Christian Carlos. Peninsula 360 Press.
Thanks to the collaboration of Innovate Public Schools and WeVote Redwood City, the first Redwood City Council candidate forum was held.
It was attended by 8 of the 9 candidates for the Council:
Despite the invitation to the forum, Chris Rasmussen was not present....candidate from District 7.
You can see the forum again at this link: https://www.facebook.com/InnovatePublicSchools/videos/263714451648443/
Lasting approximately one hour, Redwood City Council hopefuls in their various districts answered questions of interest to voters, including housing, inclusion, education, tenant and business subsidies, and their response to the economic crisis Redwood City will face as a result of COVID-19.
Janet Borgens, candidate for District 1He began his participation by pointing out that it is important to attend to low-income communities, especially in the area of housing. On the issue of inclusion and censusShe remarked that, despite being a white woman, she did not have privileges, and for that reason, she wants to maintain contact with the communities that have been in the same situation and pointed out the importance of the vote of each one of the people. On the issue of payment of rentHe noted the importance of ensuring that funds are getting to tenants. He added that Redwood City is the city that has particularly taken it upon itself to support its tenants and their businesses. On the issue of educationThe Redwood City Schools, noting that Redwood City schools rely directly on school districts, added the importance of having safe after-school spaces.
Jeff Gee, candidate for District 1He said that security issues must be addressed as a priority and pledged to know each of the problems affecting the Bay Area. On the issue of inclusion and censusHe pointed out that work must be done not only with the Latino community, but also with the Asian-American community and called for the unity of different communities. On the issue of payment of rentThe community should take into account those in the community who have to pay a mortgage in order to protect tenants and, consequently, to dialogue with banks and mortgage companies. On the issue of educationThe Council has provided support for programs for students; however, he said Redwood City is not on par with the Redwood Shore School District, so all children must be conducted with educational equity.
Nancy Radcliffe, candidate for District 1As a member of the current Redwood City Council, he said he will continue the work that is currently being done for the community. On the issue of inclusion and censusHe said that the debate on the issue should be more inclusive, holding more events where different people from different communities are included. On the issue of payment of rentHe noted that Redwood City is one of the few cities that have subsidies for renters who are paying a mortgage; he said this is a problem that affects a large part of the community. On the issue of educationHe stressed the importance of ensuring that everyone has access to free Wi-Fi and internet, and safe places to go for further education.
Isabella Chu, candidate for district 3began his participation in the forum by speaking out in favor of decent housing accessible to all people in the community, as well as transportation and education. On the topic of inclusion and censusHe stated that there must be a balance of power. He pointed out that it is important to vote and to increase the participation of people who previously did not listen. On the issue of payment of rentHe said the real solution is a universal income that helps not only to pay rent, but to provide assistance for food and health services. On the issue of education, he emphasized that it is important to increase population density in order to collect more taxes and, with that, boost the distribution of funds directed to schools.
Lissette Espinoza-Garnica, candidate for District 3At the beginning of his participation, he emphasized the integration of the most vulnerable sectors of the population and rejected inequality between communities. On the issue of inclusion and censusThe delegation spoke out in favour of communities that have suffered discrimination because of their historical condition. On the issue of payment of rentHe said he is in favor of extending tenant extensions to prevent evictions; he said the city must solve the debt problem. On the issue of education, he spoke in favor of access to stable housing, increasing family wages, as well as a universal child care program and boosting the PAL and SRL program.
Michael Smith, candidate for District 4He said he was also in favour of affordable housing, decent work and people being able to run their own businesses. On the subject of inclusion and censusThe group also stressed the need to have conversations about inclusion by race and class as well as the promotion of inclusive activities in the community. On the issue of payment of rentHe noted that work must be done with federal officials to make them aware of tenants' concerns. On the issue of educationHe proposed changing the zoning scheme, such as R1, so that people have access to better schools and, therefore, get better academic results.
Alicia Aguirre, candidate for district 7He noted that, likewise, affordable housing, but also access to transportation, to the same extent, is needed for all people. He reiterated his commitment to support economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. On the issue of inclusion and censusHe spoke about leadership as a way to protect vulnerable people, such as Dreamers. On the topic of payment of rentHe noted the uncertainty arising from the current crisis, the importance of knowing how people will be served through incentives so that people do not lose their homes. On the issue of educationThe school district, noting that it currently has a partnership with the school district, emphasized the continuation of this collaboration so that children and youth have a safe and continuous learning experience.
Mark Wolohan, candidate for District 7He began his participation by highlighting his representation of the new generations; in the same way, he reiterated his constant support and closeness to the Redwood City community. On the topic of inclusion and censusIn his remarks, he emphasized the participation of the Latino community, to amplify their voices and encourage their participation in the Council. On the topic of payment of rentHe said he was concerned about people having to move away from the community where they live, and said the strategy to protect short-term tenants needs to be rethought. On the issue of educationHe noted that affordable housing is important for education personnel and emphasized access to distance education for all students.
The next forum will take place on Monday, October 19, 2020.
