Burlington Mayoral Debate – Live Blog

Today.  5:25.  In this very spot.  Be here, or be a sphere.

(I stole that line from Dave Barry.  He’s much funnier than I am.)

5:25 – The debate is starting.  No James Simpson!  This debate suddenly got less fun.

First question – tell us why you are the best person to be the next mayor.

Kurt, seriously.  You have been on channel 17 enough to know that suit will look really bad on camera.

5:32 – Mayor Bob Kiss is talking now.  He really does have the best resume to be mayor – I am the mayor!

5:37 – I am having technical problems with my blog!  Grr!

5:38 – Did you see the look on Montroll’s face when Smith was criticizing his pension plan resolution?

5:39 – Kiss says Champlain Parkway needs to be completed.  Wright calls him on that.  He’s been mayor for 3 years and it has not moved forward.

5:41 – Wright makes a swipe at Montroll’s pension resolution, too.

5:42 – Question about school budget.

Dan Smith says we can’t abandon our children during bad economic times, but he will work to keep increases lower in future.

(For the record, I will not be abandoning my children during this downturn.)

Mayor Kiss reminds us that the school board, not the mayor, makes the school budget.

Kurt Wright provides leadership.  Co-sponsored resolution asking administration to work with school board on something.  Citizen after citizen around the city thinks that the budget is too big.  Everyone has to share the pain.  (Wright is the only candidate who does not support the current school budget.)

Andy Montroll looks uncomfortable.  (Wright is still talking.)

Montroll still supports the budget.  Schools represent the future.  The budget is hard on everyone, but he doesn’t want it to be hard on the children.  You’re only in second grade once.  Income sensitivity.  Told Jeanne Collins to remind people of that.  (It’s okay, you’re spending someone else’s money!)

5:49 – Caller: fluoride in the water.

Kiss – We lowered the level.  He heard that lowest recommended dosage was going to be lowered.  Worries about low income people.

Wright – Large number of people voted to keep the fluoride in the water.  He’s open to re-look at any issues and see if the science backs up making a change.

Montroll – There is a real scientific answer and we need to find out what that is.  His pediatrician thinks it is very safe.  The debate is not going away.

Smith – The callers question is ultimately a legal question.  Who has the right to make that decision?  (That is what the caller asked, but no one really answered that.)  Are we hurting some people with the fluoride or are we hurting people who need the fluoride if we remove it?  Look at the data and research, not politicize.

(I think that what I put in my and my children’s bodies is not a democratic decision.)

5:56 – Caller: Asks about the creation of 2 at-large city council seats.  Opinion of proposal.

Wright – As city council president: we don’t need 2 more city councilors.  Joking, but serious.  14 is enough.  If you want to add at-large councilors, re-do the whole thing, so there are not more councilors.

Montroll – An at-large councilor would have super powers.

Smith – Wants to re-invent the city government.  Council would benefit from 2 councilors with a city-wide perspective, as opposed to ward-wide.  He disagrees that they would have super powers.  They would not fly in with a cape. (Heh.)  He is pushing the out-of-the-box thinking.

Kiss – We can explore alternatives that other cities have tried.  Concerned that the at-large voting would be disproportionate.  He’s not afraid of the discussion, but not sure that this is the best idea.

6:02 – Mark Johnson asks about IRV and who their 2nd choice is.

Montroll hearts IRV, but won’t tell who his #2 is.  (I think he wants to see who attacks him least in the course of the debates.)

Smith supports IRV.  Makes the decision more positive and productive.  (Yet, they can still get a few swipes in, as he has demonstrated.)  He also won’t tell his #2.

Kiss – I was elected with IRV, so I love it!  It allows people to tell him they voted for him, even if it’s #5.  He is going to win.  Will not promote a #2.

Wright – Makes another joke.  Not a big supporter.  Sees some benefit.  Hears a lot about it from people.  He encourages people to vote for him #1 and then whoever will do the best job, if he does not win.  Don’t try to game it.

6:09 – Caller: refugee resettlement program is costing taxpayers a lot.  It is driving up the school budget.  What can the city do to work with the program to deal with this.

Smith hearts refugees.  They bring multiculturalism to the city.

Kiss also supports it.  Program has good record.  Both guys claim that the increase in students off-sets increase in cost.

(The school board members are liars, then, BTW.  They have been blaming the refugees.)

Wright – Let’s get more money from the feds.  (This is the Republican?)

Montroll – Richness of diversity!

(People, we are paying for diversity.  It’s great.  It’s rich, even if you aren’t.)

(The parentheticals are my own comments, in case that wasn’t clear.)

Montroll blames NCLB.  He also wants more money from the federal gov.

6:19 – They are talking about the waterfront/parks dept. scandal.  I am so tired of this issue.  Really.  I am not covering this.

6:21 – Caller: Talk about Burlington Telecom

Wright – We may be able to go into other communities and bring revenue into the city. We don’t know yet. He hopes no candidate is over-promising this. People who want to get elected too much can over-sell things. (Who was that directed at?) We have to wait and not risk taxpayers money buy borrowing to expand before we know if it is feesible. We need to go slowly on this.

Montroll – We need to expand into the areas that are not yet wired. We should be looking for opportunities outside the city. (Wright is making faces.) He says we don’t want to wait.

Smith – Fully supports it. The issue is the degree to which we let politics dictate the decisions. We need to leave it up to the telecom experts. (Good answer) The question is how do we free them up to thrive.

Kiss – I did slow the process down. We need to have it cash-flow positive. When we get there, we can look at other communities. (Another good answer)

Mark Johnson – Follow up: Who should make programming decisions?

Montroll – It should never be a mayor, never city council.

Smith – We need to allow the enterprise to make the decisions about what it needs to do to succeed.

Kiss – The general manager makes those decisions.

Wright – It should not be a political decision.

6:33 – They are talking about streets.  Everyone wants to pave them, of course.  (But who actually will?)  The tax that was passed will help with that.  The caller who prompted this discussion had brought up the fact that everyone talks about waterfront, but North Ave needs work.

Wright made a good point that developing the waterfront will create more tax money to fix other parts of the city.

6:36 – Facebook question: what will you do for seniors?

Everyone loves seniors and will do lots of stuff for them.  Invest in senior centers, invest in senior housing, and fix the sidewalks.

Smith – we need to re-think our entire housing strategy.  He goes off on a tangent about wastewater fees.  Gets cut off.

6:38 – Closing statements

Wright – State legislature, city council president.  Has lots of experience.  Provides leadership and has record of working with other parties.  He was endorsed by the fire fighters.  He brings spirit of non-partisanship.  Crosses party lines.  Has well-known Dems supporting him.  Has well-known independents supporting him.  Asks for your support.

Montroll – This is an important election.  He’s been going door-to-door.  People are worries about the economy.  He served as city council president.  (He has a hard time with cohesive speeches.  It really was that disjointed.)  He wants to move us forward.

Smith – Respects his opponents and their service to the community.  Quotes Jefferson.  His hope and desire is to build common cause in city government.  Coalition building.  (Too much Obama-speak – gah!)  Delighted to be in this race and hopes to win.

Kiss – Shouldn’t have made the job look so easy.  Now everyone want to be mayor.  (He, he.) Things have been done.  Doesn’t want to lose momentum.  Burlington deserves the awards it gets.  His administration has done good things.  More citizen participation than ever before.  Has an enviable track record as mayor.  Thinks he would be the best person to serve as mayor over the next 3 years.