Fort Collins City Council District 3

by Blaine Gallup

Fort Collins City Council District 3 encompasses the southeast section of the city, which includes College Avenue east to Interstate 25 and south from East Harmony Road to Carpenter Road, both with exceptions. The candidates running for City Council in this District are: Mr. Diggs Brown, Jr.; Mr. Dale Lockwood; and Ms. Aislinn Kottwitz. Allow me to give a summary bio on each and then, in my humble opinion, state who I believe will do the best job for Fort Collins.

The Incumbent: Diggs Brown

Mr. Brown has held this seat for one term and is not seeking re-election. He is currently deployed with the US Army Special Forces.

Dale Lockwood – Challenger

I visited Mr. Lockwood’s website to gather general information, but unfortunately, I found the site lacking.

I believe he worked as a civilian for the US Air Force at one time, and at the conclusion of the project, received a letter of commendation for his work. The source that divulged this information announced this achievement so loudly one would think Mr. Lockwood received a Congressional medal, but let’s keep things in perspective shall we. While not to ‘play down’ his achievement, military soldiers receive commendations from their individual branches of service everyday. It is a letter stating they were ‘asked’ to do a certain job for their country and they did it well. Love, and much thanks, Uncle Sam.

I received two Army Commendation medals and an Army Achievement medal during my period of service. The important thing here is to remember that most people who have served their country do not use these commendations or achievements as a personal perch from which to crow.

As far as any community service that Mr. Lockwood has posted on his site, I can only find one of the listed six items as an actual community service, that being a member of the Larimer County Environmental Advisory Board. Beyond that, the other five items seemed to be attached to his children’s extracurricular activities at school. Although ‘commendable’ they hardly seem to be evidence of public service.

Aislinn Kottwitz – Challenger

As an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse at Poudre Valley Hospital, Aislinn Kottwitz is very in tune to the rigors of critical issues and how to react to those issues. Opposite her opponent, she has actually served the constituents of former Senator Beauprez as the Constituent Liaison in the areas of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Energy.

Ms. Kottwitz has a particular vision for Fort Collins which mainly includes the influx of jobs. At a recent luncheon, she said this election revolves around jobs, jobs, and jobs. She wants to work with the current council to preserve the current jobs, bolster relationships to create new jobs, and find new ways to attract companies to Fort Collins.

Ms. Kottwitz has shown her ‘never say die’ attitude by embracing such issues as water storage and having a responsive government rather than a reactive one.

Aislinn has lived in Fort Collins for 12 years and has watched Fort Collins flourished until the installment of this current council. She has decided to take the moniker on herself and show that even one voice can be strong enough to start to stem the tide.

Conclusion

In summary, we currently have a city council that claims to have the best interest at heart for Fort Collins; however, their lack of action, short sighted concepts, and desire to force their personal agendas upon the city has stalled further growth.

Dale Lockwood has little to no substance in public service and at this time I do not believe he is ready to provide a voice of reason on the council. Mr. Lockwood may be a good soccer coach, instilling ‘teamwork in his players’, but he falls short of the needed tenacity of a city councilman.

Aislinn Kottwitz has a vision for the future of Fort Collins. She works in an industry that is desperately seeking new employees. This situation has given her the opportunity to envision what it will take to bring in new jobs and what it will take to retain those jobs. Her stance on water storage is forward thinking; a concept that needs to be brought back to the Council. Her proactive vision, rather than reactive knee-jerks to emergencies or day-to-day issues will make her a valuable asset to our city.

Stand with me for Aislinn Kottwitz. Support District 3 and support Fort Collins. Ballots need to be in the mail by this Friday April 3rd. Remember it is YOUR CITY, it is YOUR VOTE, and it is YOUR COUNCIL.

