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Filipino Candidates Forum
Full Transcription- Mayoral		Saturday September 15, 2007

Mary Bitagon: [mid sentence]..anyway, I’m not going to say anything after their names, just like the candidates for Council because they will have their opportunity to introduce themselves when they have their opening statements. So in their opening statements, they can introduce themselves because nobody knows the candidates better than themselves and so I know that everybody is waiting to hear the answers for the questions that we have formulated for the mayors. Please everybody be seated so that we can have this feeling of concentration so that they can answer their questions very well. Now that everybody’s seated, shall we start? And I’d like to introduce to you our moderator for the mayors’ candidates for no other than Attorney Jody Togonon [host].

Host: The rules are that each candidate is given 2 minutes for the opening statement and 1 minute for the closing. There are 8 questions prepared by the forum committee to be asked by me, the moderator, each question is directed to a particular candidate to be answered in 2 minutes, followed by a 1 minute reply from the following candidate. If the candidate feels that the question is unclear, or they forgot the parameters of the question, they can ask me to repeat it. There is a timer and a signal person sign, essentially green means start talking, cause the timer’s on; red means stop and yellow means you have 10 seconds to wrap up the question.

Mary Bitagon: Our candidates for Mayor are Gary Cloutier, Osby Davis, Pamela Pitts, and Cris Villanueva.

Host: Okay, we’ll start with the 2 minute introductions starting with Mr. Cloutier.

GC: Good afternoon everybody, my name is Gary Cloutier. I’ve noticed this week and I think it’s always important to think about the larger world that we live in and specially that we are living in difficult times right now. The United States, our country is engaged in a terrible war. We all saw this week General Petreaus testified before Congress about pitfalls in Iraq, and we can’t really influence that. But we can influence what happens here in Vallejo, and for me, I think running for Mayor is an honor and privilege because this is the community that is the new community of the American future. This is a community that has been called by the New York Times as the most diverse community in the United States, I think that it’s [muffled] upon all of us to work together, to make this the strongest possible community that we could make. Because we can’t influence the world, but we can influence what happens here and that has echoes everywhere. I have worked for 8 years on the City Council to arrest decades of decline in Vallejo to try to make this one of the greatest places to live in the Bay Area. And we are on the way. We have worked very hard to get all of our projects in place that will change the face of the city. What I’m talking about is Mare Island, the Waterfront projects, the infill projects in the downtown, and I believe that we are in the verge of making that work. But we are facing in the next 5 years, a historic struggle to make this City continue to move forward [muffled] it’s not clear unless we have the proper leadership that this city move forward. And I believe that I have the experience, the knowledge, an the ability and the skill in terms of team building efforts to make this City Council one of the best City Councils in the history of Vallejo. I’m gonna ask for your votes on November 6. I’m out there every night knocking on doors to introduce myself to the people in the city to talk to them about their concerns. I’m here today to tell you my views and to tell you what I’ve learned in 8 years. And I’m very happy to be here.

OD: Good afternoon, and I appreciate all of you for coming out to listen to the Council and Mayoral candidates. My name is Osby Davis, I’m a former County Supervisor serving 14 years on board, and have been active in our community ever since and still active in our community. I am attorney here in town with my wife, we have a law practice together and I’ve raised 6 children and we have 10 grandchildren. We have been committed, at least my wife and I have been committed to the young people and services in this community for years and years and more years. We’ve worked with the Continental Omega Boys and Girls Club, and we’re still mentors at the Omega Boys and Girls Club, and occasionally we bring children home that we end up with as foster children. We’ve had 3 foster children as well and we believe that we have to invest in our community. Everybody needs to invest in our community. It is because of that that I am running for Mayor. When I look at our city, when I look at the condition of our city, when I look at where we’ve been and I look at where we are, and I look at where we need to be, it is my desire to try and do something about it. I’ve said before that you can have 3 kinds of people: those who complain those who move, and those who do something. I’m not a complainer, I’m not a mover, I intend to do something. And that’s the reason why I’m in this race. It is not a period in time when it’s going to be easy for anybody. It’s going to be difficult for anybody who takes this position as Mayor to bring about some changes. But I am committed to you to doing what it takes. To bring all of this community to the table. To the table that we end up creating as a “Team Vallejo” table so that we all work together to make the city what we want it to be. Now, I don’t think the city should be exactly what I think it ought to be, I think you, the citizens have to tell us what you want the city to look like. And if we have to go about making it occur, and so, I encourage you to look at where we are, where we need to be and realize that we need some changes. And if we don’t have changes, we’re gonna do the same thing thing. I’ll be asking for your vote.

