PASS ELECTIONS 2012: Prior Banning Councilman Art Welch is Running Again

The next Banning City Council candidates forum is scheduled Oct. 8 at Sun Lakes.

In the coming days, Banning-Beaumont Patch will devote space to each of the six candidates.

At the first forum Tuesday Oct. 2, legislative aide Art Welch made his closing remarks in Banning Council Chambers:

Welch: Well there's been an awful lot of important statements made up here this evening. And I think all of them are sincere and all of the candidates want to see Banning succeed. It's a long process. We have handed ourselves challenge but one of the things that I view as very necessary is for us to prepare our residents for the future.

One of the things we have been very short on in this part of the world is higher education. We now have an opportunity to better equip, train our people, our residents, and equip them for future jobs. This also, in and of itself, is what invites industry to our community. They're looking for more skilled labor. We don't have that.

When the housing market, the building market went south, we lost an awful lot of jobs in Banning, because that's what our people were doing for a living. It doesn't exist. We need training and further education for our residents. The other thing is we need to make the most prudent use of our available monies for the next several years to come so we really don't get ourself into an unrepairable position.

Things that have been done with our dollars over the last six, eight years has actually added to the city. It may not have worked out to be the best use of some of the funds but at the time it was. Now, we need to be very prudent with what we have. Filling our empty buildings, producing more tax revenue for the betterment of our general fund and our reserves.

I think I'm equipped to do that with my experience both at the local and the state level. And I'd like to represent you here on the city council. Thank you.

The next forum is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Sun Lakes and it is for Sun Lakes residents only.

The candidates as they appear on Banning sample ballots are Art Welch, Larry L. Tucker, Edward Miller, Don Robinson, Adam Buchanan and Don M. Peterson.

Every registered voter in Banning will be able to vote for three candidates on Nov. 6.

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