Re: Whoyagonnachooz?

["Travis Tonn" <vart@turbonet.com>]

Hello all,
    My name is Travis Tonn and I am a candidate for city council.  I agree
that posting a message to this list with a bit of background info and ideas
is a great idea.  To start off, I was born in Moscow and grew up here.  I
joined the US Navy in '88 and went off to see the world and soon realized
that Moscow was indeed a great place to grow up.  I was stationed at San
Diego, CA, Memphis, TN, Kauai, HI, and Whidbey Island, WA.  I was also
assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).  I
participated in Desert Storm as an aviation structural technician (body and
fender repair for airplanes) on board the Lincoln.   I recieved the
Southwest Asia service medal, The Joint Meritorious Unit award and a couple
of other various awards.  After completing my tour of duty, I returned home
to Moscow with the intent to start college at the U of I and went to Iowa to
visit an old Navy buddy for the summer.  While in Iowa, I met the girl of my
dreams and married her.  We now have two children, Michael, 6, and Emma, 5.
I lived in Grinnell, Iowa for the next 3 1/2 years working as a quality
assurance inspector for Maytag.  I was laid off and used the opportunity to
move back to Moscow and finally attend the U of I.  I started on my
environmental science degree in the fall of '98.  I am still a full-time
student and am currently employed by the Army Corps of Engineers as a park
ranger in Clarkston, WA and am a combat engineer in the Idaho Army National
Guard in Moscow.
     My reason for running for City Council is to help insure that Moscow
remains a great place to raise kids and live in.  I think the current
council has done an admirable job of keeping the city running with limited
resources and I would like to keep on track in those regards.  I would also
like to explore different avenues of reducing the tax burden on residents
without negatively affecting the city budget.  I look forward to listening
to citizens and city officials for some ideas and input on how best to
achieve this.
    Another concern that residents have shared with me is a lack of family
oriented activities and businesses, especially during the winter months.
McDonald's indoor playland is one of the few places small children can run
wild during inclement weather.  Moscow needs more places like this.
    I would also like to do my best to attract more high wage jobs to
Moscow.  We have an incredibly talented and qualified labor pool in this
town and it's citizens deserve good paying jobs without a commute.
    There are a few "Hot Button" issues in Moscow such as the 1912 building,
further funding for the new pool, and land development.  I think for such
sensitive and important decisions, I can offer both common sense and
fairness.  I have no hidden agendas, and what is best for Moscow is my main
concern.   I look forward to working with the other council members and
residents to ensure that Moscow remains a great place to live.

  Feel free to contact me at vart@turbonet.com