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Eight candidates vying for a seat on the Mountain View City Council will get another chance to square off at a political forum at the Google campus on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 21.
The forum organized by the local chapter of the League of Women Voters offers candidates a chance to present their platforms and to field questions. Unlike a political debate, a forum does not give candidates the opportunity to directly challenge each other on issues.
The eight candidates in the race are former council member Margaret Abe-Koga, Planning Commissioner Lisa Matichak, Human Relations Commissioner Lucas Ramirez, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Thida Cornes, Mountain View Whisman School District trustee Greg Coladonato, Cisco Systems manager Ken “Kacey” Carpenter, and incumbent councilmen John McAlister and Chris Clark.
The candidate forum is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at Charlie’s Cafe at Google Building 40, 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy. The event will be followed by a reception.
Those interested in attending the candidate forum are asked to pre-register for the event.
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The story contains a URL “tinyyurl.com”, which directs to a phishing attack site. The correct URL is “tinyurl.com”. I’m sure it is a typo and not a deliberate attack on the community by The Voice.
Be careful!
Sorry everyone! I corrected the url. Thanks for flagging this!
Why is the League of Women Voters holding this when most people have to work? Seems a pretty dumb idea. I have to work for a living, so I hope someone asks some questions about the VTA using Bus Rapid Transit to permanently close two El Camino lanes (or the less obstructive and less costly trial alternative) and a question about different numbers and types of housing north of 101.
Is (TIRED and True) former councilwoman Abe-Koga going to change her mind on either of these two issues? What are the other council candidates views and how strong and how similar are their views? I hope someone asks these questions, and that they are reported on in this paper.
I have to work this afternoon too.
Where do the candidates stand on the RPP program? This program will be re-visited October 4th. It’s a program specifically designed by the downtown parking committee to reward single family detached homeowners to acquire “almost” free parking permits in the defined hypothetical parking district near downtown while excluding other classes of residents to participate, vote and receive permits. These other residents that live in the hypothetical parking area are apartment residents, condo residents and PUD residents. Cronyism at best, resident discrimination at worst.
“…Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and contributions from the rich while promising to keep the other away”. Oscar Ameringer.
I’m guessing rent control for the poor and free parking for the rich will emerge victorious this season because everyone knows about the former and no one is aware of the latter.
Google often records its speakers; is there a YouTube video of this forum available?
I was very disappointed by one aspect of this forum. Each candidate was given a minute, each time they spoke or responded to a question, which generally worked fine. However, the question and answer session was handled very incompletely.
The League of Women Voters selected questions from the audience, to be handled by the candidates. Each question that was selected was pretty vital in judging candidates, but how the League then dealt with the questions was really odd. For instance – the question “What is your stand on the VTA taking two lanes on El Camino for busses only, in Mountain View?” is a question we all would like to have answered by EACH candidate. Instead, the League chose only half of the candidates to respond. The other half were not allowed to comment.
I was able to find the other candidates, after the forum, and question them on this individually – but these answers were not readily available to the general audience of the forum. I think the League really messed up in that regard. I do understand they wanted to get as many questions answered as possible, in limited time, but we honestly need to hear EACH CANDIDATE’S answer on important questions.
The fact that Google is hosting this form shows how this city will one day be owned by Google. The very company that has changed the make-up of our city so much.
As a resident that remembers it’s old charm.
Looks like MV’s in bed with Google, smells of dirty politics.
@Old Timer: Whether or not your tinfoil hat crazytalk comes true, it won’t be because they’re hosting a forum for local candidates.
As it is, Mountain View has never been better.
Yes, clicking on the erroneous link brought my computer to its knees. Caveat clicktor!