Live Blogging the Debate

OK- I'm back home and I'm still live blogging the debate.

10:19pm- I will now transcribe the notes I took at the debate that ended at 9:00pm. Note: These are NOT EXACT QUOTES. These are merely my interpretive renderings. Therefore, anyone I'm about to maliciously mischaracterize should stop reading now.

Everyone else: First of all, can we get each candidate a mike? Left to Right before the audience sit Dan and Kurt sharing one mike, then Bob and Andy sharing another. (Then Ken Picard and Shay Totten sharing another.) Really? No inputs for four candidate mikes? Isn't there some kind of signal splitter or something that would have allowed for that? Really, no?

Shay Totten: Blah blah blah...blah blah blah...streaming, texting...blah blah...blag blah blah. Hope you already took your bathroom breaks, and if you can't hold it for two hours then you shouldn't have come... blah blah blah.

Opening Statements:

Dan: Energy, Vision, Reinvent, Long term thinking, smart growth, sustainability, efficiency...

Kurt: On a lake. On a beautiful lake. Economic vitality. Great schools but affordable schools. Not about partisan politics. About who is the best person to lead city forward.

Bob: Here since 1972. Lifetime of public service. Experience in legislature, judiciary committee, mayor.

Andy: People looking for change. Burlington coasting. Coasting ok for a little while. Been on council 15 years.

Ken Picard: You've heard enough from us (Shay). Now questions.

Question: New Technology Use?

Dan: City should live blog, video blog, web platform for permitting.
Dan's Rebuttal: City has 15 websites on 5 platforms.

Kurt: Open government, need to do a better job with technology, created a committee...
Kurt's Rebuttal: Things not fast and easy (Dan).

Bob: Hardware needed requires investment, Burlington Telecom (BT) a far sighted investment...
Bob's Rebuttal: Investment needed.

Andy: A fellow councilor convinced me to buy a blackberry.
Andy's Rebuttal: City departments have piecemeal web presence.

Question: Carbon Footprint?

Kurt: Bring green industries to Burlington.

Bob: Goal is 20% reduction by 2020. 80% by 8080. Bill McKibben. City using same amount of electricy as it was in 1989. Burlington Electric Department (BED) programs.

Andy: More recycling, alternate transportation.

Dan: Development planning for communities where people can walk everywhere. Photovoltaic cells on roofs.

Question: Mistake?

Bob: Gave poor people moldy butter.
Andy: Voted to change city retirement system in 2000. Was 30 million underfunded then. Now 60 million.
DS: Didn't run for mayor three years ago.
Kurt: Voted to raise dog fees.

Question: The Poor ("underserviced")?

Andy: Homeless, hungry opportunities education jobs childcare.
Dan: Handy's counter, refugees, at risk youth, non-profits, mentoring.
Kurt: Refugees, develop Catholic Diocese and DMV into senior housing. Middle class getting priced out.
Bob: City has 25 year commitment, 2000 housing units subsidized, non-profits, support human need.

Question: City Weighing in on national/international issues?

(They all said it's fine if it doesn't take too much time from city business.)

Question: Arts?

Kurt: Festivals on waterfront.
Bob: City Arts, SEABA. Individual Artists, Incumbent on us to make that spirit move.
Andy: Arts and culture, African dance troupe at Flynn Theater, parking lacking.
Dan: Artist energy draws employers. Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Rebuttals- Kurt mentions quadra-centennial. Bob realizes he should have mentioned it, and mentions it. Andy has to then chime in and mention it. Then Dan launches zinger- 'Just to be clear, I also support the quadra-centennial (audience laughter).


11:20pm- Alright. I'm getting tired. Maybe I'll come back and keep live-blogging this tomorrow...

2/5/9, 7:00 am- (This time stamp is totally fake)

Question: Radical Idea?

Bob: Paving the marketplace stopped us from "scooping the loop," Alden Plan vs. people's plan on Waterfront. Burlington Telecom is a radical idea.

Andy: We don't need a radical idea now. We need to build on what we have.

Dan: I didn't take notes. I think it was a good answer. Maybe something about photovoltaic cells again.

Kurt: Joked that Peter Clavelle told him putting a dome over Burlington is a good idea, Hotel and conference center on waterfront.

Question: Yes / No Questions

1) Do you support the current school budget?
Dan: Yes
Kurt: No
Bob: Yes
Andy: Yes

2) Do you support the disk-golf course as proposed?
Dan: Yes
Kurt: Uncertain
Bob: No
Andy: No

3) Do you support same-sex marriage?
Dan: Yes
Kurt: That's not a yes or no question. (Shay: Yes it is.)
Bob: Yes
Andy: Yes

Question: Ambiguously worded question. What's not a core service? or What would you end?

Bob: The budget is lean.
Andy: BED, BT and Airport (BTV) are not core services, but they're great.
Dan: Run things efficiently and effectively. Bad accounting practices at Waterfront (Adam Cate)*.
Kurt: There was a problem in the Parks Department (Adam Cate).

*Here somebody finally throws a punch in this debate.

Rebuttals on Adam Cate affair-

Bob: Followed rule of law when it came to personnel issues.
Andy: Questionable accounting practices, but "I don't think any money was stolen."
Dan: Issue was also slow pace of investigation.
Kurt: Mayor should have not let Public Works director speak about classified information before the Parks commission.

Question: Affordable housing downtown?

Andy: Housing on all levels.
Dan: Housing shortage in Burlington.
Kurt: Permitting easier in South Burlington. More senior and student housing to decrease pressure on market.
Bob: city has 15,000 housing units- 9000 rental, 6000 owned. Zoning re-write allows for more residential density downtown.

Audience Question: Guy in Green Hat: Fluoride in Water?

Dan: Still thinking about it.
Kurt: 75% of voters voted to keep fluoride in, but position not set in stone.
Bob: City reduced fluoride to lowest recommended dosage, but fluoridated water still not recommended for infants and those with kidney disease.
Andy: More research needed. There is a correct scientific answer, but we don't know what it is.

Audience Question: Guy in Sweater: Town-Gown Relations?

Kurt: Vital institutions
Bob: Challenges in neighborhoods
Andy: Vital institutions
Dan: Friends brought students banana bread, said their baby goes to bed at 7pm.

Audience Question: Woman in blue hat: Style vs. Substance?

Bob: I encourage citizen participation.
Andy: I insisted on twelve foot wide sidewalks.
Dan: Background in economic development.
Kurt: (Attacks mayor's leadership.)

Audience Question: Woman in blue sweater: Southern Connector?

Andy: I've lost track of how many times council voted to move it forward.
Dan: Git-r-done.
Kurt: Clavelle brought control of project into mayor's hands eleven years ago.
Bob: Agreement reached with Vermont Railway two years allowing for Pine to Battery street route.

Closing Statements

Andy: 12 foot setbacks! Who should make decisions? Developers or people?

Bob: Effective government. Efficient. Moving forward. City gets accolades. 25 years of values. Burlington open for business but not for sale.

Kurt: Thanks to other candidates. Special blend of vision, leadership and experience. Five new councilors joining. Got endorsement of firefighter union and of some Progressives*

Dan: 12 foot setbacks Andy? Really? That's your line in the sand? Really? (Then solid oratorical closing.)

*(Note to self: Ask Kurt what Progs endorse him.)

Shay Totten: Blah blah blah... blah, blah, blah.... blah blah... blah blah blah blah....
(Audience eventually had to just bigfoot him and start applauding so we could leave. Totten may still be talking right now as far as I know.)

The End.

Labels: City Council