What they're saying: Al Knable (R), at-large council, on walking and listening.

As the 2015 general election nears, I'll occasionally provide candidate statements of substance, as lifted from social media and news reports. My aim is to determine whether our municipal candidates have anything to say at all, and I'll quote all candidates, from any and all parties.

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Al Knable has been walking. A lot.

"Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time."
- Steven Wright

Checking in from the campaign trail:

Today's walk put me over 1,000 homes visited so far this month, just over 2,000 since I began canvassing in August.

My energy level is great! I'm really enjoying listening to folks, voters and non-voters alike. I've also had to start eating about 1/2 a pint of ice cream per day to keep my weight up - a great problem to have.

Patterns of concern are emerging which have essentially confirmed my reasons for running for office.

In no particular order, here is some of what is on the people's wish list: a cleaner city, slower traffic, more police patrols, a better City web portal, a more responsive local government, more direct access to public officials, a more responsible city budget, more trees.

I'm not making this up. We have an intelligent electorate and it would behoove our officials to listen up.

Yesterday a very thoughtful man told me he was retiring next year and moving to North Carolina. A lifelong NA businessman with grandkids in town moving because he's tired of his street flooding and he fears he won't be able to afford the "tax tsunami" (his words, not mine) that he predicts hitting soon as a result of the city's recent "binge-TIF-fing" (my words, not his).

He's one of many moving away (or not moving in) for many reasons.

We need to reverse these trends before a tipping point is hit from which we cannot recover.

Please vote this election. Absentee ballots started going out last week. Early voting begins October 6.

I would really appreciate your support.

See you on the streets!