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The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Experience,
Budget,
City concerns,
Balancing interests,
Campaign financing
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. What experience related to city government would you bring to the City Council?
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Answer from Charles "Chappie" Jones:
My civic involvement serving on various boards and commissions with the city like the Neighborhoods Commission, Small Business Development Commission, Structural Deficit Reduction Taskforce, etc. has given me the training to gather information from residents and city staff, process it, and work with others to formulate recommendations to impact city policy.
Answer from Susan Marsland:
Prior to my service in education in the Moreland School District, I was an administrator for the Marrkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University and worked for nearly a decade as a specialist and program manager for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an independent, nonprofit organization that brings together scientists and engineers as well as experts from academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity, including reliability, efficiency, health, safety and the environment. I have an undergraduate degree from Westminster Choir College and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from San José State University. I was honored to serve as an Arts Commissioner for the City of San José and spent several years participating as a community leader on the Envision San José 2040 General Plan Update, supporting goals centered on a vibrant quality of life. I have also served on the boards of Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene (CATS), EHC LifeBuilders (now HomeFirst), and a number of other community based organizations.
Answer from Paul Fong:
For over 35 years, I have been serving my neighbors in District 1 as an Educator, former High School Football Coach, Trustee on the Foothill/De Anza Community College Board, and as your current Assemblymember. I have the passion and proven experience to represent you during this time of challenges and opportunities.
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2. San Jose budget difficulties have resulted in unprecedented cuts to staff and services. How will you deal with coming shortfalls? Restoring some of the City services? And, if you think the City needs additional resources, what are your ideas for increasing revenues?
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Answer from Susan Marsland:
As Mayor Reed has pointed out - it is a two way street. The City has worked to reduce costs, but now the residents need to step up and do their part with a small tax increase - a notion that was supported by 60% of voters in a recent citywide survey. The City should however, constantly audit services to find where efficiencies can be achieved. As a resident, I want to be able to count on the fact that my tax dollars will be spent wisely and allocated to fund things like public safety, libraries, and road repairs that are necessary to maintain our quality of life. We can also do more to attract new business and new jobs to San José, which would improve our tax base and allow our residents to live, work, and play in San José, all while enjoying quality public services. This includes streamlining our permitting process and working with landlords and tenants to fill vacant commercial and retail space.
Answer from Charles "Chappie" Jones:
My focus is to drive public policy that will restore services and create a positive business climate. I will make the budget and the city's structural deficit a priority. The city will not be able to provide adequate levels of services unless the structural deficit problem is fixed and it grows its tax base through economic development.
Answer from Paul Fong:
Even though the budget deficit was overstated to be $650 million by the Mayor, when in fact the City's own budget reports that there was only a $300 million deficit, deficits are still a problem. However, of great concern is the loss of public safety officers, where hundreds of police have left San Jose because of City mismanagement and scapegoating, leaving San Jose vulnerable to excessively high crime rates. Considering these two issues and the many other needs of the community, I will deal with shortfalls by: (1) insisting on more accurate deficit projections; (2) make the minimum cuts necessary to deal with realistic deficit projections; and (3) support strategic revenues enhancements for libraries and public safety. With this plan, I hope to put more police in our neighborhoods, restore library hours, and restore after-school programs.
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3. What concerns are of particular importance to the city and how would you address them?
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Answer from Susan Marsland:
From talking to residents across District 1, I know that public safety is a top priority. But our leaders need to be able to connect the dots to the root causes of crime. By emphasizing the need for increased economic opportunity, community building, safe and decent housing, and safe streets for all, we can identify viable, long-term solutions to keep our neighbors and families safe.
Answer from Paul Fong:
Safety First. Property crimes are soaring. A car is stolen every hour in San Jose. There is a 20 minute wait for police to respond to a gang fight or rape report. San Jose has the lowest ratio of police officers to citizens of any big city in America. San Jose has an insufficient number of fire stations to protect residents. I would: (1) restore mutual respect and trust at the bargaining table; (2) work to revise two-tier pension reform so that the second tier is competitive with surrounding cities; (3) obtain real disability insurance for police officers injured in the line of duty; and (4) restore fire stations to decrease response times.
Answer from Charles "Chappie" Jones:
Fiscal Reform: Continue to pursue pension reform as part of an effort to secure San Jose's ability to restore services.
Public Safety: Expand the use of Community Service Officers and Crime Prevention Specialists to either free up police to be on the streets or prevent crimes from happening. Seek additional funding for the burglary unit and the gang prevention taskforce.
Economic Development: Provide resources and implement strategies that will grow the tax base through economic development.
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4. How would you balance the needs of the City as a whole while also addressing needs of your district as well as those of special groups?
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Answer from Paul Fong:
I have 21 years of elected experience balancing the interests of voters, my district, and special interest groups. I've made the tough choices to move California and my district forward. My process is straight forward -- (1) I look at my values on the particular issues; (2) I research all the available information on the issue, including site visits and written materials; (3) I listen to both constituents, interest groups and all other stakeholders; and (4) I make a fair and balanced decision that falls within my values and the needs of all involved.
Answer from Charles "Chappie" Jones:
I would look for common ground between all of the stakeholders. Where there is a conflict between the needs of the district, city, or special groups, I would base my decision on facts and input from all sides. I would weigh the impact of my decision on the benefit to the greater good vs. the needs of the district or special groups. Each decision is unique and should go through a well thought through process to arrive at a decision.
Answer from Susan Marsland:
As a Councilmember, I will thoughtfully consider how each decision I make will impact all San José residents, as well as our neighbors in cities throughout Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. I have made this city my home for 30 years, and I've raised my sons in District 1. My first priority will be to give a voice to my neighbors and their families. All too often, special interests of all stripes have been polarizing our politics and suffocating good public policy. That needs to change, and I hope to play a role in that change.
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5. 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?
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Answer from Paul Fong:
The maximum cap for the June Primary is just under $135,000. By utilizing my straight forward decision making process, which involves looking at my values, research, and listening to stakeholders and residents, my public policy decisions are prevented from being unduly influenced by fundraising.
Answer from Charles "Chappie" Jones:
I expect to raise and spend $80,000 for my campaign. Since the maximum contribution is $500, no one person or group is able to contribute a significant amount of money to have any influence. In addition, I would never let a financial contribution influence me on any decisions that I would make on the city council.
Answer from Susan Marsland:
I expect to raise and spend about $30,000 during the primary campaign -- almost entirely from small donors giving $100 or less. This is a modest sum compared to politically connected or self-funded candidates, but we are making every dollar count with a grassroots campaign funded by the time and resources of friends, family, and a team of supporters. I have not received money from labor groups, business groups, developers, or lobbyists.
As the only woman in this race, I have accepted donations from organizations that support female candidates. But I don't think that will affect my decisions any more than actually being a woman.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Candidates' statements are presented as
submitted. Please answer each question in no more than 400 words.
Direct references to opponents are not permitted.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
