I was disappointed in the lack of questions submitted in advance (I think we ended up with 4 people sending them in -- three of whom submitted multiple questions, so there ended up being about 40 total to choose from -- but I would have liked to have heard from more voters about what was on their minds) and the lack of attendance at the forum itself (just about 12 or 15 people, only four of whom submitted questions that evening). I also would have liked for those who asked questions that night to have gotten up and asked them themselves -- I offered that to each one of them, but they all declined and instead opted to have me read their questions. We did have several other great questions I would have liked to have gotten to but we didn't have time in just 90 minutes. TV Middletown had originally suggested 60 minutes, but I felt that was too little time and got them to dedicate 90 minutes to it instead.

 

It was quite difficult to give everyone a long enough time frame to provide an answer. Some questions you could easily answer in 60 seconds, others were a bit more difficult to do so, but I did the math in advance, and with nine candidates I felt that was the maximum time we could give and still believe that for a 90-minute forum this was the maximum time to get to the minimum number of questions. If, for instance, it were only a forum for the five at-large candidates, then we could have at least expanded it to 90 seconds, maybe even two minutes. So if we do this in the future, I'd look at us finding a way to have fewer candidates in each forum so that they could be given more time to respond. If I had it to do over, I think I would have asked TV Middletown if we could have split it into two separate forums -- one for mayor and ward 1, and one for at-large -- so we could give everyone more time by having fewer people there at once.

 

But to answer your specific question, I think everyone literally "had a fair chance to answer" because they were all subject to that same time limit. They were all warned when they had 15 seconds left. And they were all hushed with a "thank you" if they went more than one or two seconds over their 60-second limit. We also made it through the entire panel in who got to go first so that everyone got first shot on one question each (which is both an advantage and disadvantage -- good because you get to give your idea before anyone else so that you don't sound like you're repeating what one of the other candidates said, but bad because you have the least amount of time to formulate an answer in your head before you speak). So everyone was treated the same in those respects.

 

Hopefully, it gives the candidates exposure and lets voters get to know them a bit better so they make informed decisions at the polls. TV Middletown is repeating it every day this week, sometimes twice a day, and I believe they plan to continue repeating it pretty regularly between now and the election.

 

I'm hoping to get down to the community center for their forum to see what method they use and how well it works tonight.

My oldest brother decided to rent his home to a person on section 8 and come to find out the girl has moved in her mother,her mothers boyfriend and her boyfriend.The lease strictly said he is renting it to her and her 2 kids.Now he is having to go through HELL to get them out.

We need to spend the HUD funding more wisly to help correct this problem.

 

Vivian, I can only rely upon what council said at the time---that when they questioned city leadership whom authorized all those vouchers, they were shocked with the response---"you did." Perhaps it is a catch 22 with the schools, a willingness to fill seats, but be penalized by bad performance by those sitting in those filled seats. If the school board was aware and accepted this notion better to fill seats but face the consequence of a CI school district, we again have been sold out and inflicted by the leadership whom we elect, many never running with opposition nor threat. Recall also, Middletown's take is 10% I believe from the pot, for helping in the administration oversight. That motivates them to have more vouchers, not less, just like utility companies make more from having higher overhead, because the % taken from the big pot, is a bigger number.

 

This picture just does not get better. My bigger message, if I may, was not section 8 was the only problem, rather, this town is driven by those taking care of themselves, and as an outcome, the majority are getting the shaft. Jobs, new residents, and economic recovery does not come when a city is constantly shafting its citizens (raising a light charge on a bill already paid city to generate $750 Kk- I think not  Middletown), and using money to protect certain ares in town while neglecting the majority of other areas.

 

The wrong time in Middletown's history, to be riding on the Titantic and the Captain and first officers are jumping head first into the life boats, while the majority listen to the music playing on deck..     

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