My favorite candidate survey for this year’s city council election did not make it online. It asked dumb questions, like, “Name three famous people with governance philosophies similar to yours,” “What would you purchase with more stimulus?” “What new revenue streams would you seek for government?” “What are the pros and cons of public/private partnerships?” “What would you do as a member of city council to create jobs? increase affordable housing stock? Lower our carbon footprint?”
With very few exceptions, people came up with answers to the questions. (It was like the old, “When did you stop beating your wife?” “Oh, March 4, 1998.”) In answer to the stimulus question, Tim Peck said he’d by a return, stamped envelope. Bill Russell, who dropped out of the race, asked, “Some friggin’ brains for Washington?” Sometimes the lamest questions were very revealing. For example, T.J. Thomasson said Dennis Kucinich, Cecil Bothwell, and Harvey Milk were his three nearest clones.
