To the editor:

I would like to offer you my very humble thanks for helping me win in the Board of County Commissioners election this far. I want to assure you that I intend to continue to bring to Lee County a strong sense of innovation and change for the better as we move together into a new, honest, and economically steady future.

In my time serving you, the people of Lee County, I have brought you fresh ideas concerning Smart Growth initiatives and preserving conservation lands. I have brought, and will continue to bring, a sense of caring and compassion to the Board of County Commissioners by bringing forth and implementing the Triage Center programs and concentrating attention on health and mental health issues.

Moving forward into the future, I also see these innovative ideas being ever more important to Lee County. With our economy in strife, we need to move forward on a multitude of forward-thinking plans. We need to ensure that there are medical and mental health programs for those in need in these critical times. We need to ensure that people keep their homes and their families intact as we move toward a stronger economy.

To help us further maneuver through these lean times, we need to encourage business growth in Lee County. I am looking forward to welcoming Bio-Tech into Lee County by working with the high-tech industry and encouraging them to locate here. We need to court these businesses and encourage them to bring jobs that will not harm the environment here and we need to encourage them to employ our local people. We need jobs here in Lee County to employ our high school and college graduates.

We are looking forward to encouraging tourism while we continue to bring visitors through our wonderful and award-winning Southwest Florida International Airport. Tourism continues to support Lee County and we do need to encourage tourists to visit our small and large businesses and enjoy our natural and eco-tourism resources.

Another important resource we need to focus on is infrastructure. Congestion can be conquered, not only with scheduled road improvements but also with bus and bus route improvements. I am encouraging bus route Park and Ride solutions using church parking lots and county parks as places to leave our cars during the work week. This alleviates road congestion and helps protect the environment by curbing carbon monoxide emissions.

I am a thankful and dedicated county official working for you. I want to continue to work hard to faithfully serve you in conservation and infrastructure improvement efforts as your hard-working, caring and compassionate commissioner to bring the economy back to a steady pace and keep Lee County beautiful, safe and prosperous.

Commissioner Bob Janes, District #1

Lee County Board of County Commissioners