League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Alameda County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Mario Juarez Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Oakland; Council District 5

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Oakland and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. (Foreclosure challenges) Many Oaklanders have lost their homes because of the economic recession; how can the city help homeowners, and how can the city help neighborhoods experiencing high rates of foreclosures and vacancies?

There have been 10,833 foreclosures in Oakland between 2008 - 2011. Lenders have been exempted from paying transfer taxes on these actions, which equals up to $ 22 - 25 million per year; revenue that could be captured if banks were required to pay their fair share. I believe the city can have an impact on reducing foreclosure rates through smarter taxation policies. When elected, one of my first pursuits is the implementation of a "foreclosure tax" that will provide a substantial monetary incentive to lenders to seek remedies other than foreclosure.

Additionally, some lenders have proven to be irresponsible when it comes to maintaining foreclosed properties that remain vacant for a period of time, and the state of neighborhood blight can have a direct correlation to crime. The city must enforce the blight ordinance more aggressively, assertively impose fines and should consider increasing related fines on lenders who possess vacant and unkempt foreclosed properties.

2. (Public Safety) Improving public safety is about more than just increasing the police force. What should be done for violence prevention?

I believe that Oakland's biggest challenge is crime so I am running on a platform and with a plan that emphasizes `Safety First". Several components of my plan speak directly to crime prevention over the longer term. Our violent crime rate is over 250% higher than California's and nearly 300% higher than the rest of our nation's. This unacceptably high crime rate discourages new businesses from locating here and keeps many of us afraid to leave our own homes at night. We must reduce our crime rate dramatically if our city is to prosper.

Much of today's crime is committed either by young people - many of whom did not finish school + or recent parolees (Oakland sees an influx of 250 new parolees each month). Each of these populations has extremely limited employment opportunities. It is crucial that we give those who are most vulnerable to falling into a life of crime the tools necessary to make them productive members of society. A quality education is the best way to prevent our children from turning to crime. Once a child drops out of school, he or she has very few options to make a decent living. So, they turn to the streets for the quick, though dangerous, rewards they might offer. We must make sure our children finish school. On the City Council, I'll fight to provide funding to boost student retention. It is important that we invest in counselors and after-school programs that will not only keep our children off the streets, but lead them to higher academic or vocational education resulting in successful careers.

I will pursue stronger enforcement of the existing city-wide curfew for minors with an approach that will not criminalize our young people or subject them to arrest. In conjunction with curfew enforcement, I'll push to establish a new, friendly and supportive curfew center. Young people will be picked up and taken there for assessment by various social service agencies to determine why they're on the streets so late and what their issues are that need to be addressed. Following evaluation, their parents or guardians will be notified to pick them up.

One of the other best crime deterrents is a job. Excellent and effective employment preparation and support programs already exist. I will work to better coordinate existing job development and training services and programs to make them more accessible to parolees.

3. (Bringing businesses and jobs) Oakland needs more neighborhood serving businesses. What can the City Council do to bring more businesses and jobs to the city?

Oakland's well publicized crime rate is our biggest impediment to growing and prospering. It impacts every aspect of our existence and has a particularly detrimental impact on Oakland's ability to attract and grow businesses. I am a small business owner in Oakland and know first hand how Oakland's crime issues have negatively impacted my business operations. I think that new or relocating businesses want to establish where they feel comfortable that their employees, property and operations are safe. Therefore, I believe that creating a more secure environment is the most important thing that Oakland can do to encourage them to locate in our city.

Additionally, the City must make potential new businesses feel welcomed and wanted, I don't believe this happens right now; instead our city comes across as indifferent to new businesses and our overall permitting process is difficult and unfriendly. Businesses will be more interested in locating where they feel wanted and welcomed. As a business owner, who in part thrives on attracting new businesses here, I will be Oakland's business ambassador on the Council, but further, we might consider initiating a public-private business ambassadors team to recruit new businesses to Oakland and help them work through any City requirements. This ambassadors team should also be tasked with being aware of the businesses operating in Oakland and monitoring whether any are considering leaving. If they are planning to relocate, team members should find out why, explore with the business what would encourage it to stay and help to work out any issues that might be within the City's power to address.

I also believe that new and existing businesses are concerned about issues such as access to capital and educated workforce. Oakland already has a relationship with One Pacific Coast Bank and I would work with that, and other financial institutions, especially those in which Oakland has its money, to mutually develop a strategy around providing access to capital specifically for businesses located in Oakland.

We also need to focus more on workforce readiness, perhaps by better working with the Workforce Investment board (WIB), of which I am a former member. Further, Oakland should first look to grow its own workforce. For the past 19 years, Oakland schools have not produced much in the way of qualified workers. Dropout rates have remained constant at 40% . As a Council member, I will advocate for funding of programs that prevent dropouts + sports, arts, after school counseling.

4. (Your Council Legacy) In 20 years what do you want to look back on as having been your legacy in the City of Oakland?

That in this time and at this moment, Oakland is a very safe city thanks to the policies and programs I put forward.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are presented as submitted. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 9, 2012 10:03
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