League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA June 8, 2010 Election
	Bill Chew Answers Questions Candidate for Mayor; City of San Jose

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What experience related to city government would you bring to the City Council?

I have a degree in Political Science from Cal State University, Long Beach in 1974. I have run for Mayor of San Jose several times since 1990. The most recent time was in 2002 when I recieved 5,890 votes. I have attended more than 2,500 city council, standing committee, rules committee, and study session meetings at San Jose City Hall (both of them) beginning in 1986 including this week's city council meeting. The Mercury News recently referred to me as a City Hall Fixture. I have produced a TV show on the community channel CREATV 15 on the cable called NeighborNET with Bill Chew since 1994. I have interviewed hundreds of elected officials, officials from nonprofit corporations, and civic and neighborhood leaders.

2. What concerns are of particular importance to the city and how would you address them?

I think there are two main concerns of utmost importance to the survival of our city.
1.) We finance all public projects with borrowed money and our city is burried in debt.

I would go back to Pay As You Go financing and start living within our means

2.) We are stuck with structural budget deficits caused by the State of California which this year is forcing our city to cut $116,000.000.00 from our annual budget.

I will stand up to the state legislature and the governor and demand that they stop conficating our revenue so they can live beyond their means while pretending to balance the state budget

3. How would you balance the needs of the City as a whole with groups' interests?

The Mayor of San Jose is the only at large position on the city council. It is the mayor's exclusive duty to look out for the interest of the whole city and that duty is not balanced against any other entity or sub-group.

4. How much money do you expect to raise/ spend on your race, and how will you assure voters that financial contributions will not affect your decisions/positions should you be elected?

I expect to spend $200 for my campaign web site http://www.fitcity.com. I earned this money with my own labor. This will be the only money I am spending on my campaign. I assure the voters that I will be able to represent their interests the day I take office because I have not accepted any financial contributions. I will owe my election exclusively to their votes should I get elected. This is the hard way to get elected but if successful I will be free from quid pro quo to any person, special interest group, or corporate entity. The voters first, the voters last, the voters only.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League.

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

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: April 27, 2010 11:11
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