PP: Good afternoon, my name is Pamela Pitts. I’ve been here too many times, I know so many people and I thank you all for coming out. This is giving us to lend our views on how to turn Vallejo around. I’ve spent 8 years on the City Council as both a Councilmember and the Vice-Mayor and I learned a lot about how things work, how to get things done, and what – how the City Hall, specifically, thinks in terms of it’s citizens, and what it’s supposed to deliver to our citizens. And I want to talk to you about how I propose to change Vallejo, to turn things around, and get it headed in the right direction. It won’t be easy but I believe it can be done. We need proven leaders with new ideas. We really need to pull our community together instead of pulling us apart. We need leaders who understand how successful businesses provide services to its customers. We need leaders who care about Vallejo. I believe I’m that leader. First we need new revenue to provide vital services, and we cannot continue to burden our residents with new taxes and fees. Our residents are already burdened with the high price of housing and transportation. Instead we do need to increase revenues by recruiting new businesses. And I will begin working with staff and others to closely watch the vendors and developers comprehensive marketing strategy. As a business person and Councilmember, I’ve recruited businesses with good paying jobs to our city already. I’ve done this before and I can do it again, and more effectively as your Mayor. However, to bring businesses to our community, we need a stiff [muffled], I will work with our labor unions, colleges, nonprofits organizations including the faith leaders and community to increase job trainings for our youth and job retraining program for our adults. Thank you.

CV: Thank you, Magandang gabi po (Good evening), Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat (Good afternoon to you all). Thank you for coming and I would like to reintroduce myself. You have voted for me two times – as a City Council Vice Mayor and Councilmember. I’m a resident of Vallejo for 32 years, and I believe I’m the most qualified choice for Mayor to face the challenge of financial problems of our City. My qualification includes Bachelors in Education, Business Administration and I took MBA courses in Multi-national business at Golden Gate University. I took courses in Management and Supervision in Stanford University. And the past, I provided leadership and helped Vallejo recover from the closure of Mare Island. I helped Vallejo recover from declining attendance on Marine World. Helped out Vallejo when State took away our revenues and helped recover from federal unfunded mandates. When elected I will work with all sectors and transform Vallejo fiscally by inquiring multi-lead projection, fiscal impact analysis on every resolution being offered, and budget monetary. The sale of Discovery Kingdom would retire all the debts and we will have a better credit rating. With a better rating, we can issue new ones to finance energy efficient buildings such as public safety buildings, conference, performing arts, convention centers, business bureau, Mare Island Historic Museum, hotels, senior and youth centers and all other infrastructures that will complement Discovery Kingdom and will make Vallejo a true tourist institution or destination. With tourist industry, we can have a 5 time economic multiplier erect much higher than the whole entire industry. Thank you.

Host: The question and answer portion, remember, with the initial question, being a 2 minute reply, with a follow up reply of 1 minute each. Mr. Cloutier – first question, on November 6, one of you will be elected as new Mayor of Vallejo. You will inherit a budget deficit, what qualification do you now posses that will allow you to solve this monumental problem?

GC: I have been on the City Council for 8 years and I have seen institutional difficulties we have in balancing the budget each year, which is that we have deferred very hard decisions about salary issues to balance our budget. It has become clear to me knowing the numbers, knowing what we’re dealing with, knowing that we need to put our City on a fiscally soon, healthy basis, for a long term and not year by year. If we’re gonna have to make a hard decision coming up on 2010, that’s when our public safety contracts expire with fire and police. And what we would like to achieve at that time with our Council in place, that has the character and integrity to make the right decision – is to pay our employees extremely well. They will be paid well, they will get good benefits but there has to be enough money left over to make the City of Vallejo a great place to live. There has to be enough money left over to fill the potholes, to trim trees, to fix sidewalks, to make public art and to do all the things that make a human community a great place to live. And that’s really what it comes down to and it’s not terribly difficult – it’s very simple. Thank you.

Host: On November 6, one of you will be elected as new Mayor of Vallejo. You will inherit a budget deficit, what qualification do you now posses that will allow you to solve this monumental problem?

