Alachua Voter Guide

Tuesday night, March 3rd, the candidates for the 2 city commission seats were asked to respond to the Leaguea of Women Voters, The forum met on the fourth floor of the downtown public library, and due to time constraints, there were no citizen questions sought from the audience.

The forum opened with single District 1 candidates Marcia Wimberly and the incumbent, Sherwin Henry. The audio I recorded was not as good as usual, due to the poor acoustics and sound system. Therefore, after taking a lot of notes while straining to hear these recordings, I will give you the summary of the questions and answers.

How to prioritize budget?

Wimberly: No cuts at all to health (trash pickup) and public safety. Local stimulus package for local businesses…money for local citizens to buy things from local merchants.

Henry: We’re already doing it. 4 day work week. Delay projects. Not hire replacements. We will get citizen inputs.

Editor: I have no idea where Wimberly’s “stimulus” money is coming from. And Henry’s assertion about getting citizen input for cuts seems unlikely. Citizens only show up to protect programs that benefit them. And when they show up to oppose them, the commissioners routinely stand to defent the citizens who benefit from them. In short, neither candidate wants to cut anything.

How do we attract jobs to (East) Gainesville?

Henry: We could manufacture solar panels. Streamline permitting process.

Wimberly: Incentives and tax credits to attract businesses. Incubator programs to help people start businesses.

Editor: I think Mr. Henry ought to talk to both the city and county commissioners about solar panels. They would love to buy them, but I cannot imagine them wanting to make them here. And Ms. Wimberly ought to have illuminated us as to the success of the existing incubator program in East Gainesville.

How to conserve energy?

Wimberly: Promote solar.

Henry: Weatherization is most important. Bring landlords to the table and show them the incentives. Educate homeowners about investing in energy saving. Get banks to give low interest loans.

Editor: Wouldn’t have much to say about this except that I have invested a lot in conservation the past couple of years, and some of my savings have been wiped out by higher rates. Can we work on that?

Your position on Charter One?

Henry: I am against it because of home rule. It does not enable us to protect all of our citizens.

Wimberly: Against it because it is a step backwards. City should have left out the controversial language from their ordinance.

One stop homeless center:

Wimberly: This is not a top priority at this time.

Henry: It’s important.

Editor: Both seem to be for it in principle, but don’t think we have the money.

Mom’s Kitchen purchase?

Henry: For it. No money was taken from anywhere to buy Mom’s Kitchen. For Ironwoood, too. And wants to improve it and let it pay its way, as far as it is able.

Wimberly: We cannot ignore the recession. Mom’s Kitchen should not have been a priority.

Editor: I’d like some explanation as to where the money did come from.

Are officials out of touch?

Wimberly: We need economic stimulus to help citizens get online and better informed.

Henry: I am not out of touch. I go to their churches, their neighborhoods, hosted a city commission meeting at the MacPhereson Center.

Now for the responses to mostly the same questions from the At large 1 Candidates…

How to prioritize budget?

Krames: Cut back on low priority serivces and duplicated county services. More business to make money and pay taxes. Stop excessive taxes.

Mastrodicasa: Delay new projects and trim services.

Selwach: Renegotiate union contracts. Cut departments like mosquito control in urban areas. Sell golf course.

Schlachta: Make apprpriate cuts, but did not identify.

Cunilio: The spending by the city is profligate. Go to University to tell freshman to leave cars at home and have a lottery for sophomores to have cars. Synchronizing traffic lights a waste. We’re never going to be happy with that. $70,000 to come up with a slogan for Gainesville? “Give me a break!”

Editor: Cunilio and Selwach were most specific. Kudos for actual answers.

Your position on Charter One?

Krames: Yes.

Mastrodicasa: No. It’s stops home rule. It lets smaller businesses off the hook becuase the state levels are only apply to businesses with at least 15 emplyees instead of 5 at the city level.

Selwach: Yes. Women do not want men in the ladies room.

Schlachta: Yes. The present ordinance is bad enough to take these measures. If it doesn’t pass, we must change the ordinance.

Cunilio: Yes. He doesn’t want us to be paraiahs to the rest of the state, and the Tallahassee government.

Mom’s Kitchen purchase?

Mastrodicasa: Ironwood is used by the citizens. We should not be treating it as a business. It is a recreation opportunity, like our pools and parks. Mom’s Kitchen is an opportunity for the city to redevelop part of the city.

Selwach: Ironwood was built on a flood plain, and it’ s bottomless (money) pit. Againest Mom’s Kitchen purchase because a private person could have bought it for less.

Schlachta: Ironwood has not been managed well. We should improve it, but also look to the developer next door to help out. Mom’s Kitchen is bad timing for this economic climate.

Cunilio: We already have a public golf course at the University. Recategorizing Ironwood does not elevate its value.

Krames: Mastrodicasa called it an asset. An asset does not lose money. When we are looking at shortfalls, should you be looking for ways to spend more money?

Should new developments have to include affordable housing?

Selwach: Yes

Schlachta: No, not for every development.

Cunilio: Yes.

Krames: No. We need fewer burdens on developers. Higher fees and regs force builders to build the most expensive homes to get their money back.

Mastrodicasa: Yes, it’s part of mixed use.

Editor: The tanking housing market is creating more affordable housing every day. It’s a buyers’ market. Does the government really need to enforce this?

What qualifies you to be on the board of GRU, and how can you reduce the cost of electricity?

Schlachta: Spread out sources of fuel.

Cunilio: Energy is my area of expertise. I have been part of getting getting away from coal for years. Mastrodicasa is trying to take credit for what I have done.

Krames: Wood is good, but we need to diversify into green tech. Coal is cheaper and cleaner than it used to be. Green is too expensive to cast our lot with too soon.

Mastrodicasa: I have been serving for 3 years, and have a law degree and PhD. Conservation is the way to reduce costs.

Selwach: Conservation is good, but solar is too vulnerable to hurricanes. Coal and biomass are both dirty. Biomass might eventually turn into municipal trash burning. Nuclear is the way to go.

Would it be good to consolidate services?

Editor: This question is asked at every forum since the early 1990s. Everyone is for it, but it will never happen because there are important political interests that carry more weight than the tax payers. End of rant….

Should we duplicate the Reichert house for boys with a program for at risk girls?

Mastrodicasa: Yes.

Selwach: Yes

Schlachta: Yes

Cunilio: We must support traditional marriage.

Krames: Yes.

Editor: I think we can ascertain support for the idea from Tom Cunilio, although he spent his answer praising a black church he visited recently for teaching the importance of marriage and family values. He seems to be happy with the job they are doing.

Should we go to fall elections for the city?

Selwach: Yes

Schlachta: Yes

Cunilio: No. I think the problems are uninspiring leaders, sexual politics, etc.

Krames: Yes. It’s more convenient for the citizens.

Mastrodicasa: No. City issues get lost in the fall elections.

END