements. You will not be bothered with a robocall, but you can e-mail her at your convenience at LJALLEN4WARD3@OUTLOOK.COM with questions and she will answer. In closing, Lori would like the privilege to represent those in Ward 3. This is why I think you should vote for my mom, Lori J. Allen, she knows what it is like to live on a budget and also believes that government should be “by the people and for the people.” Not “by the government and for the government.”