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SFe Water Forum Reviewed by Guest Poster (#3)
Editor's note -- Tonight the Semi-Arid Guild hosted a standing-room-only "Water-Security Forum." All ten of the canidadates in the March 2 city elections showed up but one....
It was interesting. Stephane B. stood out for speaking about past actions and future needs, Rebecca ok but not outstanding; Aseneth good about making hard decisions, cost benefit analysis. David said nothing new (disappointing.) Nava was a non entity but might win. Simon was almost hard on incumbents but never landed a punch. Calvert was ok but somewhat too complimentary to council. I can understand not going for the throat but no one really stood out.
I wanted to see some action, some innovative proposal/promise.
I think the two unopposed candidates took up time and space.
TR Knoblauch
3 comments:
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Nate, Yes Rebecca mentioned you and SFP's work on her house and she is my friend, that doesn't mean I will change my mind about term limits. David has been good for many things,no doubt about it. I like and respect him on many levels. He went to bat for several sticking points on the Farmers' Market Building when I asked him.
But, I want to see a city owned grid. I want to see distributed generation of power on a city owned grid. I want sensible, sustainable proposals about the long term life of the river, the aquifer, and the SJ/C diversion. I want to see the bus system expanded not contracted with real 7 day service. I want real bike lanes downtown radiating into the rest of the community. I want connected neighborhoods not carved up by a poorly planned arterial system. David stated we have to get used to bad traffic on Cerrillos, timing the lights would correct much of the problem. I want timed lights on all major streets (how much energy is burnt by this clustersquiggle? I would bet 10s of thousands of gallon of gas a day are wasted sitting at unnecessary stops.) There really isn't too much traffic, it is the lights which hold up the progress. I want a stronger green building code with subsidized cisterns of significant magnitude. I want to stamp out sprawl. I want to revisit the Solar district and explore alternative generation. PV is too slow a payback on industrial levels. How about a wind park along 599? I want to see the watershed slash used instead of being turned to ash. (I have an idea for this not firmed into a proposal yet but solid.)
I don't want to see money transfered from account to account anymore, I want a prudent fiscal policy including departmental audits. I want city employees to be free from micromanagement from council.
Because of all this desire I wasn't completely impressed with anyone in the front of the room last night.
Again, I thought the unopposed (I hate free rides in an electoral sense, I know you do too.) took up time and space.
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TR, Thanks for reminding me about Mayor Coss's strong efforts to support the farmers' market! Last night he also mentioned his recent work with Paula Garcia of the Acequia Association. Sounds like we might get more farming in town because of Coss's hard work! Sure, he's not perfect (who is?), but at the helm of any governing body, it's nice to have a better-than-normal ability to listen coupled with a deep inner drive to get good things accomplished.
Although I initially thought we should not invite the "candidates" in the uncontested races, after the forum, I was glad that the Semi-Arid Cafe overruled me and got me to invite them. I not only dug hearing Carmichael Dominguez's perspective about education, but I also really loved hearing Ronald Trujillo's Santa Fe River fishing stories!
Although I favor Rebecca Wurzburger over Stephanie Beninato in district 2, I am very very very glad that we have a contested race. So even though it will probably be a blow out for the incumbent, it great for this city and our democracy that an actual election will take an place, unlike what is happening this year districts 3 and 4.
Thanks for your perspective, Tom! I thought Rebecca shined like silver on a sunny day--but when she quoted my column, she got my vote for sure! Not sure if David needed to say anything new I like his efforts to pass the green building code, to support the Santa Fe Alliance, to keep water in the river, to provide rebates for cisterns and washing machines,to work with the county to help create that new financing district for solar energy, to help get the greywater law passed in the legislature (seven years ago), to support bike and bus transportation, to work toward affordable housing
and most importantly to stick his neck out (two years in a row) for Santa Fe's living wage ordinance.