League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
Hamilton County, OH November 6, 2007 Election
	Melanie Bates Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Cincinnati

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What are your qualifications for office? (50 word limit)

I am an energetic leader with a proven track record for action. I have experience building broad coalitions across party lines to accomplish my agenda on the Cincinnati School Board. As a devoted mother I have taken a hard and personal pledge to reduce violent crime in Cincinnati. Utilizing my experience on the Cincinnati School Board I am prepared to take my skills to a nine member council and launch a comprehensive effort to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods.

2. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit)

City Council needs strong leaders to address violent crime in Cincinnati. I will take every step possible to make Cincinnati safe for our families. We need to take a comprehensive approach to reducing violent crime, which includes community involvement, economic growth, job creation, neighborhood development and educational reform. Our efforts must involve all of the above to effectively turn the corner on crime in our communities.

3. State three actions that you recommend to promote regional cooperation, and explain how you would implement each action? (150 word limit)

I support efforts to share City and County services to increase operational efficiency and better utilize taxpayer dollars. I feel it is important to combine resources with the County the Cincinnati Public Schools and adjacent municipalities so that we may better serve the citizens of Cincinnati and do so in a cost effective manner. I have also been working, through my position on the Cincinnati School Board, to merge services within the Community Learning Centers, which are housed in the new Cincinnati Public Schools. In these centers the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, the Cincinnati Police department, along with social and healthcare agencies can provide services in a one-stop-shop open to the entire community beyond just the school day. These types of intergovernmental relationships need to be established so that our entire region has the opportunity to grow.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Word limits apply for each question. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

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

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 1, 2007 17:18
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