OD: First of all, I want to say that the budget problem is not going to be solved by just the Mayor. It is going to take a team effort – the Council, the staff, the City and the people in this community because it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be pleasant. I would be remiss if I sat up here and told you I’m going to change the budget all by myself. I cannot do that. But I promise you this, but I have experience and the background as a member of the Board of Supervisors when they had a tight financial crisis. When subsequent to Prop 13, we did not have any funds and we still had to provide services to the community in terms of share services and court services and so on. As the Chairman of the Board, I developed a 5 year budget process that enabled us to balance our budget and now the County does not have a problem. And I also have the ability to bring people together and make things happen.

PP: Okay, I thought there’s a sign. I’m waiting for my signal. First of all, the background that I have has something to do with being the CEO of a multi-million dollar corporation for over 15 years, and also studying accounting brokerage 3 years at Golden Gate University. I have a key in all of this financial planning and financial budgeting. But in addition to that I sat 8 years on the City Council, watching our reserves change from one week to the next week. Watching how monies were being spent in the City and not being able to do anything about it because the Council really is represented by the Mayor and the Finance Director, and the City Manager. The first thing I would do is I’d open the books to the all the taxpayers to get a better understanding of where we all truly stand and next we would need financial and marketing plan as to how we’re going to increase revenues because our biggest problem is our lack of increasing revenue. All businesses face rising costs to new businesses and Vallejo is no different.

CV: As the new Mayor and a CPA, I’m really qualified to address the fiscal problems of the City. I will require a multi-lead projection of our revenues and expenses and see to it that every year we have a balanced budget. If there’s a chance where we can do two kinds of expenditures. I would put emphasis on doing what is so called “capital expenditures” other than “operating expenditures”. What we are doing now is operating expenditure good for one year. What we are trying to resolve is a lot of combination of capital expenditure and operating expenditure. Capital expenditure being investment expenditure which will get some income and with our investment.. Thank you very much

Host: This question is for Mr. Davis. The fire and police contracts are in arbitration. We feel that this is a direct result of a failure in leadership. Have you reviewed the contract and do you have a solution?

Host: Yes, have you reviewed the fire and police contract that are currently in arbitration, and do you have a solution?

OD: No, I have not reviewed the current fire and police contract. I’ve only scanned them. I do have a solution however. I think that we have to recognize that public safety is something that all of us demand and we say we want. But you can’t continue to fund public safety at the level that we’ve been funding it. There’s a lot of things we want in our own budget but we can’t afford them. So one of the things we have to do is start a discussion about the level of services that we can afford to pay for public safety. It would be great to be able to continue to do what we’ve done but we can’t because that’s deficit spending. So I really believe that whatever’s happening with arbitration is a loss for the community. No matter what the arbitrator says, the public loses because if the arbitrator rules in favor of the fire, then the City has a real problem. If he rules in favor of the City, then we still have a problem. Remember this contract doesn’t expire until 2010. Which means we’re gonna have a 9 million dollar problem next year and the year after as well. So we’ve got to say, look let’s spend the time, the energy and the money. If we have to let’s bring in a mediator, not an arbitrator. Let’s lock ourselves in a room and let’s decide what is best for the citizens of Vallejo and let’s make it happen. I think that it can happen that way. I think it can work that way. And I think that we have to be committed to making that happen because you do want public services. You do want public safety and so do I. But we cannot continue to spend the way we’ve been spending.

Host: Sure. The fire and police contracts are in arbitration. We feel that this is a direct result of a failure in leadership. Have you reviewed the contract and do you have a solution?

PP: Yes. I reviewed the contract but you’re not asking me what I think about the contract. You’re asking me if I’ve reviewed the contract and do I have a solution. I think the solution has to do with restoring trust. Right now, either side is trusting each other. And to do that, one of the things we’re gonna have to do is open the books, let everyone see it, and start rebuilding the trust between the two sides, because without trust, there will never be a peaceful solution.

CV: In reviewing the contracts, especially the contract has a long term effect, we should accompany it with a protection of our earnings and revenues. Is our long term revenue capable of actually sponsoring for the contract effect of a long term effect? It will be until 2010. Have we projected our revenue until 2010? If we have? Then we can sign the contract, if we can survive the rewards for compensation. As stated, 9 million is expected to be in deficit this year. If we don’t’ address it now, when can we address it? I believe that we should have a better consensus building Council instead of confrontational City Council. And also I believe that doing it ourselves – not using special consultants for labor negotiation, wow, which is costly for the City should be entirely gone. Thank you.

