The event: 20/20 forum of the Syracuse mayoral candidates
The host:
News 10 Now
The place: Time Warner Cable, 6005 Fair Lakes Road
The format:
The three candidates fielded questions by News 10 Now reporter Bill Carey, based on recommendations made by 20/20
What's at stake:
Mayor Matt Driscoll and Republican challenger Joanie Mahoney are close in the polls and Green party candidate Howie Hawkins is pulling enough weight to sway the vote.
Syracuse's comprehensive plan
Driscoll said he intends to continue with the public participation in city government and planning. A report will be presented annually, updating residents on the plan's progress. "It's very important to have a blueprint for the future," he said.
An annual report updating the plan's progress would be posted on the Internet for all to access, Mahoney said. The media and the citizens will have enhanced access to the inner workings of City Hall, she said. "We're going to have doors open at City Hall all day, every day," she said.
"We just can't have a plan on a shelf; we need to use it," Hawkins said. He suggested filing a report about the comprehensive plan's progress once a year and circulating the report throughout the neighborhoods. He suggested creating a neighborhood assembly of between 20 and 25 people to be more powerfully involved in city politics and decision-making.
Consolidation of services and collaboration with county and state government
"I think it's really important for our schools to be part of the discussion on a regional basis," Driscoll said. He said he has worked well with County Executive Nick Pirro, a Republican, and has worked with different levels of government to beautify the city's gateways and hold summits for various government officials and community stakeholders.
"I do think we have to work together more cooperatively," Mahoney said. "I want an ongoing conversation with state and county government." She suggested starting to consolidate smaller services that aren't in the public eye, building trust among the different levels of government and then working toward consolidating the larger services.
"I think developing a regional vision is vital," Hawkins said. He suggested the levels of government stop competing for pork-barrel funds and work together to form a "common, urban agenda." The collaboration should include not only different levels of government but also unions, trade associations and community people. "We may have gotten here by different boats and canoes, but we're all going down the same river now," he said.
Education and the dropout rate
The schools need more funding and better technology for students, Driscoll said. "People make their choices where to live because of the school system," he said. Driscoll suggested early intervention to keep children in school. "I'm not talking about ninth grade," he said. "I'm talking about fifth and sixth grade." The next superintendent also has to have a plan to address the dropout rate, he said.
Mahoney suggested hiring managers with an educational background and budgeting more funds for the schools. She also suggested demonstrating the need for funding on the state level. "Instead of paying lip service to fully funding our schools, we're really going to do that," she said. She suggested enhancing health care educational opportunities to address the need and job openings in the community. She also suggested working with the county for collaborative opportunities.
Hawkins suggested the mayor should not micromanage the schools and not appoint political friends into positions in education. Let the school board and superintendent perform their functions, he said, but keep a steady tax increase for funding schools so that they can plan for the long term. Look into the reasons that are causing the high dropout rates, such as poverty, and address them. One way, he said, is to teach energy research and technology as a vocation.
- Compiled by staff writer Pam Greene
© 2005 The Post-Standard. Used with permission.