May 4, 2006

Almaden Valley Community Association forum draws large crowd

By Julie Davis Berry
Executive Editor

The Almaden Valley Community Association candidate forum held on April 27 at the Santa Clara Water District offices drew a large and diverse crowd.

Six mayoral candidates, including David Pandori, Chuck Reed, Michael Mulcahy and Cindy Chavez (Dave Cortese and John Candeias are not shown) addressed members of the AVCA at an April 27 candidate forum.

The forum featured candidates for the district attorney’s office: Chief Assistant District Attorney Karen Sinunu, Assistant District Attorney Marc Buller, Superior Court Judge Dolores Carr and Deputy District Attorney Jim Shore, and six candidates for mayor: councilmembers Cindy Chavez, Dave Cortese, and Chuck Reed, businessman Michael Mulcahy, Deputy District Attorney, former city councilmember David Pandori and San Jose State grad student John Michael Candeias.

AVCA President Lee Dimmit acted as the moderator. He read questions off 3x5 cards that had been submitted from the audience. Questions from the audience for the mayoral candidates ranged from whether “big box” stores should be developed on hillsides to illegal immigration to SAVRA and Coyote Valley triggers to eminent domain.

Councilmember Chuck Reed makes a point during last week’s AVCA candidate forum.

The young Candeias earned a chuckle when he responded to the immigration questions by saying that “immigrants should be given rights, they pay taxes … at least I think they do.” He went on to say, “if you vote for me all of my appointments will be women!” To which Chavez laughingly replied, “a vote for me will take care of that John!”

Chavez, on the hot seat regarding the release of e-mails to the Mercury News regarding meetings with Grand Prix organizers, said that although she was in discussions about the Grand Prix with organizers months before the subsidy issue came before the city council she said she found out about the subsidy amount at the same time as the other members of the city council. She also said she was led to believe that if the council didn’t approve the subsidy that the cost would go up and that the city would lose the race altogether.

Pandori, who insisted on standing when asked questions despite Dimmit’s suggestion that the candidates sit because “we’re pretty relaxed around here,” said the most important question facing the city was what should be done after Gonzales’ reign is over. “In a few months one of the worst mayors in the city’s history will be gone so we need to ask: what will we do now?”

The election will be held June 6.