I’m Patrick Valentine and I’m running for Gibraltar City Council. I’m asking for your vote, both during the primary on August 2, 2011 and again during the general election on November 8, 2011. I was appointed to the Gibraltar City Council in October 2010, and to the Planning Commission and Downtown Development Authority (DDA) commission in March of 2011. I have been proudly serving since then. I’m not a politician; I’m a retired federal law enforcement officer who worked in law enforcement for 37 years. I enlisted in the United States Air Force after graduating from High School in February 1969, I served three years and nine months, as part of this service I served in Vietnam in 1969 and part of 1970, I was honorably discharged from the Air Force in November 1972 and was granted a three month early out to join the Detroit Police Department. I began my law enforcement career in 1972 when I became a Detroit Police Officer, I went to Mercy College of Detroit part time while a police officer for seven years to get my Bachelor’s Degree and in 1979 I became a Special Agent/Criminal Investigator with the Drug Enforcement Administration. I also have a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies/Information Security from Eastern Michigan University. In 2002 I transferred to the Federal Air Marshal Service. I retired in January of 2010. My life and life’s goals have been service to the public and helping others. That service continues today, not only am I a member of the Gibraltar City Council, the Planning Commission and the DDA, I’m a paid-on-call Captain on the Gibraltar Fire Department and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Specialist for the City of Gibraltar since 1997. There are no full-time members of the Gibraltar Fire Department. I have responded to well over 70% of the fire and EMT “runs” in Gibraltar every year since I joined in 1997, so I’m not just a name on a piece of paper. I’m committed to the well-being of this city and serving its citizens and businesses. I’m also a member of the Gibraltar Rotary Club.
I’m a “do-er” and not a talker, and from what I have experienced so far is there is a lot of talking but not a lot of actually doing what is needed for our city. I find the Council meetings frustrating, because for some they like to “posture” for the camera but when the camera is turned off my thoughts are that “there is a lot of talk but no follow up.” There is also some backstabbing, bullying and those that are so spoiled that if you don’t agree with them they want to take their “ball” and go home.
I have no agenda; my focus will be on doing what is right for the City of Gibraltar, the people living in Gibraltar and the businesses in Gibraltar, nothing more, nothing less. You will find I’m honest to a fault, no ego and no desire to be anything more than a representative of Gibraltar. I’m an independent. After all when all is said and done we are supposed to be representing you, the person who lives and works in Gibraltar and not pursuing our own agendas.
Should you have any questions or need to contact me please do so via: pvalentine@cityofgibraltar.net
and/or you can go to my blog at www.gibraltarpolitics.com, I’m on twitter at pat4citycouncil.
Let’s put Gibraltar first.
Patrick M. Valentine
