1. About myself: 2. Family; I am married to Cary Thompson-Gilbert. We have been married 25 years. We have three children: Amy, age 19; Ana, age 13; and Haviland, age 12.
3. Educational Background: I graduated from high school at Duluth East. I obtained my B.A. degree from Hamline University, St. Paul. I graduated with a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School.
4. I have been a business development attorney in Duluth for 22 years. I am also a part-time instructor at Lake Superior College. I have been a member of the Duluth city council for 10 years. I represent the 2nd District which includes east Duluth from 14th Ave. East to 40th Ave. East, and Chester Park and Kenwood.
5. Volunteer: I help teach Sunday school at church, and I have coached several youth soccer and other sports teams. I am also a volunteer director of the Duluth Legacy Fund and the Great Lakes Aquarium. I have held many other non-profit board positions in housing and economic development organization.
6. Hobbies: Fishing, camping and skiing.6-1/2. Political endorsements: Duluth Firefighters, Central Labor Body, Duluth Building and Construction Trades, AFSCME Council 5, Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Progressive Action7. Address and contact information; 348-1935, and ggilbertduluthAT aol DOT com
8. Diversity: Diversity in the Hillside and Lincoln Park is a huge advantage for Duluth because it allows us to bring together a broad range of backgrounds and experiences to address city issues.
9. Immigrants and crime: I think this issue needs more study. Many people have opinions one way or another based on rumors, impressions or anecdotal comments from other people. If we are going to create meaningful policy to solve crime, we have to know the facts, and this research has not been done yet.
10. Poverty: Poverty and low wages is a big problem in Duluth. This is true for working families as well as people on fixed incomes. The city must pursue economic growth that produces living wage jobs for everyone. We must do our best to keep down city charges for taxpayers by being efficient.
11. Recycling: I think a huge percentage of our residents recycle but we can do better. The city and haulers need to make recycling as convenient for residents as we can, but individual residents must take responsibility as well. The city can do a better job of educating people on the benefits of recycling.
12. Laws on the books not being enforced: The city does have a general problem with consistency in enforcement of ordinances. The reasons vary depending on the particular ordinance. Most times the reason is lack of staff to enforce ordinances. The city focus more attention on "quality of life" ordinances and get rid of unimportant laws.
13. Over-flow garbage; The city should have an ordinance that requires property owners to remove containers from the curb and prevents over-flowing of containers. The is the type of quality of life ordinance that should be enforced.
14. Young people: In order to keep young people in Duluth, they need well paying jobs that are career positions. They need employment opportunities where they believe that they are making a difference. The city can a lot to help with this.
15. Retiree health care. The problem is serious but manageable. The ability to invest funds with the State Board of Investments cuts the liability significantly. Employees have made concessions which is important. We can improve city management of the plan. We have a new drug program that will cut costs. The city must work with retirees to lower costs.
16. Paying for health care. Rising health care costs are a problem for everyone. The federal government is in the best position to solve the problem through a plan for universal or single-payer plan or something similar.
17. Health care bills: I know a lot of people, especially families, who have trouble paying health care costs.
18. City departments: The city's management structure needs improvement. Employees of the city do great work, but we could all be more productive if departments could be better organized.
19. Unique for mayor. I believe my ten years of service as a city councilor, and 22 years experience as a business attorney in Duluth gives me a unique background to be able to lead Duluth into the future.Powered by WebRing.
