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Progressive Action's City Council Candidate Forum Airs on PACT-TV and KUMD-FM

Progressive Action's City Council candidate forum, held Friday, September 28, in the Duluth City Council Chambers, will be aired at the following times on PACT-TV (Channel 7 on cable):

Thursday, October 11 at 8 p.m.
Tuesday, October 16 at 10 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 17 at 6 a.m.

The forum, which was carried live on KUMD-FM, will also be rebroadcast on KUMD (103.3 FM) at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 8th.

This was the first in a two–part forum series, called “Off and Running to November,” hosted by Progressive Action. The second forum—which will include both mayoral and school board candidates—takes place on Friday, October 12th, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Duluth City Council Chambers. It’ll be carried live by KUMD-FM and rebroadcast by PACT-TV.

“Progressive Action is hosting these forums to give all of us voters a chance to hear directly from the candidates what their positions are on some of the most crucial issues facing our community,” Progressive Action President Barb Olsen commented. “We asked some very pointed questions in our City Council candidate forum, and the answers candidates gave made clear the important differences among them.”

Participating in the forum were the City Council candidates for 1st District, 3rd District, 5th District, and At-Large positions.

Below is the list of questions Progressive Action asked the candidates at the forum:

1. The Council recently voted down a housing development for some of Duluth’s homeless Native Americans, primarily because the project would have drawn from Street Improvement Funds at a time when Duluth is struggling to maintain its infrastructure. Keeping in mind that Native Americans make up 2 - 3% of the city’s population but about 30% of its homeless, how would you have voted and why?
   
   
2. The task force on the city retiree health care debt recommended a drug importation plan to save money on prescription drugs. Would you support that plan—why or why not—and what do you think the council should be doing to help settle the issue of the retiree health care debt?
   
   
3. Should we continue to ban ATVs within the City of Duluth and why or why not?
   
   
4. With the Beacon Point Development in mind, what do you think should be done to balance the interests of developers and the interests of the public?
   
   
5. Recently, the City Council voted against entering closed-door session to hear the perspectives of both the administration and union representatives on the
   city worker’s contract. How would you have voted on that matter and why? (Or in some cases, for sitting Councilors, how did you vote and why?)
   
   
6. Which, if any, of the following steps should the city of Duluth consider taking:
   1. Privatizing the Lake Superior Zoo
   2. Privatizing the water and gas utility
   3. Moving to a volunteer fire department
      
      
7. What is your view of domestic partner benefits for city employees and why?
   
   
8. In light of the sexual harassment issues that have plagued the County Commissioners, what should the City of Duluth do to avoid the same problem?

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