Diane Giannola is running for election as a City Council representative for Ann Arbor’s 4th ward. This is her submission for WEMU's "Soapbox Summer."
Hello, This is Diane Giannola and I’m a democrat running for Ann Arbor City Council in the 4th ward. I have lived in Ann Arbor for about 20 years and live in the Georgetown neighborhood. I currently work at the University of Michigan as a program manager but have previously done medical research as a molecular biologists for the past 25 years.
My reason for running is simply that I want to be a more effective and informative voice for the 4th ward. I believe that there is more to being a councilmember than just voting or pushing your own personal initiatives. There is a customer service aspect to the position that I think is not appreciated by some who currently serve on the council. I want to help you the resident navigate the city bureaucracy in order to get things done. I want to not only inform you about issues, but want to help you understand what things mean, what is doable, and what the ramifications might be for any given issue.
I love Ann Arbor, just like you do, and have been active in the community for years. I want to be your voice at the table. A voice to air your concerns. A voice that’s not afraid to question things. A voice that represents the 4th ward with authenticity.
I am not running against anything, or trying to stop some initiative from happening. I do not have any kind of personal agenda that I am trying to push. I look at every issue with a unique viewpoint, analyzing the facts and weighing the pros and cons. I will always do what’s in the best interest of the city and the residents. I will be a fresh, pragmatic voice on council.
I am a strong supporter of public transit, commuter rail and the creation of the Allen Creek Greenway. I support our vibrant and walkable downtown along with our eclectic mix of neighborhoods each with its own character.
I oppose any expansion of the Ann Arbor airport unless the city can limit nighttime flights.
I also oppose the deer cull simply because I don’t believe that our problem has to do with overpopulation. Our problem is that the deer are living in the neighborhoods the question is why. I want to hear the answer to this question about why they are traveling out of the parks and preferring to live in the neighborhoods before supporting any kind of a cull in the parks.
For other issues I send you to my website which is very comprehensive, for more detail. Please go to giannola4council.com . That’s Giannola the number 4 council dotcom Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
If you would like to have a fresh pragmatic voice on council then please vote for me on Aug 2 in the Democratic Primary. I would be honored to have your support Remember your vote does counts. So please vote.
Thank you very much.