League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Mark Weiss Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Palo Alto

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

Questions & Answers

1. What are the most important recommendations of the Infrastructure Blue Ribbon Commission Report: Catch-up, Keep-up and Moving Ahead? Why?

Is this a question or a statement. (see below for a continuation of my answer)?

2. In balancing the budget, what are the critical decisions when deciding which services and which infrastructure projects should be funded?

Let's keep in mind the macroeconomic issues and national and international trends, such as the disinclination of the very wealth to pay fair share of taxes, that corporations often pay their CEO more than they pay the U.S Treasury in taxes, that some people value "capitalism" over "democracy", that wars are costly and arguably immoral and definitely obscure in terms of their benefit, that the Supreme Court thinks corporations are "people", before we get too irate at our civil servants and honoring our commitment to them. That being said second tier hiring seems appropriate and there may be room for some pension take-backs, but I would invest in human capital before infrastructure. Government is a "we" not a "them". I am concerned that our democracy is being turned into a plutocracy. I am so far unconvinced about need for new public safety building and value of the IBRIC report.

3. Bay Area regional planning agencies are planning for growth along transportation corridors and for infill development over the next 25 to 30 years.  What are the advantages and disadvantages for Palo Alto in participating in this planning process? 

I recommend a global perspective that incorporates our membership in a 6 billion person community yet also feel we have the right to protect our local self-interest and dissent from regional initiatives such as Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) mandate on housing which may have some biases that are too growth-oriented.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. 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 8, 2012 09:37
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