A central part of this campaign is having honest and substantive conversations. A resident named Jen recently posted a deeply thoughtful challenge on our Facebook page, questioning the campaign’s premise and asking for specifics. It’s a critical question that deserves a prominent place in our community dialogue. This exchange gets to the very heart of the choice we face in this election.

The Challenge from Jen:

“I don’t think the process is totally broken with the city. There are many ways to weigh-in on topics but people need to actually do so instead of throwing shade indiscriminately at the hard working city council members who already eagerly hear feedback and incorporate it into their approach. Golden is a very attractive city for many reasons and with that comes the kind of complicated issues you describe and some of the positive and negative consequences. I go downtown regularly and I am always able to find a parking spot within 5 min. It could be better but it is not unmanageable. I also love the Mines students and what the school does for the city and our property values. I don’t like the negativity of your campaign because it feeds off of people’s enjoyment of venting and doesn’t clearly articulate what specifically you would do differently and how you would collect and process all the feedback you say you would collect. Your opponent has a science background and not a real estate background and he has engaged me in community dialogue on three separate occasions with a very specific vision on how he will work with the community. Please make your campaign more specific and less “venty” and show us how you will work well with others. That did not come through well in the sessions I listened to over the last few weeks.”

My Answer:

Jen, thank you for your thoughtful and detailed feedback. I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to engage so deeply and share your perspective.

You’re right that Golden is a wonderful city with complex issues, and I agree that our city council members are incredibly hard-working public servants. For 17 years, I have been (and still am) a public servant for the State of Colorado, so I truly understand how hard it is and what it means to serve the public. Where we have a fundamental disagreement is not on their effort, but on the EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROCESS they use.

You asked me to articulate specifically what I would do differently, and that gets to the very heart of my campaign. It’s not just about a different opinion; it’s about a different SKILLSET and a different PHILOSOPHY.

My entire professional career has been built on the skill of listening to stakeholders and making complex systems accountable. As a state regulator, my job is to run public hearings, LISTEN to stakeholders and build consensus. As the President of North Jeffco Swim Team, I have created a CULTURE of the team LISTENING to parents and implementing new, TRANSPARENT processes and improved COMMUNICATION. This is what I do.

My opponent has a different background, that as you point out, is in science. My specific plan is to bring my highly relevant professional experience to City Hall and replace the current “Decide, Announce, Ignore” model with a new one: CONSULT, CO-DESIGN, and DELIVER.

For example, on parking, my plan is to create a new, resident-led Parking Solutions Task Force to explore the common-sense ideas the city has ignored—like a parking app for tourists and dedicated resident-only spots.

This isn’t negativity; it’s providing clarity. This election is a choice between two very different philosophies and two very different skillsets. My opponent has stated he has “full trust” in the current process. I believe that process is consistently failing to put residents first, and I have a specific, proven plan to fix it. I want the most for Golden and I believe we are leaving a lot on the table by leaving residents and other key stakeholders out of the conversation.

All of my detailed blueprints are on my website. I’d be honored if you’d take a look. That is where you will find my specific vision for how we get back to the Golden Way of doing things.

dansungforgolden.com/platform/

Thank you again for joining this important conversation.