Eric Gooden

West Boca News invited candidates in the 2014 Boca Raton City election to submit an article of up to 1000 words. Here is the submission from Eric Gooden, a candidate for Council Seat B. His campaign website is Eric Gooden 2014.
I am a 4 1/2 year resident of Boca Raton. I am originally from Detroit, Michigan. What brought me to the city of Boca Raton was the small town environment and the sense of communities that big cities lack. I am currently attending Lynn University and will be graduating in May with Bachelors in Criminal Justice.
This past summer, I had the honor to work for a congressman from my home state of Michigan. My primary task was writing constituent letters. Hearing stories about local issues became life defining moment for me and sparked my interest to get involved in public service.
I am running for Boca Raton City Council because Boca Raton is home for me and I want to be part of making it an even better place where young professionals, seniors, and all residents can realize opportunities, build community, raise families, grow their own businesses, and lead successful lives. All of which will enhance the bright future and opportunities offered by living in Boca Raton.
If elected as Boca Raton City Councilman I will be a voice for all the residents and the preservation and enhancement of the quality of life in Boca Raton, including its beautiful beaches, parks, and diverse neighborhoods. To achieve this goal, I would focus on ‘‘smart growth and development.’’ By that I mean development that recognizes and takes into account the realities of our existing infrastructure, including such basic things as traffic patterns, limited parking, future costs of utilities, sewage, waste disposal, aesthetic, transportation, etc. this vision of ‘‘smart growth and development’’ also requires a streamlining of the permitting process for every small business owner. This goal can be realized by strategies to enhance the economic security of Boca Raton. We must take full advantage of the valuable universities in Boca Raton: Lynn, Florida Atlantic, and Palm Beach State College. There are thousands of bright minds, including future successful engineers, doctors, lawyers, city planners, inventors, nurses, skilled IT workers, business professionals, and executives. Over the next two years, I will reach out to the students in these communities with a message that they can make a difference here, build here, work here, and raise a family here… because Boca Raton is a great place in which to live, raise a family, and work.
The incumbent has been voting 99% of the time for developers and not voicing the concerns for all the residents. This needs to stop. Please make the right decisions for future generations of families, seniors, college graduates.
Vote on Tuesday, March 11th, Eric Gooden for Boca Raton City Council, Seat B. Your vote counts!