Longmont Leader LTE: A candidate to weigh in on transient issues
When I first met my future husband I thought he was the nicest guy I had ever met. One characteristic of his I most admired was his sincere concern for other people, especially those who are generally suffering or mistreated in some way.
I volunteered with HOPE off and on for five years, so I am not ignorant of the realities of the homeless population in our city. Gary is aware of the affections I developed for clients, and he certainly has a general understanding of the hardships faced by many. I can also say he is supportive of programs that require individuals to make concerted efforts to become employed and live independently.
Gary recognizes that to allow vagrancy to continue and inevitably grow under current policies shows a lack of charity and respect for the God-given dignity of the transient population and all the others who are negatively impacted. I have no doubt his approach to this issue will be justly pursued with sincere compassion for everyone involved, and that includes residents and businesses alike.
Please join me in supporting my husband, Gary Hodges, for the vacant At-Large Longmont City Council seat.
Sincerely,
Lisa Hodges
Times Call Letters: Gary Hodges will help make Longmont a better community
Here is a man with a heart for the city and people of Longmont. Having been neighbors with Gary Hodges for 10 years and interacted with him on numerous occasions, I can easily say he will make an excellent addition to our City Council.
Not only does he have the vision for such a position, he also has the skills and strength to carry out a plan. This city needs people of character just like Gary. Someone who knows the importance of community. Someone with conviction and heart. A person that will pour his energy into the betterment of the people. Gary is such a person. With his help and with his insights I am confident that our city will make strides towards a safer, cleaner, healthier, and altogether better community.
Alex Gerthe, Longmont
TImes Call Letters: Gary Hodges is honest, wise, analytical
I worked closely with Gary Hodges at NOAA for 15 years. We traveled throughout the U.S. maintaining and calibrating scientific equipment used in making solar radiation measurements. As there were many long road trips to distant sites we had a lot of time to talk, and I got to know him very well. Without reservation, I can attest to his excellent character, honesty, and capacity for deep and thoughtful opinions.
With regard to other qualities Gary would bring to City Council, I always appreciated his fiscal responsibility, and even frugality, concerning government resources. I was also impressed with how the entire team we worked with interacted; with kindness, dignity, and respect for differing opinions.
Gary is considered an expert in his profession, and is internationally respected by others in this field. He is honest, wise, and analytical. The citizens of Longmont can be assured he will use available resources wisely, and that he can effectively communicate with those holding differing viewpoints. I wholeheartedly endorse him for City Council. Longmont will be well-served to have him on board.
Jim Geidel, Monument
Read more in the 11/3/2022 Longmont Leader
Times Call Letters: A vote Gary Hodges is a vote for Longmont
After more than a decade of being active in politics, and being involved with dozens of different campaigns, I write my first letter to the editor in support of a candidate, Gary Hodges for Longmont City Council.
Gary is my neighbor and long term resident of Longmont. The reason he is running is because he wanted to do something about the transient issue that has gotten increasingly worse. Now fast forward and he has shown a great ability to lean into the major issues facing Longmont.
The most important choices voters have this election is whether we continue Longmont on the path towards becoming a Boulder 2.0 with unaffordable living conditions and rampant transientism or keep Longmont an incredible, safe, and affordable place to raise a family. A vote for Gary Hodges for City Council represents the right strategy to help Longmont maintain its incredible culture.
Nathan Grabau, Longmont
Times Call Letters: Turn away from progressive extremism; vote for Gary Hodges
Contrary to the misnomer that local politics is nonpartisan, it’s plain to see that the current Longmont City Council is the most progressive left in recent memory. Anything that the ultra-liberal Boulder Council does, Longmont soon follows.
Most disturbing is Longmont selling its soul to Green New Deal pipe dreams of all-renewables by 2030 and electrification. These goals are being set too soon to meet the energy landscape and the economic marketplace. They are bound to have very costly impacts on city residents.
City Council candidate Mitzi Nicoletti would be one more radical environmentalist that we don’t need on council. Candidate Sean McCoy often preaches that city affairs are nonpartisan, yet he was the most outspoken liberal of all when he served on council 15 years ago. Search it on YouTube.
My vote for the vacant council seat will go to Gary Hodges. He is a free market, limited government type thinker and a common sense man of the people. He certainly would have no part in copying Boulder’s progressive extremism for the city of Longmont.