GC: The reason we’re in arbitration now with our unions because this Council is the first Council in the decade that has taken the bull by the horns, and shown leadership in dealing with public safety contracts that are not affordable. And let’s get the facts straight here, we were offered a deal by our public safety unions to extend a contract 2 years that is already too rich and not affordable. We were demanded to pay 100,000 to pay for a failed lawsuit by the Union president against our Council members, and our ex City Manager. We received absolutely no offers from the police department which is the major part of our budget. So as far as I’m concerned, this Council has shown absolute leadership and finally saying, “no, we’re gonna correct this problem now.” No one would go through what we’re going through now, if they were a reasonable person. It would be much easier to make a deal, and say, “let’s just get on with it.” But we’ve said no. So the City and the people of Vallejo are served by that decision.

Host: Thank you. The next question is for Pamela Pitts, you have a 2 minute reply. Whenever the City faces a problem, the City government has a history of hiring consulting firms to study the problem and finding a solution. As Mayor what other options will you propose to avoid outrageous consulting fees?

PP: As Mayor, the first thing I’m gonna propose is that we look at all the contracts that we have, see where they stand. Because when I first went on the Council, we were in the same position with the attorneys on contracts, and I insisted on looking at those contracts, and bringing it – they were all open ended contracts which were changed to more of a specific, project on each contract. And I would do the same on these contracts because as a City we have very capable employees who are not being held accountable to do the jobs they were hired to do. It’s so easy to contract out our work. We’re contracting our work out to Walnut Creek. Work that should be done by our staff right down in City Hall. And I think those things are the things I want to stop because that’s what we pay employees to do. We pay them to do work for the City and I wanna hold the line on any outside contract. And only to contract when it’s absolutely necessary when we absolutely don’t have the staff to complete their jobs or have the expertise.

CV: As much as possible, we should use our own employees or local talents and their expertise. We don’t want to hire consultants that are far away. If something happened, we cannot go out to them. I think it was during our time, that we initiated the resolution, the so called, “Vallejo First Policy”. We initiated a preference for local businesses that give them 5% preference. Now I think, all other cities have increased their preference to 20-25%. We should look after our own local merchants, and see to it that if there will be some consultation, it should be done through them. That is my mission to make “Vallejo First Policy” multi uses for the citizens of Vallejo.

GC: It is important that we use our staff whenever possible to avoid getting outside consultants because that money can go to the general fund to do things in the City of Vallejo. However, I want to get the facts straight now for the ladies and gentlemen in the audience. Vallejo right now, because of our difficulties of balancing the budget, because of our public safety contracts, only has 5% of its general fund going to administrative staff. A city like Berkeley which has far more revenue and sales tax is spending 19% of their general fund budget on staff. That means that they can do many many many many more things that we can do including consulting, issues, economic development. So the real issue is not paying consultants, it is fixing the budget so we could devote more resources to hiring people who can do the job that will improve the quality of life in Vallejo and do the things that the consultants are now doing.

OD: One of the things we have to recognize is that the way the City’s set up, sometimes consultants are necessary. And so one of the things we have to do is asses our department, our goals for our City departments in terms of the services that we say we’re going to provide for the public. After having talked to the public and determining what kind of services the public desires for the City, once you determine that, then you decide whether or not the departments are set up for providing both specific services. Some of it makes sense to contract out, some doesn’t. So I think that we need to asses what services we can provide in house, which ones we need to provide outside the City. Because I guarantee you, no matter what we say to you today, whichever one of us gets elected, there are gonna be some consultant contracts. And there’s gonna have to be. That’s the reality. And we’re gonna have to deal with reality. And so, I think that when we do our consulting contracts though, we need to recognize one thing - start doing some of those consulting contracts from the City of Vallejo. Let’s hire Vallejo people.

Host: Mr. Villanueva – Georgia Street is our main street, it is both beautiful and historic. It has seen better days. As the next Mayor of Vallejo, what would you do once and for all, revitalize Georgia Street and rid it of the bad elements that are it now currently attracts?

CV: Well, we have been doing the development project in downtown. And I believe that we have to maximize the use of our assets downtown. We will create enterprise zone, and with the enterprise zone industrial growth will be established for initiated in contact with the new [muffled] in Mare Island. Mare Island is ready for industrial growth. I think we have a lot of assets in Mare Island that can mend with this big development in downtown. If we can see the industrial, in Mare Island like using the shipping industry – letting the shipping industry in Vallejo, so that tourism industry in Vallejo, merging the Mare Island Strait, we can improve Vallejo as a tourist spot. And when improve Vallejo as a tourist spot, we can build a big performing arts center in the City of Vallejo from the downtown area, and a convention center also. So when we, straighten out the Mare Island Strait by pledging it through, making shipping building as part of our industrial growth. Then we can have industrial ship coming in and those tourists can be in coming too. And we can be truly the destination city for the coming decade. I believe that we can improve downtown with the growth of our industrial and tourist industry.