Aislinn Kottwitz for Fort Collins City Council

by Laura Stansbury

The times in which we live are not only interesting, they are defining. I, like most every other American, have struggled these past several months endeavoring to make some sense of our nation’s circumstances. I have been trying desperately to sift through the muck and the scandal in search of quality leaders. With each point of the presidential finger and each shrug of the Congressional shoulder I scratch my head, growing increasingly frustrated by the abysmal lack of personal responsibility, the staple upon which this nation was founded.

The United States has come to a crossroads. The sign at that intersection entices us down two very different paths. One path encourages us to put, not only our faith, but our money, our health and even our children into the cradling and controlling arms of the government. This path is filled with promises. This road is smooth and wide and flat. The trek appears easy and the course, enticing to many. The alternative rout is jagged and narrow and inarguably steep. It is a path which offers us no promises, assuring only the right to freedom and opportunity. Though this path is treacherous and steep, it leads to the mountain top where anything is possible.

I am searching for leaders who are willing and eager to guide this nation back along that jagged and narrow path and I have spotted one such leader right here in Ft. Collins, CO. Aislinn Kottwitz demonstrates precisely the sort of leadership this country has been so desperately searching for in recent months. Aislinn does not complain of the status quo, she sets out to do something about it. She does more than grow angry, she grows involved. Instead of anticipating that the day will come, when our current leaders might rise up in defense of our Founder’s principals; Aislinn has assumes that defense on her own.

Throughout the course of Sarah Palin’s campaign effort during the fall of 2008, I observed in dismay, as our media unendingly harassed, mocked and indicted Governor Palin for all variety of perceived inadequacies, standards of suitability not once used for the measurement of her male counterpart. Aislinn Kottwitz, at the local level and in a seemingly learned city, has already been exposed to similar such treatment. Ms. Kottwitz is not, however, judged only by her gender, but by her age as well. And so I must ask myself, have we come so far in our nation’s history as to have the clarity to see beyond color while still demonstrating an utter inability to see past our biases with regard to age and gender? For those fortunate to have to the opportunity to converse with Aislinn Kottwitz, I encourage you to test her commitment to her family. Scrutinize her devotion to her work. Challenge her intellect. You will find in Aislinn a quality and a principled drive and dare I say, acumen we are seeing precious little of in our current U.S. leadership.

If you, like me, are scouring the news for hope of a new guard willing and ready to challenge the old, then you need look no further than Ms. Kottwitz. I encourage you to cast your vote with the future in mind. Aislinn recognizes that from which country came and for that reason understand the direction in which it ought to go. Young leaders such as Aislinn Kottwitz are the saving grace we have been waiting for.

Cast your vote today.

Aislinn Kottwitz Supports Local Business

by Neil McCaffrey

Public-private partnership. This is a term I hear thrown around far too often, and far too earnestly, these days. So it was especially refreshing when I had the pleasure — privilege really, considering what she’s doing — of speaking with Aislinn Kottwitz, candidate for City Council District 3 in Fort Collins.

I had arranged our meeting because I needed to know how well-versed Mrs. Kottwitz was on the issues facing Fort Collins. Right now, unfortunately, we’re fighting an uphill battle to keep taxes and ancillary costs manageable for businesses in our city. I’m a small business owner, so naturally I am especially concerned about her ideas to help the business community thrive, for everyone’s good.

Mrs. Kottwitz made it clear she was running not to partner with the citizens or private enterprise, but to serve the citizens. It was obvious that it had never occurred to Mrs. Kottwitz that the Public was a stand-alone entity operating somehow apart from the citizens. I admire her for the challenge she is undertaking. For a full-time nurse and Mom to tackle City government is a formidable task. After watching her in action, I came away knowing Mrs. Kottwitz can handle the job. Her background, both in school and at home in eastern Colorado, gives her a deep understanding of the quality of life we enjoy in Fort Collins.

I know she will fight for every family and every business person in our community. As we struggle in our small business to meet payroll and pay those never-ending bills, it is especially important that we find council members who will allow businesses to do what we do best — function and contribute to a healthy community.

Please vote for Aislinn Kottwitz. She will help Fort Collins.