Dave Larison, Longmont
Times Call Letters: Gary Hodges a strong candidate for City Council
I served with Gary Hodges on the Longmont Transportation Board for over six years. Gary is a reasonable, conscientious, thoughtful person who will serve Longmont well. He was always well-prepared for meetings, listened to all viewpoints, and made thoughtful decisions. When the Transportation Board was not all in agreement on a decision, Gary listened carefully to opposing viewpoints toward creating the best solutions for Longmont.
Gary has lived in Longmont for 25 years, has children that attended Longmont schools and knows the city well. A vote for Gary Hodges for city council will move the City forward on making thoughtful, considerate and reasonable decisions for Longmont’s future.
Veronica Sommers, Longmont
Times Call Letters: Gary Hodges is a voice for Longmont
I would like to advocate my support for Gary Hodges. He is running for the at-large, Longmont City Council seat. Gary is very personable and articulate. I am a member of the KARES neighborhood group which is attempting to prevent Boulder County from selling a conservation easement adjacent to our neighborhood to a developer.
I sent an email asking all three candidates if they supported the termination of this conservation easement. Mr. Hodges responded immediately agreeing with the position that conservation easements are inherently perpetual. Gary personally met with our neighborhood group, viewed the agricultural land in question and embraced the issue by placing it on his website, https://hodges4council.com/. After stating they would look into the issue, I was disappointed when I did not receive a position statement from the other two candidates.
Sadly, the Longmont City Council has already voted to proceed with a proposal to annex the conservation easement in question. Gary Hodges does not agree with this proposal. He has demonstrated that he will be a dynamic voice for the preservation of our landed treasures. I will be voting for Gary Hodges.
Norman Gee, Longmont
Longmont Leader LTE: I have watched Longmont move in a liberal direction
As a long-term citizen of Longmont, I have watched the continuing movement of the city council towards a consistent liberal direction in their actions and the associated increase in taxes to support those “progressive” policies. I was pleasantly surprised then, as I watched the recent forum processes for the open at-large council position for the city of Longmont.
Watching the forum questions and answers from all three candidates, I noticed that while Sean McCoy and Mitzi Nicolletti parroted the typical progressive talking points, I was heartened to hear Gary Hodges take positions that reflected pro-business stances and second amendment support. In addition, he shows strong support for practices that would allow for the ability to address local crimes being created by the increasing transient population. The growing transient population is creating significant impacts to local business, as well as the drastic decrease in public safety to constituents who are no longer able to walk safely in areas where the transients gather.
Mr. Hodges showed his ability to think independently and choose positions guided by common sense and strong moral positions. I strongly endorse Gary Hodges candidacy for the At-Large seat for the Longmont City Council. Vote for Gary Hodges.
Mike Lee
Times Call letters: Gary Hodges is the listener
I had to chuckle at the title of a letter in the Open Forum of the Thursday edition proclaiming that “Nicoletti is a listener.” I’m sure the gentleman who attended a gathering hosted by my wife and I for City Council candidate Gary Hodges has a different view. He explained that all three candidates were contacted regarding the potential termination of a perpetual conservation easement adjacent to his neighborhood in southwest Longmont. While two candidates replied with an email (and no further follow-up), Gary responded by meeting with the neighborhood group of concerned citizens that afternoon. During the 90-minute meeting, they discussed the ramifications to their lives and properties should the conservation easement be terminated, and high-density housing built on the land. Gary has even developed a policy position with this group that can be found on his website hodges4council.com.
At the same event, Gary discussed meeting with owners and managers of numerous businesses along North Main Street and throughout town to learn of the impact vagrancy is having on our business community. Candidate Gary Hodges has demonstrated that he is the real listener and will be a great addition to our City Council.
Terry Medearis, Longmont
Times Call letters: Gary Hodges wants the best for Longmont
For over 24 years, we have known Gary Hodges and his family as trusted friends and neighbors. Gary loves Longmont and wants the best for our great city and would be a welcome addition in making our City Council more diverse and representative of all Longmonters.
His understanding of the complex issues that face Longmont and his ability to work with others toward solutions that are beneficial to all of us, is one of his many strengths. For more information about Gary, please see hodges4council.com. A vote for Gary Hodges is a vote for Longmont’s future!
Patrick and Donna Manis, Longmont
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