GC: I have been living downtown, on Georgia Street – at 338 Georgia Street for a year now, and I can hear everything that’s going on the streets all day long. So I am a witness to what’s going on down there. And that’s why I voted for the measure that along with the Triad project will inject 5 million dollars into the downtown to redo the streets, make them pedestrian friendly, to putting custom benches and custom lighting. But the Triad project must go in for that to happen. Because the real issue for the downtown is not just the streets. It’s having people living down there, large numbers of people living down there 24/7. And then the criminal elements and vagrancies will go away. So that is essential. But I’ll raise one other point- which is you said Georgia is the main street. We have to think about the real main street for Vallejo in the future is gonna be Tennessee Street Boulevard, especially if Mare Island is built out and I think we need to start to take measures to improve the quality and the look of that corridor has grown because that’s really the main entrance to the City.

OD: Obviously to clean up Georgia Street we have to bring in economic development as far as in my mind, when the reasons why businesses would relocate in this cmty which means that anyone who wants to come here must be comfortable with our school, with our police services and what other services the City provides. I’m a strong proponent that one of the biggest things we need to do is all of us get together, join our school and make them number one. That will attract businesses – I guarantee you. Second thing, is we definitely need to start looking at how we can get involved with resources that we already have in this community to deal with criminal elements in place that we don’t want. Fighting Back Partnership, Neighborhood Groups and Committees, we all have to be involved in the process of cleaning up our City, moving it in the direction that we want it to go. So, it will take a joint effort of everybody to make Georgia Street what we want it to be.

PP: Georgia Street. The first thing we need to do, we need to make it safe. We need to have tons of enforcement of the drug and loitering law. And we need more police down on our streets. That’s the first thing we have to do. The second thing we have to do is enforce the development goals with the developer Triad. That project has been stalled, we’ve been waiting for months and months and actually years for something to happen down there. So I think the Mayor and City Council need to enforce the development goals so that we can get going as far as cleaning that up. Thank you.

Host: The question is for Mr. Cloutier. Vallejo revitalization plan seems to have stalled. At Mare Island, we at least have the University and a housing development but no progress in the Waterfront, the Downtown, the Fairgrounds. What can you do as a Mayor to move these projects forward, and please be specific.

GC: We are not stalling. There are now 92 businesses on Mare Island, in the next year, Lennar will be making 100 million dollar investment on the infrastructure of Mare Island – that is all going forward. The Waterfront Plan lawsuit has been settled. It has been improved and I understand that the developer is submitting a unit plan in the next 4 months for Parcel A which is the housing at the end of Tennessee Street. I just met with Triad last week, and they tell me that they are prepared to go forward with the project by January. So things are moving forward. Yesterday I had lunch with Brookstreet, and they are developing the Fairgrounds and they have talked to me about their ideas and I am in full support of them. So I’m here to tell you that nothing is stalling. We are moving forward on every front to improve the City.

OD: I agree, with what Gary said. The Waterfront plan is moving on. Because you don’t see anything happening in terms construction. That does not mean that the project has been stalled. As far as Triad is concerned, I think we need to pull Triad’s feet to the fire. They’ve been promising and promising and promising, it’s been stalled, it’s been stalled, it’s been stalled. We need to make Triad live up to what they say they were gonna do in terms of developing downtown Vallejo. As far as Fairgrounds is concerned – I think one of the things that we’ve always done, and we need to change – we have developers come and tell us what to do in our community. We need to change that around. We need to decide what we want at the Fairgrounds, and then go out and find developers to do what we want done at the Fairgrounds, instead of just accepting anything that comes along. So I would think being proactive and finding out what the community wants at the Fairgrounds, and then go out to get the developers to move back.

Host: Sure, The Vallejo revitalization plan seems to have stalled. At Mare Island, we at least have the University and a housing development but no progress in the Waterfront, the Downtown, the Fairgrounds. What can you do as a Mayor to move these projects forward, and please be specific.

