League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA June 6, 2006 Election
	Bill Chew Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member, 3; City of San Jose; Council District 3

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. There are proposals to add 30,000 houses and more office space in North San Jose, thousands more homes in Evergreen and to build a new community in the Coyote Valley. There has been no in-depth study of how these plans will affect one another or services throughout the city. Should San Jose complete a thorough, public review of its general plan for growth before approving any more major development plans? Silicon Valley needs more housing, but San Jose needs more jobs to strengthen its tax base. How would you balance those conflicting pressures?

Since the general plan was last updated during the middle of the dot.com boom the situation has dramatically changed. We need to do a complete reassessment of our 2020 General Plan. We should wait until this is completed before we do anything else.

2. San Jose has a council/manager form of government. Over the past few years the balance of power has shifted toward the mayor and there are some elected officials who support this stronger role for the mayor. Should San Jose move to a strong-mayor form of government or have a strong professional administrator? What kind of city manager will you look for?

Term limits have drastically reduced the amount of experience and working knowledge of city government that council members have. As a long time observer of the San Jose City Council I have personnally witnessed the problems this has created. The infamous Cisco Systems scandal, the Nor/Cal scandal, and various other issues were created because of this inexperience. The Council needs the strong guidence of professional administrator to avoid these pit falls. We need someone very much like Les White to guide the council.

3. Safety often includes services such as homework centers and code enforcement for neighborhoods, but the city budget now being prepared could cut much needed services. If there is no other source of funds to maintain safety-related centers and gang prevention, would you consider reducing the funds going to support the police and fire departments? Can the growing costs of police and for pensions be covered without depleting funds for other community service in the future?

It is outrageous that our city is being put in the position of having to make these choices. The blame needs to be placed where it belongs, with the governor and the state legislature. The stated budget has been balanced for many years on the back of local government. Sacramento recieves our tax revenue and uses it to solve their problems and sends us what is left over. We need to fight back. We need to demand that the state government get it's house in order.

Balancing our budget must be done in a fair and equitable manner. Public safety is our most important job as a city but other services are important too.

4. Money to maintain and operate the city’s public facilities such as parks and libraries is in shorter and shorter supply. So while new or expanded community centers have been proposed previously, the city is looking at closing or privatizing up to 30 existing centers it cannot afford to operate. Should the city re-examine its plans to add parks and other public facilities? Are there services the city could cut to find money for these highly valued ones?

Yes, we should re-examine plans to add parks and other public facilities. No, there are no expendible services left to trade off against new ones.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League. 

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: April 26, 2006 16:02
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