Bonny is running for city council in Ward 5 RIGHT NOW!

I got an ask for political support in my email box yesterday... a welcome one (for a change)...

Hello all

I am running for City Council in Ward 5 and I need your help. I will start by saying that asking people to help is personally very hard for me.

In fact, I am only willing to ask because it is not really about me, it is about all of us having the kind of balanced, thoughtful leadership that I have to offer and that I think we need in city hall.

There are six people running for this position, I am the only woman. This election the City Council will lose one women (Karen Olsen) who is not running and could well be down to only one or two left on Council.

Bonny is really quite excellent. I urge everyone to do what they can to get her on the city council. With the departure of Karen Olsen and Malcolm Chapman, who have served with great distinction and have done a lot to help our community, we really need Bonny on the City Council next year.

If you're not in Ward 5, you can still help.

Donations (any amount) can be mailed to: Friends of Bonny Petersen 1203 11th St Rapid City, SD 57701

Note: $250.00 is the maximum amount that an individual may give. Contributions over $100 will be itemized on public campaign reports.

Her website is: bonnypetersen.com

Press Release

For immediate release:

Bonny Petersen announces her candidacy for Rapid City Council to represent Ward 5.

As a candidate from Ward 5, Bonny Petersen says it’s time to put more emphasis on the toughest issues facing Rapid City while simultaneously tending to the day-to-day work required to make our city run smoothly.

The city at times seems to be adrift as demonstrated by several recent events. The loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars at the City landfill, the outing of the Air Force Armament Systems Sergeant, which may subject the city to a million dollar law suit and the reprimand of Alderman Kooiker for aggressively looking after the peoples interests. Perhaps it is time for fundamental change, even a shift to a City Manager.

If elected Bonny would aggressively support growth that is demonstrated to improve the lives of the people of Rapid City. Bonny supports sustainable growth, but not “growth for growth's sake”. Where development is concerned, a rising tide does not necessarily raise all boats. We need to protect the quality of life in our city, which is what brought us here and encourages us to stay. Good schools and family-oriented activities attract quality businesses that provide jobs for young people who otherwise would leave the area in pursuit of higher-paying careers elsewhere. We need clean growth that provides good paying jobs, not exploitation that takes advantage of our smart and hardworking yet poorly paid labor force.

“With seven hundred and thirty benefited employees, Rapid City’s budget has a tremendous and growing burden for health care. We also need to address the health care needs of our 800 to 1500 non-benefited employees and other citizen in our community. While this may be more of a state and national issue, it will be helpful to have some in depth medical knowledge on the council whenever the opportunity to be proactive on addressing this issue arises”.

Bonny feels the city government should have been much more aggressive in addressing the negative impact of the Black Hills Power rate increase request on our hard working citizens, and on the ability of the city to deliver services. Already the city struggles to maintain roads and do proper snow removal on smaller residential streets.

Petersen has been a Registered nurse at Regional Health for 14 years, a certified secondary education teacher and former PTA president. Petersen’s has nearly 30 years of experience in health care including working as a registered nurse, a nurse consultant, and nationally certified childbirth educator. Her business experience includes being a past president of an association of nurse educators. She also founded and ran an Internet retail business. She has been a Brownie troop leader, coached the Odyssey of the Mind team that went to the World Finals and coached YMCA girl’s basketball. She received the Good Apple Award from the Rapid City Board of Education and served on a committee that examined Rapid City’s urban deer issues.

Petersen has been a resident of Rapid City for 20 years. Her husband of 31 years is a 25-year military veteran. Their daughter Kate is a trauma resolution counselor, daughter Rachel will soon graduate from University of Minnesota Law School and her son Michael is in the military and will deploy for his third tour in Iraq this year.