PP: Mare Island – first, Lennar, just like Triad has to be held accountable, and they must meet the development goals. I disagree that Lennar has met their development goals. Most of the commercial development on Mare Island was brought to Mare Island by the City of Vallejo and turned it over to Lennar. Lennar has not met it’s job development goals that was outlined in the development plan. And we need to hold them accountable and hold their feet to the fire also. At the Waterfront, the Waterfront, if it really is gonna start, let’s make sure that it’s gonna start on time, and that it goes forward. And as Mayor, I’m gonna monitor that closely. And as far as the Fairgrounds is concerned – Fairgrounds is under the auspices of the Solano County Board of their board. And we need to work closely with them to make sure that we get the project that Vallejo needs.

CV: The Mare Island [muffled] and we should hold responsible those people who were given [muffled]. As of now we are only having only meager employers on Mare Island with a thousand employees. That’s not enough. We should create an enterprise zone in this area so we can attract good, clean, green industries. We should explore the possibility of using the dry docks that we have there – the 4 dry docks is rotting. They are rotting, therefore, we should make use of it, because it used to be a shipping building industry over there, and I think that we should look at the possibility of doing that again, because it’s a sure income producing and job producing project for the City of Vallejo. I believe also that with our waters, we can put that possibility of marketing them profitably. Thank you.

Host: This question goes to Mr. Davis – people are talking about being unfriendly to businesses, there are delays in processing business permits, not to mention poor customer service. You have to talk through heavy security windows with a microphone. This is not customer service. As mayor, what corrective actions will you take?

OD: I agree that there are difficulties as far as the Vallejo image is concerned. We haven’t been a business friendly city in terms of inviting people here to develop. As Mayor, I would like to bring the department heads together, and the City Manager, and start talking about this City lacking business. It is a business. And we are here to provide service to the public. If we’re gonna provide services to you as a public, we also need to make sure that we need to provide services to those people who are going to generate the services with the revenue for the services that you need. And so I think it should come upon us to realize that we are here to provide public service. That’s what the City is for – public service- to you, who pay your taxes. Now I want to maximize the taxes that you get. I want to maximize the benefits you get from your taxes, in order to do that. Then one of the things that I would do first of all, is I would want to do a survey about what it is you as citizens of this community want to see the community to look like 20 years from now. Too often, we tell you what your City ought to look like. I’m talking about those elected officials. We tell you what we want the City to look like. I really want to know what you think. I want to know what you want the City to look like. And then I want to see if we can come together and make the kind of City that the citizens of this City want and need. That’s my proposal on how for how to get around what we’ve been doing to make a change, for the better.

PP: First of all, we have to admit when we’re wrong. The City of Vallejo has been unfair to businesses for years and years and years. And we need to recognize what seems to be an impossibility by those who are responsible for delivering the services to correct them. I think it is not impossible. Other cities have done them and we can too. What we have – the problem we have downtown right now is a point of a cultural need. The culture of the City and delivering services, is one that says that no one is accountable for what they do in City Hall. Therefore, I have talked to so many different businesses who have been stalled in City Hall in permit process. It’s almost criminal, because the City has always been claiming that they don’t have any money but yet they turn away and stall business revenue possibilities by stalling these new businesses. We have to change that. We have to work with City Manger, and Staff and others to change that culture in City Hall.

CV: Time is money. That is the saying. So every time that we delay a business that is operating, it is a loss money to them. Also with the City. If we are not able to issue permits, and delay it and delay it that’s one less or two less state or local tax that we are not receiving. In other words, we have to change the red tape gridlock at City Hall into a result oriented City Hall with fast tracking approval process. I believe we can do that. Other cities can do that. I’ve tried several times, when I have a client that I want permit approved, I go down with my client to City Hall and do it for them – it becomes faster, in other words, if you focus on the things that you should be doing, you can do it. I did that several times for my clients and established several businesses here in Vallejo. It can be done. We can be a one way – one shopping place and [muffled] and so one approval and so, thank you very much.

GC: Last year the City Council gave a policy direction to the staff to streamline the permitting process to try to make it more efficient and business friendly. Now instead of going to all kinds of various different departments and various approvals for different projects. There’ s a one stop procedure where you can go to one person and that person coordinates everything for that particular business. So we have significantly improved that process and just to give you an example. It came to my attention just recently that some plans are not being reviewed for Lennar – it was in a speedy fashion, so we had a meeting with the City Manager and the top officials of Lennar, and I was present. Mr. Tanner said that from now on, he’s gonna be the czar of Mare Island in terms of Lennar and meet every month. And convey to the staff that we have to have more of a sense of urgency, putting deadlines on their reviews and doing those sorts of things. So the call should come from the top – from the City Manager, and he has to be brought into this too.

