We focus on the Mayoral Debate that was held at the El Conquistador on May 14th in this "Election Eve" Edition of "Love is On The Air". Though there are no clear winners in a debate of this sort, there are some very striking differences that can be seen between Mayoral Candidates Mike Zinkin and Satish Hiremath. In this edition, you will see and hear the candidates state their positions, side by side. You can hear there responses in their own words in three key areas:
-Is Oro Valley spending "cut to the bone?"
-What can Oro Valley do to stimulate more business?
-Does Oro Valley need a property tax?
Listen closely to the answers and you will see two distinctly different candidates: Mike clearly presents fact-based conclusions with no "sugar coating". Satish speaks in platitudes.
Satish provides very little in terms of solutions. When Satish does provide solutions, they are not realistic. Satish states, for example, that the reason we don't have more business in Oro Valley is because it's hard to do business in Oro Valley. He doesn't tell us specifically what makes it hard. His solution is for "us" to all get together and talk about it. This, I call the "can't we all get along" Rodney King approach. Satish, this will get us nowhere.
To solve a problem, Satish, you have to know the specific cause. Generalities won't do!
Mike knows that the cause of the problem is that the country is mired in a persistent recession and that banks are not lending money to businesses. In his response, Mike names specific banks. He names specific business that want to come to Oro Valley but can't because of the lending situation.
In other words, Mike has done his homework. He's ready to roll. Satish is not.
Finally, in the Library debate, Satish said he hated to go to Council Meetings because they were boring. We've had Bloggers report that Satish has fallen asleep at meeting. We saw this sleepiness while he was on the podium. Watch the video. You will too. Satish is already too tired to serve as Mayor. See for yourself.
In the posting following this, we have transcribed the candidate remarks you will hear on the video for your convenience.
We hope that when you are done viewing this edition of "Love Is On The Air" and reading all our posts and blogger comments, that you will do what's right for Oro Valley on Tuesday.
Vote for Mike Zinkin for Mayor and only for Matthew Rabb for Council.
Your vote really will count.
Thanks...
18 comments:
Zee Man,
Your video is fabulous! Your smile was engaging as you narrated the clips. Imp! Thanks for including it so those who couldn't make the debate can feel those moments.
Zinkin put OV's economic development in perspective. It is not OV that constrains development but a worldwide economic crash,ie mortgage brokers. Last spring when TOV was considering job cuts in the gov, certain departments took this personally. This provincial attitude was perplexing as there was so much documentation to the contray.
It is that very same economy that has forced all of us to revise our finances. Each household can cite ways they've trimmed their household budgets by using coupons, shopping sales, buying bulk. If individuals can do this,surely TOV can trim the 'wants' from the 'needs".
Z's candor in stating what politician can say 'never' is refreshing. He is realistic. Because he is realistic, he's credible.
You filmed Hiremath's rolling eyes while gazing at the ceiling. When it happened six or seven times during the debate, I found it alarming. Yes, SH was very clear that his four year old makes demands on his father's energy and time, as most children that age do. This child is only one of his four children. What about the others? their mother? his staff?
Maybe we voters have to distinguish between Hiremath's "wish" to be mayor and whether we "need" a mayor with so many demands on his energies.
You are correct. Zinkin has TOV in perspective.
Vote Zinkin/Rabb.
Are you planning on showing the other 55 minutes of the debate? Especially would like to see and hear the opening when each candidate was given 5 minutes to tell the audience a little something about themselves.
No---We don't have the time and/or space to do all that.
If you're interested to learn more about Mike, you can check out the two interviews the Zeeman did with him that are on the blog.
If you're interested in learning more about Satish, I suggest you look at the full page advertisement he had in last Thursday's Az Star, or the 1/2 page in The Explorer from this past Wed.
Nice try Art. We were there, we know why you wouldn't show the rest of it including the opening statements.
Too bad you didn't come over and introduce yourself.
Why not do your own critique inasmuch as you were there?
You'll probably have nothing better to say than cox.
Mike had substance. Mike didn't file any complaint against Satish.
Mike has more knowledge, more experience and more time than his opponent.
And, in all due respect to Satish, Mike didn't get himself involved with those that his opponent saw fit to use as confidants.
Well since you mentioned me, Art, I'll give you my opinion of the debate.
It was over in the first 9 minutes. Dr. Hiremath came out and clearly responded to the request for opening remarks.
Zinkin on the other hand used his 5 minutes to attack Dr. Hiremath. It was a clear indication of how Zinkin would manage our town.
It was truly sad.
