The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Residents query candidates at forum

By Natasha Collins

Residents queried City Council candidates during a candidates forum held Oct. 16 about how hard they'd work if elected, who funded their campaigns and how they would meet the needs of senior citizens.

The forum was the second and final venue sponsored by the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce to hear candidates pitch themselves to voters.

Candidates said that if elected, they planned to work 10-20 hours a week on city busines.

"I look forward to it because it will be less time than what I am doing now," said Fred Fowler, a candidate for Seat 1. "It is going to be a stretch, but I am use to dealing with a lot of things at once."

Michael Szymanski, a candidate for Seat 2, said he would donate as much time as was needed for him to properly serve his constituents.

"You have to find the time," he said. "If I didn't have the time to [serve the people], I wouldn't have taken the time to run."

Julia Miller told the audience that most of her campaign donations have come from Sunnyvale organizations and residents.

"Ninety-five percent of my donations have come from grassroots groups in Sunnyvale. The rest have come from personal friends who live in the area," she said. "I have not received any funds from people out of the state or out of the country."

Getting to know the community members was more important to Joe Martin than getting donations for his campaign.

"I have been primarily footing the bill for my campaign," he said. "I didn't think it was appropriate for me to be asking people for money as I was getting to know them. I don't need radio or big posters on people's lawns. I need to know the people and what their concerns are."

Because Jim Roberts is running unopposed, he has raised no money and spent no money on his campaign.

"I have raised all my zero money in Sunnyvale," he joked. "It seemed ridiculous for me to waste people's money on campaign literature."

Kayvan Navai plans on speaking with residents to learn how to best address the needs of senior citizens.

"I am close to being a senior citizen myself, so I can identify with their concerns," Navai said. "We need to make sure they are safe and comfortable, that there is enough transportation and a place for them to spend their time."

Senior citizens are a vital part of the community and need to be listened to, Fowler said. "Seniors are very wise people with a lot more experience than me," he said. "They are an integral part of our community, and we need to serve them."

Elections for City Council will be held Nov. 4.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 22, 1997.
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