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Sacramento candidate forum: What would you ask the candidates?

by Melissa Corker, published on May 7, 2012 at 2:22 PM

Storyline: Politics

Community Tags budget candidate candidate forum city council district 4 elections 2102 league of women voters mayor mayor kevin johnson metro cable tv politics

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If you could ask the candidates for City Council anything – what would you want to know?

The race for City Council District 4 immediately caught fire when incumbent Rob Fong announced he wasn’t running for re-election, and now seven candidates are vying for the seat.

Some of the questions the candidates will likely face include, who gets dibs on neighborhood parking – businesses or residents? Where should much-needed bridges go – at Broadway, or Richards Boulevard? And what about The Claw? Can our tree-lined streets survive only three months of city pickup service?

In the mayoral race, three challengers stepped up to face incumbent Kevin Johnson, and all four will likely hear questions about getting more police officers on the streets and what to do about the gaping hole in the city budget.

What other hot topics should the candidates discuss?

The League of Women Voters of Sacramento County is co-sponsoring a candidate forum with Metro Cable TV, and The Sacramento Press will be one of the moderators.

Let us know what questions you’d like us to ask the candidates in the races for District 4 and mayor, then watch the forum live on Metro Cable channel 14, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday.

These are the candidates for the office of mayor:

Kevin Johnson – incumbent, elected mayor in 2008
Jonathan Rewers – municipal finance manager and current chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission
Leonard Padilla – local bounty hunter
Richard Jones – insurance broker

Here is the list of candidates for District 4:

Phyllis Newton – Land Park attorney and Design Commission vice-chair
Steve Hansen – senior regional manager at a biotech company and a community activist
Joe Yee – architect and current chair of the Planning Commission
Terry Schanz – policy director for State Assemblyman Isadore Hall
Neil Davidson – computer programmer
Michael Rehm – criminal defense attorney
David Turturici – estate planning attorney

Let us know your question suggestions in the conversation below, email to melissa.corker@sacramentopress.com, or tweet your question to @MelissaCorker.

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Conversation Express your views, debate, and be heard with those in your area closest to the issue.

evak

May 7, 2012 | 6:04 PM

What do you like about Sacramento and the people who live and work here?

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Melissa Corker

May 7, 2012 | 8:24 PM

Thank you, evak – questions about candidates' affinity for the people they represent – not just the city itself – can be telling.

I would opine that it's not just buildings, parks and events that make a city what it is, but the "personality" of the people, overall, that bear on a city's 'atmosphere' (for lack of a better term).

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Izzy Gardon

May 7, 2012 | 6:59 PM

Question suggestion for the forum:

Name an important woman within Sacramento or in Sacramento's history. Who is she? How has her legacy impacted Sacramento?

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Melissa Corker

May 7, 2012 | 8:21 PM

Great question, Izzy! Especially since the forum is on the eve of Mother's Day. Thank you for the suggestion.

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TomRunge

May 7, 2012 | 8:26 PM

Do you support a permanent building moratorium in the Natomas Flood Basin?

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Melissa Corker

May 7, 2012 | 10:39 PM

Flood control is a big issue in our area, particularly for Natomas, Tom. It's definitely something the Council and Mayor will need to have on their radar if funding opportuities for levee repair are pushed forward in Congress. Great question!

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Rhonda Erwin

edited on May 7, 2012 | 11:46 PM

"getting more officers on the streets"??? Have you seen the number of officers that respond after the crime occurred??? an entire neighborhood is shut down... from the officers on the streets. I'd like to know if the candidates see public safety going being law enforcement? Can they recognize a good quality of life goes beyond saturating streets with law enforcement? Can they see the forest through the trees, prevention over suppression (endorsements)? or do they associate crime prevention with SPOA endorsement? If endorsed by the mayor or SPOA and they are elected will they be able to stand up to the mayor or SPOA and vote against them if necessary... or are they afraid to bite the hand that feeds them, will they go into office with one hand washing the other self absorbed mentality??? I wish I could attend for follow up questions to some of their empty responses.

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keepitreal

May 8, 2012 | 11:24 AM

Would love to know where you live so that the police department can pull all of those resources in your neighborhood to those of ours who rarely see a police car.

