City Council Candidates appear at NAACP Forum

The Charlottesville-Albemarle Branch of the NAACP held a “Meet the Candidates” forum for the five people seeking a seat on the Charlottesville City Council. M. Rick Turner, President of the local NAACP, moderated the forum. 

After opening statements, candidates took three questions from the host before answering another three submitted by audience members.  Before giving closing statements, each candidate had the chance to ask the four other candidates a question of their own.

Podcast produced by Charlottesville Tomorrow * Player by Odeo

Listen using player above or download the podcast: Download 20071017-NAACP-Forum.mp3

TIMELINE FOR PODCAST:

• 0:46 – Introduction from M. Rick Turner, President of the Charlottesville-Albemarle branch of the NAACP
• 3:07 – Opening statement from Peter Kleeman (I)
• 5:14 – Opening statement from Barbara Haskins (I)
• 7:09 – Opening statement from David Brown (D)
• 9:21 – Opening statement from Satyendra Huja (D)
• 11:27 – Opening statement from Holly Edwards (D) 
• 13:47 - Question 1:  “In the history of Charlottesville City Council Elections, only five individual African Americans have ever been elected. Charles Barbour (1970-1978), E.G. Hall (1980-1988), Alvin Edwards (1988-1996), Maurice Cox (1996-2004), Kendra Hamilton (2004-present). And never have two   African-Americans served on City Council at one time. My question is, why do you think this is the case and do you see this as a problem?  And second, what changes to the current electoral system would you support  in order to achieve broader representation?” Question
• 24:04 – Question 2: “A few years ago, the City Council majority voted to move Council elections from May to November. This means that  newly elected Councilors will take office in the middle of the City budget cycle. Please  explain your understanding of the City budget process from beginning to end, and indicate how you will able to knowledgeably and effectively participate in the budget process when entering the discussion so late.”
• 34:32 – Question 3: “For many years, the Charlottesville City Schools have separated children of different skill levels into different classrooms, starting at Walker Elementary School. This is known as tracking. The results of this practice is that our classrooms, particularly at Charlottesville High School, are highly segregated, with mostly white students in the upper tracks, and mostly black students in the lower tracks. Do you support tracking within our schools? Why or why not? If not, what changes would you advocate?”
• 44:49 – Audience question 1: “Please  give a specific example as to something handled by the current City Council in the past two years that you would have handled differently.”
• 53:36 – Audience question 2: “What will you do during your term for the creation and development of affordable housing? Specifically, for the 30 percent area median income range? Especially, since the disproportionate number of people in this lowest income bracket are in dire need of housing help?”
• 1:04:20 – Audience question 3: “As you probably know, the Charlottesville High School drop-out rate among the disadvantaged is very high.  Only 64% of disadvantaged graduate. A   very high percentage of these disadvantaged are African-American. Do you  see the drop-out rate and the rising incidents of gang-related violence as related problems?  What role do you think the  City Council and the City Manager’s office should play in solving these problems? Give some examples of what could be done if possible?”
• 1:15:09: Satyendra Huja (D) asks his fellow candidates: “Imagine life has changed at budgeting time. Would each one you if elected to City Council, if offered a million dollars, decide how you would spend that money next year in the budget. What priority would you spend your money on?”
• 1:21:27: Holly Edwards (D) asks her fellow candidates: “I’m the only one who’s really been talking about health care issues, and I’ve been looking at what other health care initiatives have been happening in other cities.  And I had this dream of making Charlottesville a ‘cancer free zone’ where people are healthy and  understand the ramifications of smoking and eating right, and I’ve been told that it takes three  to make a decision on Council, so my question is, how will you help to support that initiative?”
• 1:27:50: Barbara Haskins (I) asks her fellow candidates: “If you lose, what is the one thing that you hope whoever wins implements? Of your issues, the things closest to your heart, if you’re not there to fight for them, what’s the one thing you hope other people adopt and fight for you?”
• 1:32:28: David Brown (D) asks his fellow candidates:  “We talk a lot about issues, but a lot of issues  that are going to arise in the next four years are not the ones we’re currently thinking about.  What is it in your character that would really be an asset on City Council?”
• 1:37:11: Peter Kleeman (I) asks his fellow candidates: “There’s a motto on bumper stickers that says “Think  globally, act locally.” Each of us contributing to our global challenges, whether its global warming, ocean pollution, war in many parts of the world. We all have some role we can play. I’m curious what my fellow Council candidates think an appropriate role that the City should take in following the above motto?”
• 1:43:13: Closing statement from Peter Kleeman (I)
• 1:46:12: Closing statement from Holly Edwards (D)
• 1:48:32: Closing statement from Barbara Haskins (I)
• 1:50:49: Closing statement from David Brown (D)
• 1:53:31: Closing statement from Satyendra Huja (D)

Sean Tubbs