While browsing the RGJ website this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to come across an advertisement for an open and public debate between candidates for City of Reno Mayor. Lucky for me, it started right after I got out of stats class and t was on campus.
Over to the Jot I went. There are 18 people running for Mayor. Almost all of them were present tonight, they were missing one person. It was not well attended, but I also don't think it was well advertised.
We are avid PBS/KNPB viewers and I didn't see a single ad or mention on tv this past week. Channels 8,4,&2 and the RGJ were present, but KNPB was sponsoring this first debate.
It was fascinating and enjoyable! Entertaining at times, and sobering at others. There was an entrepreneur from New Zealand and a man who had suffered brain damage and had a severe disability, making it difficult for him to talk. There were three women. Everyone was White. All 17 candidates. Much like the audience! Aside from me and two Black males who arrived halfway through, the audience was a homogenous group of concerned citizens and voters.
I wonder who picked the questions. And the format. Moderated by Anjeannette Damon and Brent Boynton, each candidate began with a one minute introduction, answered yes or no with a raised hand for the first lightening round of questions, had 30 seconds to answer some questions, another lightening round, then one minute each to close.
Highlights for me included when no one raised their hand during a lightening round question in support of giving $1 million to the Reno Aces Ballpark next year and when everyone raised their hand in support of Burning Man. Their answers for most of the questions centered around bringing small business to Reno and lowering debt. A brave few ventured into tax revenue, gold, and stopping the subsidization of local billionaires. Not once was education mentioned as a priority. everyone continued to circle back to the fire department, police department, parks and rec, and limited government.
Once again, education was not mentioned once.
These are our soon to be elected officials and the turnout from our student body was abysmal! As was the turnout from our community. But, I surely did not know about it till this morning, by happenstance. How many more people might have attended had they known about it?
The moderators had a question about what to do with our homeless population. Several of the candidates alluded to the population as a problem that hindered economic recovery because tourists don't like homeless people. Several others called the homeless citizens who have rights and deserve our help. Very few people had an actual plan on what to do. Some candidates see the homeless as fellow community members who need services and help back on their feet while others view the homeless as a problem to be dealt with and rid of.
Less than half of the candidates would vote to support legalization of gay marriage.
Did I mention that education did not come up once?
Here is the kicker. Ten of tonight's candidates will move on to a televised debate on May 29th at 8pm. How are these people being selected you ask? Three criteria:
How many followers they have on social media.
How much they have in campaign contributions.
How many people vote for them at tonight's debate.
That's it. Not their previous work or reputation. Not their background. Not what their current platform is or their vision for Reno.
Just good ole' popularity and money.
These are the people who will make decisions for us, whether they have our input or not. You can view tonight's debate online: http://www.knpb.org/programming/knpb_local_productions/mayoral_forum
You can also vote for your top 5 people online and submit that to contribute to the final 10 who will debate on TV. There is a link somewhere on the RGJ website.
And you can vote on June 10. This is our community just as much as theirs! How will they know our needs and who we are, if we don't participate in the process?
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