Host: Okay, Ms. Pitts, there is a growing number of seniors living in Vallejo. With modern medicine, they are likely to live longer. Do you have plan to deal with a growing need of seniors transportation, housing, and recreation. And will you fight to fund this program?

PP: Absolutely, I’ll fight to fund these process. Not from a selfish standpoint, but from the standpoint of our seniors- they are too citizens of Vallejo and they deserve to have a peaceful and high standard of living as possible. We cannot continue to burden them with fees, and taxes and expenses and in terms of higher cost of transportation and those types of things. We need to start looking at providing a fair and honest services at a cost that the seniors can afford. That means holding them off the new fees and new taxes as much as possible. We need to, it’s the easiest thing in the world, our settlement [muffled] is the easiest thing in the world for staff to recommend increases in water fees and garbage rates and those types of things. As mayor I’m gonna hold the line for them, I’m not going to sit there and allow those things to come forward on the agenda if they don’t make sense and if they’re not fair. Thank you.

CV: We are indebted to the seniors of this City. They built the Vallejo that we know now. It’s about time that we stop taxing them. It doesn’t mean that we will not generate revenue. We will generate revenue from taxing our tourist. Our tourists will be taxed at least a dollar or 4% of restricted only for the benefit of the seniors of Vallejo. For their healthcare, their transportation needs, and other needs. I believe we owe them and they’re already taxed to the max so therefore we should not add any more burden to the seniors. We should give them benefits that they do deserve.

GC: We have to cut some of the money from Florence Douglas Senior Center this year. Nobody wants to do that. So obviously, and that comes again comes back to the issue that we have contracts with our public safety unions that cannot be afforded so in order to help the seniors, we have to make the decisions that affects the budgetary issues that we have. The way that I look at it, what seniors really want is what we all want, that is clean well paved streets, a well staffed police force with 165 police instead of 145, they want those kinds of things that everybody wants. They want a vibrant safe downtown, a place where they can go with their friends. Instead of just having them live in a senior citizens’ center, we want them to participate in a clean safe community and that’s what we’re really fighting for here.

OD: Although I’ve been told that I am now a senior, I haven’t required senior services but I think one of the key things we need to do is we need to become sensitive of the needs of our seniors. It is very difficult for those who happen to haven’t have senior services to talk about what’s needed. So what I would do is to involve seniors as much as possible in this City and our government so they can tell us the things that they need. I also agree with Gary that seniors want what everybody else wants. When I talk to them they say, they want to be able to go to the grocery store and not have to get home before the sun goes down, in fear that they can’t go outside. They want to be able to shop at stores that they can afford. They don’t have the luxury of going out of town to shop somewhere else to get the best bargain. They’re stuck here. So they want places they can shop they can afford. They want transportation to and from places that we can go because a lot of them don’t drive. At least that’s what they tell me, so we need to start listening to our seniors finding out their needs and trying to provide those kind of services to them.

Host: Final question, Mr. Villanueva, why do you think you deserve a vote for Mayor?

CV: I believe that I’m supposed to be the new Mayor for the City of Vallejo because Intintoli can no longer run. All other neighboring cities have a new mayor and new mayors need to be aware of the City. And the number one problem of the city is the fiscal matters. I believe that I am deeply qualified because I am technically and professionally prepared for this duty, for this function and role as mayor and at the same time, politically ready. I was next in line to Exline, when so far as vote is concerned. So when Exline became Mayor, I should be next to her. Therefore, I believe I should be entitled to that position being in the City Mayor’s position. And beside, I believe that my creation of revenue for the City will help probably solve the fiscal problem of the City. I will make sure that for every contract that we sign, we’ll have enough funds to cover those publications. I also believe that it’s through our joint efforts, because our no one is bigger than anyone else. No one is bigger than me, than Ms. Pitts, than Mr. Davis. Than Mr.Cloutier. Our cause is bigger than any one of us, therefore we should be looking at every single iota, every single point, that each candidate exposed. I have specific issues that I’ve discussed and I believe that when I say let’s CV with CV with CV, it means let’s change Vallejo with Cris Villanueva, with clear vision and Christian values. Thank you very much.