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Rhonda Erwin

May 8, 2012 | 7:40 PM

keepitreal I Iive in Meadowview. I'd like to know where you live... I'd like to know the violence or crime existing in your area since you'd consider removing all officers from my area based on the fact I'd rather prevent the crime verses waiting for it to occur and see massive officers saturating the community. And Careful what you ask for, self fulfilling prophecy... In LA (Florence area) the community was crying out for more officers. Officials took the ignorant approach of saturating streets with officers and behold more gangs resulted as well as more violence. Decades later the same community was crying out for prevention (resources) verses suppression. Sacramento was (until recently) following the same former ignorant approach LA used which led to more gangs in LA- following the suppression dollars verses prevention/ resources for neglected communities. With suppression, "one must be careful not to polarize the gangs. For instance in the early days of the fight against gang in Los Angeles, the police would often do sweeps in the Hispanic neighborhood varrios and black ghettoes and lineup every youngster who fit the profile of a gangster, i.e., young, gang attire, lowrider, etc. Many times these kids were not involved in gangs but left with disdain for the police after being held suspects on a curb or down at the precinct or station and maybe become more inclined to join..." You can't fight aggression with aggression. The peripheral youth would become agitated and maybe even join up. If you don't have a youth violence problem existing in your area and if you do you shouldn't want your streets saturated with police. Unless of course you work with SPOA and more interested in enhancing your department and not reducing the violence. Now that's keeping it real!

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Rhonda Erwin

May 8, 2012 | 7:47 PM

For the record I am not asking for all officers to be removed from my community. I do see law enforcement as a possible deterrant; but NOT a solution.

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Rhonda Erwin

May 7, 2012 | 11:54 PM

When Mayor Johnson ran against former mayor Fargo he constantly spoke of crime issues yet as a resident of the city, to my knowledge, he hadn't attended one city, community, neighborhood meeting regarding crime/ youth violence issues... I know he was not in attendance at the city council special session forum former Mayor Fargo held with Former Police Chief Najera speaking of the crime wave...... or any of the other town hall, community and neighborhood meetings held. I'd like to know if the candidates, (other than Johnson who after in office attempting to get a strong mayor form of government attended forums on violence) attended forums addressing youth violence in Sacramento to listen to the people directly affected/ exposed to the violence or are they simply listening to those with agenda's to enhance their departments???

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Melissa Corker

May 8, 2012 | 9:12 AM

Rhonda, there are definitely many crime-related/law enforcement-related questions for the candidates to address. Can you give me the one "top" question you'd like to have asked on the subject?

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Rhonda Erwin

May 8, 2012 | 7:45 PM

Thank you Melissa. It doesn't matter which question is used. Heck, if they thought outside the endorsement box I'd be surprised... But I do appreciate your response.

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politicaldebater

May 8, 2012 | 10:09 AM

What about Hilbert-Garcia? Wasn't he running too?

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Melissa Corker

May 8, 2012 | 1:23 PM

Mr. Hilbert-Garcia failed to qualify for the ballot initially, so he he is taking steps to be a write-in candidate.

Read about it here:
http://sacramentopress.com/headline/66955/Edgar_Garcia_returns_as_writein_candidate_for_mayor

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MidtownSquinter

May 11, 2012 | 9:28 AM

Perhaps basic info for reader / commenters like forum format. (Q's in advance or live, timing, rebuttals, moderators, etc) much less location and whether VOTERS are invited or encouraged to attend would help, Melissa.

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Melissa Corker

May 11, 2012 | 4:53 PM

Thank you, Squinter.
A forum preview article is available here:
http://sacramentopress.com/headline/67673/Candidates_prepare_to_face_off_in_forum_Saturday

But, to summarize:

All questions are selected in advance. There will not be opportunity for audience-driven questions at the forum.
The panel of moderators will be members of the media, however, other than myself, I do not know who else is scheduled to be on the panels.
The event will be at the County Administration Building, 700 I St. It begins at 9 a.m.
The public – voters, residents and interested persons alike – are invited to attend, however there is limited seating in the Board of Supervisors Chamber where the candidates will be speaking.
The event will be televised on Metro Cable Channel 14, and replayed after the event on Metro Cable. Check their listings for additional showings.
I'm sorry I do not know the exact format – timing, rebuttals, opening/closing statement allotments, etc.
I hope you are able to attend or watch on Channel 14, though!

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