[img]1340|left|Mayor O’Leary||no_popup[/img]At last night’s monthly meeting of the Culver City Democratic Club, President Bill Wynn called upon Mayor Mehaul O'Leary to open the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.
All six candidates in the non-partisan City Council election on April 10 were present. To a capacity, standing-room-only audience at the Senior Center, though, only five of the six were permitted to make candidate presentations, express their views and respond to questions from attendees.
Only Mayor O'Leary was denied an opportunity to speak as a candidate for re-election or respond to the following questions from Culver City residents:
1. How has Culver City improved in past four years, and what have you done to help?
2. How is the relationship between Culver City and surrounding cities?
3. With the loss of Redevelopment Agency funding, should cultural events be saved and receive funding from the General Fund?
4. What choices would you make to help close Culver City's $4.5 million budget gap due to the loss of the Redevelopment Agency?
5. On the plastic bag ban, where do you stand?
6. Would you discuss your views on the change [from 100 percent city-paid to a partially city-funded, defined-benefit, co-pay system] in city employee and retiree medical benefits?
7. Should our City Council follow School Board policy and offer health insurance only while serving in office, and then nothing upon retirement from elected office?
8. What can the City Council do to mitigate loss of the Redevelopment Agency?
9. Should we keep the Animal Services officer and the SPCA contract?
10. What are your views on red light cameras? Do you favor or oppose this program?
11. What is your view on a state of California oil extraction tax to benefit our schools?
12. Do you view oil extraction fracking methods in the Baldwin Hills oil field by the Plains Exploration & Petroleum (PXP) as a problem?
Finally:
13. Question not posed: What is your view on the First Amendment and the right of free speech?
Mr. Deen may be contacted at supercpa@pacbell.net
