Taos is a wonderful and unique place that has been very good to me for twelve years. I plan to live out my life here with Taos' greatest gift to me, one of its own, my new wife Lydia. I am running for town council because it is time for me to try to give back to Taos a small measure of what it has given to me by fighting against the forces that threaten to rob Taos of the things that make it what it is, a place of unparalleled natural beauty and, more importantly, a place of great diversity that combines the deep roots of families who have been here for generations with the hopes and dreams of newcomers.

We know the perils we face: crime, lack of economic opportunity, and unmanaged growth. We all gripe. We all complain. I have contributed my share of griping and complaining. I want to do more. I want to fight back. As a central unifying force, town government must harness the power of this diverse community and lead the fight. That hasn't happened. That's why I'm running for a seat on the Town of Taos Council.

Taosenos should know who I am, and what I stand for. Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, I came to this country as a 19 year old to study at the University of Michigan at the invitation of an American professor who met me in Prague. I spoke Czech, Slovak, Russian, and some German, but no English. The day I arrived in the United States, the Soviets invaded Czechoslovakia, and everything changed. I became a refugee with no immediate hope of returning to my home and family. I studied English all day and washed dishes and peeled onions at a restaurant every night to earn a living. Eventually, I found work hammering nails and learned construction from the ground up.

When I came to Taos twelve years ago, I wasn't a successful businessman. I ran a real estate and construction business out of a bedroom in my home. I struggled to earn a living while raising a son and daughter as a single parent. Through hard work, good fortune and the help of many wonderful Taosenos, my real estate, construction and development businesses now generate employment for upwards of 30 Taosenos. Along the way I have tried to give back to the community that has given me so much. I coached a traveling youth soccer team. I was the first commander of the Taos Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. I served on the Taos Planning Commission and raised my voice against revising the town code to allow "big box" commercial development. I want to do more. I want to bring to town government the same qualities that have helped me succeed in business…integrity, accountability and a great deal of vision for the common good.

I will fight for three goals: (1) A Safer Taos, (2) Economic Prosperity and (3) Fair and Open Government. We can have A Safer Taos if we (1) allocate more resources to the police, (2) support the victims of crime and (3) fight the causes of crime. We can have Economic Prosperity if we (1) root out inefficiency and waste in town government and (2) allocate more resources to economic development. We can have Fair and Open Government if we (1) apply the rules to everyone equally and (2) refuse to hide anything.

Forces that transcend race and culture threaten our way of life. We must fight back as Taosenos united in the belief that our wonderful and unique town can survive and prosper. Town government must lead the fight.