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2022 Alameda Post Candidate Forum

Alameda Post - Watch the candidate forum videos

Alameda Post would like to thank

Event Videos

Mayor Candidates

Participants included incumbent Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Barack D. Obama Shaw, and former Mayor and current City Councilmember Trish Herrera Spencer

City Council Candidates

Forum Questions

We asked the community to submit and vote on three questions for the candidates. Thanks to Jason, Beth, and Heidi for their questions. The top three vote getters were:

  • Do you support the current draft of Alameda’s Housing Element, and will you work to ensure its certification by the state? If not, why?
  • What are your concrete plans for managing traffic on/off island with all the new housing?
  • How will you assist Alameda to continue as a safe environment for children and adult inhabitants?

Questions for Mayor Candidates

  • Opening statements and why are you the best candidate for this office?
  • What are your concrete plans for managing traffic on and off island to accommodate all of Alameda’s new housing?
  • What can you do to encourage civil political discourse so that people who do not agree on an issue can come to a compromise instead of an impasse?
  • How will you keep Alameda a safe environment for residents, visitors, and business owners?
  • Why do you think so many City Managers have come and gone from Alameda in the past decade? What can Alameda do to hire and retain a long-term City Manager?
  • Tell us about a mistake you made, and what you learned from it?
  • What strategies would you like to employ to address homelessness in Alameda?
  • Closing statements

Questions for City Council Candidates

  • Opening statements and why are you the best candidate for this office?
  • Do you support the current draft of Alameda’s Housing Element, and will you work to ensure its certification by the state? Why or why not?
  • Describe your personal leadership style. Tell us about an inspiration or hero that led you to stand for office.
  • What is your view of how City Council should work with the City Manager?
  • Do you think Automated License Plate Readers are effective in fighting crime? Do you support increased or reduced automated surveillance?
  • What is your knowledge of Alameda’s public art program? In which ways do you think public art is important to our city?
  • How has climate change affected Alameda beyond rising sea levels? What would you do to protect Alameda from further climate change?
  • What strategies would you like to employ to address homelessness in Alameda?
  • How will you keep the cost of living in Alameda affordable to prevent long-time residents from being priced out and forced to move?
  • Closing statements

Appendix

Paul Beusterien’s responses

City Council Candidate Paul Beusterien was unable to attend the forum, and submitted his written answers after the event.  He wrote, “I do need to acknowledge that it’s not fair to compare my answers to the other candidate’s verbal answers since I had the opportunity for more than a few minutes of thought and time to review and edit. This is especially true for the unannounced questions. For the pre-announced questions, I translated my prepared speaking notes and supporting documentation into prose.”

His responses are reproduced unedited and in their entirety below.

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