Checking Back In

Hi Everyone!  I know it has been a long time since I have posted and I apologize for that.  This Fall has literally flown by and I have just been insanely busy.  But, that’s not an excuse because I think this blog is still a great way for me to send out some ideas and get people talking.  So, here’s a quick update on what happened during the little break and what you can expect from me going forward:

1.  I am still working on my new house but I am happy to say that I am AAAALlllmost done with the major projects.  Although I’m pretty sure that every homeowner is always almost done   Speaking of the house,  I went Christmas Tree shopping with my boyfriend and his family as a holiday tradition and got a great tree.  It’s decorated already and looks great with the other few decorations I have around and outside the house.

2.  I have officially applied to law school and now I’m trying to exercise every trick for patience I know while waiting for the official responses.  I won’t know anything until the new year but of course, I check daily.  I applied to Wayne State and University of Michigan law programs. 

The Results Are In…

I am so happy with every moment spent today, every positive and negative response, and every effort given throughout the campaign.  Unfortunately, I did not make the top 14 tonight.  Let’s be honest, I came in dead last.  This may be the eternal optimist in me but I consider my 94 votes a victory.  I knew going into this the very slim chances for a write-in and first time candidate.  On top of that, I didn’t grow up in Dearborn and don’t have the family and friends connection that most other candidates have.  With that in mind, 94 votes means that I convinced over 90 relative strangers that I have a good vision and the talent necessary to be effective on the council.  I will never know who those people are but I am so grateful to them!  This is just the beginning!

I appreciate all of the help I received both from Rabih Hammoud and his incredibly run campaign and my family and friends who  came out to talk about me at the polls today and to those who were able to vote for me.  This kind of support is invaluable and I hope every one of these people know how thankful I am to have them in my life.

I said this is just the beginning and I mean it.  I will be out there campaigning for the candidates I believe in and I will be an active member of this great city in whatever capacity is available to me.  I jump in with both feet and I have just begun to explore the depths of opportunity for making an impact in Dearborn.  Thank you for your support.  Please keep checking back for my Perspective on what’s happening in Dearborn and the new ways I am getting involved.  It’s just the beginning!

To see the final breakdown of the results click here.

Candidate Profiles and Great Discussion

 The well-known Dearborn blog: www.dearbornnewsonline.com has been profiling candidate responses to the League of Women Voters guide questions for the past few weeks.  I contacted the blog and sent them my responses and information, which I have done for many other publications with varying results.  They responded with a very enthusiastic “we will run your story next!” Click here to go to the blog to read my responses and participate in any discussion about the elections, as well as to read about some of the other candidates they have profiled. 

The Last Week…Any Questions?

We are in the final week before the primary on August 4th.  I have talked this whole time about my experiences, who I am, and what I want to do on the Dearborn City Council.  Now I want to open the floor to you! 

Do you have any questions left before you make your decision about who to vote for?  Is there anything out there that you want to know more about?  Whether it is a question directed at me or in general, please share your thoughts here and we all can discuss.

Don’t forget, you can vote for 7 people on August 4th for Dearborn City Council.  The polls are open from 7am – 8pm.  Write-In Kristyn Taylor!

Candidate Surveys

The Dearborn web publication, The Counter Project, approached me last week asking for my participation in a questionnaire they were sending out to all of the candidates in the race.  Of course, I was so thrilled to have a forum other than one I’ve created to discuss my ideas that I jumped at the chance.  The questionnaires were all slightly different but they asked detailed questions about how to attract younger people to Dearborn and addressing some of the other issues we face.  They posted the different responses on their website today (click here) and I was disappointed to learn that only 7 candidates sent theirs back in but I was pleased with the open sharing of ideas that were presented. 

Counting Down…Getting Pumped Up!

I want to take a minute to thank everyone for your support.  We are just 15 days away from the primary and you can feel the excitement in the air…I know I can!  I had an awesome experience last Thursday I wanted to quickly share.  I went to the Music Under the Stars concert at Bryant Library and decided to go across the street and grab some Starbucks while I enjoyed the music.  As I was waiting to cross Michigan Ave I heard my name being called behind me.  When I turned around there were two people in a truck by me and the driver asked me if I’m Kristyn Taylor, who is running for City Council.  Surprised, I said Yes, that’s me!  He told me he is voting for me.

Voter Guide – My Addition

The Dearborn League of Women Voters took the time to contact each candidate and ask them two questions (see below) about who they are and why they are running with the goal of educating the voters on who is running and what is most important to them.  Each person had up to 100 words per question to get their view across.   I am a huge fan of this and any other effort that gives voters the chance to understand more about who potential city leaders are and how they would lead.  Unfortunately for me, at the time that the League of Women Voters did this, I was not yet an official candidate so was not a part of this effort.  

Be Prepared – Get Registered!

Today is the deadline to register to vote in the August primary for Dearborn.  We all know how important it is to vote, especially in this primary!   I know a lot of people don’t usually vote in a local primary, I know I never did before, but with this many candidates we could potentially have very small margins determining who makes it into the top 14 and who doesn’t.  The more people that go out to vote, the more confident we can all be that those 14 are the right people!  Then, we can focus on choosing the 7 council members in November.  

If you aren’t registered to vote, click here.

To double-check and make sure you are registered, click here.

Happy Independence Day

Ok, I know it’s not the 4th of July anymore but I still wanted to talk about Independence Day.  I spent a good part of my July 4th at Camp Dearborn, talking to people and handing out information about the campaign.  I joined Rabih and his family and supporters as we went around the camp.  That was my first time at Camp Dearborn and I was so impressed!  For those of you who aren’t familiar, Camp Dearborn is a 626 acre family recreation park that is owned by the City of Dearborn but is located in Milford, MI.  People from all over go there every year to camp and enjoy the different activities like fishing, golfing, swimming, and special events like yesterday.  Last night, they had a live band and fireworks (my favorite!).    This was a great opportunity to meet Dearborn residents and get some exposure for the campaign. 

It’s Official!

I became an official write-in candidate this afternoon when I submitted my Declaration of Intent.  Check out the press release:  Press Release 6-26-09 Declaration of Intent

Thanks to everyone for your support so far!  Now that it’s official we can keep moving full steam ahead for the next 6 weeks.  August 4th, here we come!