League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Santa Clara County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Council Member; City of San Jose; Council District 8

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Experience, Important Concerns, Balance Needs Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What experience related to city government would you bring to the City Council? Answer from Rose Herrera: As a former CEO I know what it takes to grow businesses. If we want to solve the city's budget crisis we need to evaluate the whole budge while exploring options to encourage businesses to locate to San Jose and thrive here. Having also worked on the Human Relations Committee I understand what it takes on a ground level to achieve results. Answer from Pat Waite: My extensive corporate experience will translate well into the business of city government. I have over twenty years of experience working with large, complex budgets, and, at over $3 billion annually, San Jose has a large, complex budget. As a 23+ year citizen of San Jose, I have first hand knowledge of and experience with the issues facing our city. We must achieve financial stability while improving community services. I'm committed to make this happen. 2. What concerns are of particular importance to the city and how would you address them? Answer from Rose Herrera: Budget: As a businesswoman, I'll make sure city government is run efficiently and effectively. I founded a software company and grew it into a ten million dollar business. Running a city calls for the same skills as running a business; you need common sense and an ability to set priorities and say "no". To solve our budget problems, we need a lean and efficient government that does not waste public money. This means cutting unnecessary and ineffective programs wherever possible, while preserving essential services like public safety and programs for young people and seniors. We also need to find ways to increase revenue without raising taxes. We can do this by making San Jose a more business-friendly city; supporting local small businesses and providing further incentives for large companies looking to move to this region. The residents of Evergreen have spoken loudly and clearly on what our priorities are for the city budget- Police, Potholes and Parks. As your councilmember I will fight to keep those high priority items at the top of the list and to ensure that the city budget will keep our city safe, our streets drivable and our parks beautiful and well-maintained. Economic Development: I am a firm believer in intelligent and well-planned business development in Evergreen and throughout the entire city. We need to find ways to attract good companies and high-quality jobs to Evergreen and fulfill the promise of local employment for our residents so that we can spend less time commuting and more time in our community! As an experienced small-business owner and former CEO of my own technology startup, I firmly believe that we can attract companies to our district that will develop new technologies and bring new jobs to our district, and as your representative on the City Council I will fight to keep those jobs here where the technology is invented! Traffic: The traffic situation in San Jose and District 8 is unacceptable. When we're trapped in a traffic jam, we spend less time working, relaxing and being with our families. And gridlock is bad for the health of our region. It increases air pollution and hurts our local economy. We must take immediate steps to invest in public transportation and modernize our highways, including fixing the Yerba Buena/Capitol Expressway interchange to reduce congestion around Evergreen. I believe this is a regional problem with a regional solution. As councilmember, I will work with state and local government to find a lasting solution that keeps us moving. In addition, I am a strong supporter of intelligent solutions to calm traffic in our District and our neighborhoods. These include measures such as improved traffic light timing on major arterial roads such as Aborn, Quimby, Tully and White roads, and (when necessary) local solutions to calm traffic in residential neighborhoods, such as added stop signs or speed humps. Answer from Pat Waite: 1) Quality of Life. This is a wonderful city. But we need to work hard to improve it. Affordable housing, well maintained roads and reasonable traffic, safe neighborhoods, and a more friendly business environment are important aspects of great cities. Our challenge is to deliver these, while at the same time balancing the budget, without increasing the tax burden on our citizens. 2) Smart growth. We need to ensure that additional development, whether industrial or residential, is consistent with a long term plan to create a balanced budget and fosters a high quality of life. 3) Educational Support. A good education is the foundation to a successful life. It opens doors and minimizes the effects of bad influences. We need to focus on providing solid after school support and activities for our children. 3. How would you balance the needs of the City as a whole with groups' interests? Answer from Pat Waite: I will focus my decision making on what is best for the quality of life for our citizens. I will encourage significant input from my constituents in order to make the best decisions for the district, and for San Jose. Answer from Rose Herrera: The most important part of dealing with group and City interests is the ability to make sure everyone's voice is properly heard. By encouraging growth of commissions and neighborhood groups we can ensure that ideas will be vetted by the community and be presented to city staff in a clear and efficient manner. If we can ensure that all stakeholders are properly notified and have adequate time to respond we can bring all sides together and find common ground for sensible solutions Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.