League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Alameda County, CA November 4, 2014 Election
	Linda Maio Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Berkeley; Council District 1

The questions were prepared by the LWV Berkeley/Albany/Emeryville and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What do you see as your District's biggest problem and how would you address it?

Traffic volume and speed plague our neighborhood streets. I hear this at almost every neighborhood meeting. District 1 is the funnel for all commuter traffic from points north. Our "feeder" streets are narrow and cannot handle it. We take a multi-solution approach using traffic calming devices such as plantable circles, stop signs, "slow" signs, and I have been advocating for placing the small brightly colored images of a child with a flag. I hope to make these widely available. I have also requested an area traffic plan so that improvements are not made piecemeal.

2. What would be your highest priority for the good of the City as a whole?

My highest priority is maintaining our commitment- citywide, across neighborhoods, and as a community- to strive to be a healthy and sustainable place to live, across the racial and economic diversity of our residents and neighborhoods. Everything else--the environment, decent housing, and academic success for our children, addressing homelessness, public safety, quality of life for everyone--stems from that commitment, attention and awareness. Our commitment to ethics, justice, democracy, is why people want to live here.

3. The Downtown Initiative, Measure R [Initiative Ordinance Amending Downtown Zoning Provisions and Creating Civic Center Historic District Overlay Zone] proposes detailed changes to the current zoning rules. Do you support or oppose it and why?

I oppose R because it did not come from the years of community process and consensus that created the current Downtown Plan. Measure R was written by a small cabal in opposition to building up the Downtown. We need the Downtown Area Plan to build up the Downtown if we are to get people to live near their work, and out of the cars that they now drive through our neighborhoods. Measure R compromises transit-oriented development in Downtown. Also, the current plan allows the Council, whoever is on it, to make needed changes. Measure R would require any changes, even small ones, to go back to the ballot. That alone should prompt a NO vote.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. 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 23, 2014 22:42
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