Occ Seb Virtual Candidates Forum: Q1: Shield from Corporate Coercion?

[Barry]

Occupy Sebastopol invited each of the Sebastopol City Council Candidates to participate in a Virtual Candidates Forum. The purpose of this forum is to ensure that some of the "Occupy" concerns are addressed.

Occupy Sebastopol does not endorse any candidate.

We thank Candidates Jacob, Austin, Fernald and Eder and respect Council Member Shaffer's right to free speech which includes the right to remain silent.


Question 1. How would you promote an economy in Sebastopol that is shielded from
coercion and manipulation by Wall Street corporations?

There are limits as to what the government of a city can do. We can lead by example in not using Wall Street Banks for City Business. As we come together to create a vision for our city in our General Plan Update, if the will of the majority is to ban corporations that have violated federal & state laws or large franchise businesses from locating within the down town, then that is the time to enact such legislation. I do not advocate trying to force existing business out of Sebastopol. Citizens are free to vote with their feet and not patronize stores and banks that they don’t like. We need to continue to encourage small business to locate here and support it once it does. One way to do that is to have the City Council work more closely with our local Chamber of Commerce which is not at all associated with the State or National Chamber of Commerce. We need to continue to support our Business Outreach Committee, and the Entrepreneurs Project.

I am a strong advocate for locally-owned businesses. I believe that small local businesses are the future of Sebastopol. We may need larger national businesses to supply some consumer goods, but they should be relegated to the periphery of our town, if allowed at all.

We have the power in our General Plan update to work through the students of Sonoma State, Planning Commission, Design Review Board, the core Project, local businesses and citizens, to develop policies, such a the City of Sonoma's, which restrict chain and big box business in downtown areas.

I plan to attend some of these, and will encourage others to join in as well.

We must update and strengthen the General Plan to prevent big-box stores from opening in our Downtown Core area. Our Design Review guidelines should be strong enough to encourage developments that are good for our local economy and encourage locally-owned businesses. We must maintain, expand, and adhere to rules and guidelines that prevent corporate funds from influencing our decisions and development.

Did not participate.