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Steve Andrews

Candidate profile

Hockey Card:

Occupations? Self-employed producer and distributor of web content for small businesses.

Furthest place you travelled and why. Geographically  - paddling through Milford Sound in New Zealand because it was there and I had the opportunity to film it for a web series. Ideologically would have to be South Central Los Angeles where I went to University.

Describe yourself using five words or less. I love mountains and water!

What is one thing people would be surprised to learn about you? I was accepted into the honours program at the University of Southern California a year early, after grade 11. Technically I'm a high school dropout, but since I continued on to a top university, my parents are still proud.

Profile Questions:

What do you see as the top election issues? The issue I am most concerned about is the divide that exists between mayor/council and the community. I feel that our voices go unheard and when concerned citizens do speak up during the question and answer period, they are met with a patronizing, sometimes condescending tone. Pay parking and the asphalt plant are two examples of how the will of the population goes unheard, and even contradicted.

I am running because I want to be a true representative of the community and make decisions on what is in the best interests for everybody.

How would you address the budget shortfall? I would take a zero base approach to the budget and review each line item, no matter how long it takes. We need a hard reset of the entire system and in order to do that, no expenditure should be glossed over. Start making decisions based on functionality and not appearance. Too often it seems as though we are spending money just because it's there - the roof at the Nesters garbage depot is a prime example of cosmetic value over practicality. I see this often and after an in depth budget review I am sure that I would see more of it.

What do you think is the RMOW's role in boosting tourism? We are given a gift by the province in RMI funds. But the money is carelessly spent. Local government is supposed to represent the citizens and, as such, the money given to us to boost tourism should be given to us, the people of Whistler. Imagine if a portion of the money was used to create a fund that local residents could tap to boost their own tourism ventures! Our community creates so many great events with little to no budget. If there was an injection of capital into some of these events (including those that are currently sketches on a napkin), then the scale of these events could take a whole new prosperous direction. It would be good for tourism in that we would be raising the bar on our event offerings, and it would be good for locals as those with great ideas could earn a healthy living.

What would you do to enhance the environment for business? I would aim to bring muni hall up to speed with current software and collaboration technologies that streamline the way information is exchanged. The perception of many that I have been talking to is that it is impossible to talk to the right person at the hall and for anything to get done in a reasonable amount of time. Streamlining things at muni hall will be good for efficiency to the business owner, which will in turn be good for the bottom line.

Give an example of a difficult situation you have overcome. When I was 22 I donated one of my kidneys to my cousin. The difficulty was not in the decision to do it but in the overhanging fears that something might go wrong. There comes a point in any scary situation where you simply have to let go of worry and trust that everything will work out. That is just what I did - relaxed, put my trust in the doctors and nurses, and accepted that although something may go wrong in the procedure, the upside of my cousin living was better than any tiny percentage of it being a failure.

Where can people go to get your election platform? whissues.ca , or check Twitter @whererusteve for real time updates to what I'm doing.



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