I would also point out that according to my talley Zinkin agreed with Dr. Hiremath on 8 of 9questions.
Lastly, the only folks who appeared to be dissatisfied with the debate were the Zinkin folks who rudely interrupted and asked Zinkin to face them when he responded.
Well Cox---once again you don't disappoint.
Your very "objective" opinion was posted, not because we expect only a few Hiremath supporters will agree, but because, considering the source, it was civil enough, which as we both know is highly unlikely coming from you.
You may not have noticed it from your vantage point, but those of us (Zinkin supporters, according to you) seated closer to the door couldn't help but realize the acoustics in the room were terrible.
As usual, you are short on substance in your comments, but that's the way it's always been with you.
The reason Zinkin had to use his 5 minute opening remarks to "attack Dr. Hiremath" is because the Explorer had failed to report on certain issues surrounding the Hiremath campaign. So Zinkin had to do his own "reporting."
I found it quite interesting that the Explorer (this week) continued to print letters from people still complaining about the logo issue when this is old news. One letter writer even stated that he expected an apology from Zinkin who already gave an apology. Old news. But the Explorer keeps rehashing it in order to gain votes for their chosen candidate.
On the other hand, they made no mention at all of the "Carter-gate" tape. No...because that information could make Hiremath look bad and we can't have that.
Art, I would ask of you, what you ask of other posters...that your comments be respectful and filled with substance. Honestly, I see no point in your attack on OV Objective Thinker. He did not criticize or attack you, but you said things like "...which as we both know is highly unlikely coming from you," and "As usual, you are short on substance in your comments, but that's the way it's always been with you." Personally, I feel that if this blog is to have any credibility at all, you must respond to people the way you expect them to respond. The difference is that you can censor their responses, but they don't have the ability to do that to you.
Hello JD and All,
I agree with you.
We've been doing just fine on the "respect" front. Almost all of the postings fit the requirement.
VC, you are on target with Perry's increasingly obvious bias in regurgitating the logo. It's disappointing that he's lost his neutrality reporting.
OVOT,
On the other blog article about the debate, I responded to your comments.
Zinkin described his meeting with SH where they discussed their issues and bonded to defeat Loomis.
At the end of that, they hugged each other. Sounds like two gentlemen as candidates laid the parameters, an issue based campaign not one of personalities.
Zinkin felt they were friends.
Then, Hiremath consistently misrepresented himself as the only candidate who did not want a property tax. Z repeatedly addressed that. Hiremath, disappointed that Snider, Hornat nor he prevailed with the Town to enforce that went to the State. Z, could have nailed SH because without a permit, he had four underage demonstrators on four corners of Oracle, violating the Town code during the evening rush hour.Z elected to continue the campaign on issues.
Betrayal is a bitter emotional event. To leave a meeting thinking you have a gentlemen's agreement and discover that your opponent will use duplicitous, patently false statements to prevail, will give the impression he agrees and then turns around and stabs you is ungluing. As VC said, Perry did not give equal time to Z and he used the Debate to state his case.
You wrote "angry, argumentative".
I would say he was emphatic and he used that time to state his case and announce publically how vindictive Hiremath is. SH betrayed their agreement.
Zinkin clearly consulted the audience about whether we could hear him without the mike. That is a comment from a man who CARES about people's comfort. There were plenty of seats. Why didn't you move closer?
To you and other Hiremath supporters, until Friday SH had never addressed issues although he was repeated invited to. You all know Zinkin is a real threat to your success and knit pick about things like Z's alleged ignoring your comfort, expressing his upset at H's repeated misrepresentation of issues, mailing literature with blatant falsehoods, agreeing to go to the radio studio and not showing up in person, refusing to debate until the very last minute.
You have tried to smear his campaign finances with lies that are demonstrably false. You've tried teaming SH with Hornat and Waters, a strategy that may negatively impact on them. Z has refused to be bought, refused to be intimidated, and continued in the campaign undeterred,a reality that has you scared to death. You even tried to resurrect LOVE as a PAC as ammunition.
What you are afraid of is someone with integrity and who owes no favors becoming Mayor. You've escalated your smear campaign now because you've been unsuccessful in discouraging or getting Zinkin to comprimise. By the way, he's the candidate who lives a committed lifestyle.
Dear Hiremath Fan Club:
Why have you all been mute on the subject of Hiremath having his children demonstrating on the 4 corners of Oracle and Magee without a permit?
If Zinkin did this, you'd be all over him!
On Tuesday, I'll be standing at a major intersection in Oro Valley holding a huge sign that says:
HIREMATH: YOU LIE!
