League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA June 6, 2006 Election
	Dave Cortese Answers Questions Candidate for Mayor; City of San Jose

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?

Yes, we need a thorough review of the general plan, including public input. It's long overdue. To balance the job/housing dilemma, I support building high density housing in downtown San Jose and along transit corridors. With more residents living downtown, the City will be able to attract the small businesses and franchises that typically support a neighborhood. This in turn will strengthen our tax base.

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?

San Jose needs a strong mayor to provide leadership and vision, but we also need a strong city manager to implement that vision by professionally administering the daily operations of the city. I will select a city manager who is independent and who recognizes all of his or her powers under the city charter. The city council should not micro-manage the city.

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?

I don't support cutting into essential fire and police services to maintain safety-related centers and gang prevention. We need to increase revenues by attracting more businesses to San Jose and we simply need to make wiser budget decisions. A prime example is the $4 million subsidy that the city council majority approved for the Grand Prix race. Although I enjoy the race, I voted against it because orporations should have sponsored the lion's share of the race, not the City's general fund, which supports city services like homework centers.

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?

The city of San Jose has experienced years of budget shortfalls since the dotcom bust, and cutting services year after year feels like robbing Peter to pay Paul. We need to shift our focus.

First, we need to make sure that we are running our departments as efficiently as possible and cutting waste wherever possible. Second, we need to pursue innovative private/public partnerships to help maintain and operate our parks rather than not adding parks.

Third, we need to attract more businesses to San Jose to increase our revenues. To achieve that goal, we must improve the convenience and accessability of doing business with the City, support a local preference policy for San Jose businesses, and streamline the permit process. I also support a permit holiday that would give entrepreneurs a 120-day window to bypass the usual permit fees and pay just a nominal application fee.

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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: May 18, 2006 17:50
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