I'm in the camp that says not all the candidates' positions are worth
digging into.
But the original suggestion to really analyze some issues (using facts,
not just feelings, which is what's made the smoking ban discussions so
tiresome and why a study of actual numbers from the past five (?)
months would be at least somewhat interesting) is something that is
clearly on the minds of many listers. It's come up a lot recently.
A quick once-over of the candidate's sites shows that the two who have
substantial public track records focus on specific accomplishments and
specific goals (more cops, more responsive government, more services,
less money, etc.) but don't present much of a philosophical platform.
It is my sense that there are substantial differences among the three
leading candidates in their views on the role of government, the role
of the mayor in this city, the relationship between the private sector
and government, the value of democratic action and citizen
participation, to name a few - all the things for which party
affiliation would normally be a useful guide.
A lot of this can be culled from specific accomplishments and goals -
and how they were or might be achieved - if they're presented in
context. For example, the background of the issue, one candidate's
belief of how this should be handled and why people (not just the
candidate, because like many of us they don't always know why they
believe what they believe, but people who have put forth rationales for
such policies) think that's a good idea, and the same for the other
candidate(s).
Just expanding on Arthur Himmelman's thought...
Becca Vargo Daggett
Seward
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