And another sign that says:
HIREMATH HAS THE MONEY
BUT ZINKIN HAS THE EXPERIENCE AND THE INTEGRITY
I am deliberately not getting a permit to do so. See if you can find me. But remember, if you file a complaint against me, you'll have to file one against Hiremath, too.
One of the major problems I had with the question-answer forums held during this campaign was the lack of imagination or substance within the questions themselves. This last one at the Hilton El Conquistador was somewhat of an exception but it was a bit too little too late.
During the last election two years ago I attended two of three forums (well attended); the questions were more thought provoking, stimulating, and more general than the mundane, redundant, and 'target' type that were asked during this campaign cycle. Time restraints at all but this last forum appeared extremely restrictive and did not allow for complete views on difficult issues nor did they allow for visionary rather than point blank answers.
As if they, themselves, could change the 'program', each candidate, mayoral or council person, was bombarded time and again with the 'same old same old' and were put in the position of having to serve up a bunch of redundant knee-jerk responses.
The questionnaires and answers in the news media were of the same ilk. The Northwest section of the Star was lacking in coverage which was a disservice to this Community.I think the Explorer tried to be balanced to the extent that they could (my own personal interaction with said publication on a particular matter was very satisfactory).It does appear to be, that those of us who might have strong opinions one way or another, will view an opposing opinion as being much less valid than our own. That's the way it is.
I hope that after this election, ALL will realize that we must come together as a community; right now, instead of building, we are destroying ourselves. We can and must do better than that!
In one day our long town nightmare will be over.
After the election, we will be free to discuss important things like the lighting code again.
The voters will speak and we can move on until Mayor Z or Mayor H does something to stir up the Trolls.
While I plan on staying in my self-imposed hiatus, I cannot let this go unmentioned.
I would like to ask the blogmasters once again to remove the subtitle "Giving you, the Oro Valley voter, an opportunity to discuss what we can do to "LET ORO VALLEY EXCEL"." from their blog.
Neither of you is intent on providing this opportunity. Rather, you have made up your mind what is best for your readers and try to impose your view on them. Nothing shows this more clearly than your video.
Not having been able to attend due to work commitments, I would have appreciated a complete video to arrive at my own conclusion. Also, I believe that there are other readers who are in the same boat. Why is it, then, that you cut and edit so it becomes a completely one-sided argument? Do you doubt your readers intelligence to listen to both sides and - just like you - become convinced that Zinkin is the right choice?
I have intentionally kept the political issues out of this post as my intent was not to discuss politics as this appears impossible to do, but to express my dissatisfaction with your subtitle.
Allow me one political remark though. Several people have criticized SH for what they believe was an intentional misstatement on the property tax. Giving you, the Oro Valley voter, an opportunity to discuss what we can do to "LET ORO VALLEY EXCEL". This clearly is an intentional misstatement on the purpose of this blog. I will leave it up to you to convince me you are not being hypocritical here.
OVDad---As you indicated, your absence from the blog was "self imposed."
Now you return to tell us you don't like the way we do things.
We must tell you, that the Zeeman saw fit to come to the forum, tape what he could, edit it as he saw fit, and present it here for anyone that cared to watch.
May I suggest you talk to don cox to get another perspective on the forum, inasmuch as the Zeeman did not have the means to present one hour of video.
Oh yeah! When you start your blog, you can call it whatever you wish.
Those people that wish to read it will. Those that don't, won't.
As far as convincing people---we only tried to convince them that voting for Mike Zinkin and only Matt Rabb was in there best interests.
At this point, I will not try to convince YOU of anything.
DV...I appreciate your passion but your representations are totally off base. There was no "agreement" struck between Hiremath and Zinkin. They had a discussion. No more and no less than that.
I have answered some of your comments on a previous post that is sitting in Art's cyber limbo yard.
Zinkin's first five minutes was a perfect demonstration of how he would manage. That's the last thing we need in this community.
But we will see tomorrow night where the majority of the voting citizens in this community want to go. We will see what kind of temperment they want running our community.
I think I know the answer.
I am always happy to see OVOT rear his head!
I quote:
"Zinkin's first five minutes was a perfect demonstration of how he would manage. That's the last thing we need in this community."
OVOT is WRONG! The last thing we need in this community is the group of people who fired Former Town Mgr. Andrews.
Even if Mr. Andrews was doing the horizontal bop with a chicken. The obscure, murky, non-tranparent methodology of the LACK axis was shameful, evil and against the ideal of open government.
So Vote.
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