GC: You should vote for me because I love the people that live here, and I love Vallejo. And I work very hard at my job, I have worked hard at my job for the last 8 years. If you send an email to me or you call me because you got a problem or issue, you’ll get a response that day because that’s what I’m gonna take seriously. The fact that whoever sits on that council, to respect whoever calls them or have an issue I will respect that – I take it seriously. I work hard at educating myself and knowing the issues. And to understand the difficulties that are facing the City of Vallejo and that’s why you should vote for me because I will work harder than any other candidate.

OD: I have the professional and the political experience for the difficult time that Vallejo is facing right now. I served in political office when budgets were tight and services are scarce. You need at this time a change, it is very clear to all of you – Vjo is not where you want it to be. Vjo is not the city you want it to be. It is a good city to live in, but we all know that it could be better. We’ve been talking about changing it from years to years, and more years. Well if we’re going to change it, the time to change it is to change leadership. It is not going to change the City if we keep voting the same people in office over and over again. And so if you want change, then you should be voting for me for Mayor.

PP: Too bad you can’t have 4 mayors huh? As a life long resident, and business owner, I’ll give you my experience, my passion for problem solving and my ability to bring people together. To work on behalf of turning this City around. Making it a place that we all love. Making it a place that I knew years ago. We can do it, I know we can do it, I know I’m the one who will lead us in the right direction to turn this City around

Host: Thank you that concludes the question and answer portion of the program. We will have one minute each for closing statements starting with Mr. Cloutier.

GC: Ladies and Gentlemen, I am new leadership for Vallejo. I ran 8 years ago for the City Council, and I said I had a new vision for Vallejo. And what I meant was no more second best. I came to this city and I immediately saw this could be and is one of the greatest places to live in the Bay Area and it could be much better. The opportunities that we have here. This community has what no other community has – outside of San Francisco. It has a grand history, it has an interesting downtown, it has a variety of people that no other community outside of San Francisco has. So we need to capitalize on that and bring it all together. I’m telling you that the next 5 years are gonna be the most important 5 years in the modern history of this city. It is important that you have experience, and leadership and people of integrity who will make the decision and will try to do the right thing for you and not the special interest that have run this city for decades. So if you want people up there who will speak for you, then vote for me on November 6. Thank you very much.

OD: I wish I could sit up here and tell you, vote for me and I’ll set you free. There’ll be a chicken and every pot and you will have 40 acres and a mule. But I know I can’t do that. So what I would like to say to you is that if vote for me I’ll work hard for you. I’m committed to Vjo. I’ll make decisions based on what’s good for the citizens of Vjo and what’s politically correct. I’ll promise you that every decision I make, after thoroughly going over all the facts and information, and the decision will be what I think will be best for most of the people of this community. Because you can’t satisfy everybody. I promise you that I will try to involve every element in this community in City government. I did that when I was on the Board of Supervisors, I was the only supervisor who made sure that all parts of our community were involved in county government. So I will work hard for you. If you want a different Vallejo, then you need to elect different leaders. The reason why the next 5 years are going to be critical for us is because the last 18 and 15 were terrible. So you have to elect new people if you want new ideas.

PP: My campaign is about pulling us all together and not pulling us apart. To make Vjo safer, stronger, and smarter. We’ve got to pull together. As your mayor, you can count on me to do the right thing for all the people. For the whole community. As your mayor, I will put my commitment for our community. My business experience, my passion for public service to work for you. I also, have one other element. And that is, I’ll make every decision based on my strong Christian values. For safer streets, quality education and services for our seniors, please vote for me – Pamela Pitts, I’d be honored to have your vote. Thank you.

CV: Thank you as stated by Attorney Davis, we need new ideas, and new leadership. You know my is Cris Villa-nueva – new so I’m the only one with a new on my last name. I’ve been living in Vjo for 32 years because it’s the city of my choice, my mother is here, my wife and my kids are here. They are serving Kaiser, Sutter Solano, my brother is serving the unified school district. All of us, all of my kids and my nephews and nieces, are working here in Vjo. They are caring citizens of Vjo. If you want a caring mayor, then vote for one of those and I’m one of those family that cares for Vjo. Also, I have mentioned about how we can increase revenues. And we increase revenues, we will expand police and fire, fix the roads and enhance public service for the seniors, the youth, and the entire community. Thank you very much.

Host: Closing remarks: My name is Tony Salido, and I would like to thank all the candidates who came