June 2006 SLCAN Candidate Questionaire

Responses from Orval "OB" Badger,
candidate for San Leandro Mayor

SLCAN asked each of the candidates to complete a questionnaire and were informed that their responses would be posted on our web site. Candidates responded to the questionnaire by electronic mail. Except for formatting, SLCAN has not modified the candidate's responses.

A. Experience and History

1. How long have you lived in San Leandro?

I have lived in San Leandro for 33 years

2. What is your current job and place of work, if any?

I am retired.

3. What community, professional and/or advocacy groups are you a member of?

• I am a member of U.P.E.C.
• I am District Chairman of the Tres Ranchos District of the Boy Scouts of America.
• I am a board member of  The Goodwill Industries of the East Bay. 
• I am a member of the San Leandro Breakfast Club.
• I am a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
• I am a member of the Washington School PTA.

4. Are you a member of a political party and, if so, which one?

I am a registered Democrat.

5. In a one sentence answer, why are you running for office?

When I accept a challenge I get things done.

6. What are your relevant skills, experience, or education that qualifies you?

I am a college graduate with executive level experience in management in corporate America. I served three years on the Library-Historical Commission. I served 6 years on the Board of Zoning Adjustments. I served on the Downtown Committee. I served on the Library Committee.

7. [current office holders] What are the top five accomplishments of your time in office?

• I wrote and spearheaded the implementation of the Clean and Green program in San Leandro.
• I spearheaded the first ever Permit Parking Program in San Leandro (McKinley Court). I spearheaded the move to install two Bicycle Police officers in the Downtown Area.
• I spearheaded the Anti-panhandling Ordinance for San Leandro.
• I spearheaded the move to insure that all commercial businesses subscribe to refuse service from the franchised carrier for the City.
• I played an important role in getting the Bancroft School Shared use project on track.

B. Goals

8. What are your top 3 priorities and what resources/programs would you advance to support them?

Capital Improvements Project

• Restoration of the Pavement Management Program 

Completion of the Public Safety Rebuilding Program

• Complete the restoration of the Police Department to its full complement.
• Closely monitor the Fire Service to insure that the costs are in line
  with the services received.

Restoration of the Cherry Festival

• Work to persuade City businesses to participate in the funding of the Cherry Festival.

9. Do you have any big ideas/visions for the future of the city?

I believe that the City needs to find a way to accumulate properties that are contiguous. This will allow the City to go to a developer and challenge them to build what the City wants rather than what the developer believes is possible based on the property in question.

C. Opportunities for Public Participation

10. How will you improve communications between residents and city government and improve public participation in city government?

The improvement of communications between the City and the residents is as much a case of complacency on the part of the residents as it is an effort on the part of the City to reach out to the public in general. The City tries hard to provide information and opportunities for the public to participate.

I will continue to be a man about town to hear what the residents and businesses have to say about the City.

Increased participation by the public will come as a result of different people being appointed to commissions and committees.

11. What would you do to improve the prompt availability of more information (meeting minutes, etc.) on the city web site and other places?

Establish a policy that provides a minimum time for all information to be placed on the City's Website and to be distributed to designated locations.

12. What steps will you undertake to improve the transparency and quality of decision making by the City of San Leandro?

Do not know at this time.

D. Campaigning

13. List your top five endorsements.

Charlie Plummer (Alameda County Sheriff)
IAFF Firefighters
Bob Maginnis (Former San Leandro Police Chief)
Local 853 of Teamsters
Jack Maltester (Mayor Emeritus of San Leandro)

14. List your top five (in dollar amount) sources of campaign contributions.

Sunol Golf Complex $1,500.00
Madison Marquette $1,000.00
Jack Smith Attorney $1,000.00
Red Mountain Realty $1,000.00
IAFF Local 55 $500.00

15. How would you reform the way that campaigns are currently financed, if at all?

Not sure at this time

16. What is your position regarding changing City Council member elections from city-wide elections to district-wide elections?

I believe that having everyone in town vote for all Council candidates is good.

E. Schools

17. How will you promote collaboration between the city and public schools?

Continued dialogue with the School Districts.

18. What opportunities do you see for joint use projects between the city and schools?

Gymnasiums and more green space sharing.

19. What do you see as the city's responsibility for impact of new housing development on schools?

The City must insure that the School District is aware of any proposed Housing developments. This City must attempt to fulfill the State mandated housing requirement. However, the impact on schools must be considered.

20. What was your position on Measure A, the parcel tax for the San Leandro Unified School District? How did you contribute towards the campaign?

I endorsed measure A. I did whatever I was called upon to do.

F. Positions

21. Briefly state your ideas on how to encourage and protect local businesses development. What is your position on enacting limits on chain businesses? What actions would you propose to accomplish your vision?

Local business owners should receive an incentive from the City to operate. Local preference. I am not sure that the City can legally limit the activity of chain businesses. I believe that each time a commercial project is established the developer should give local business owners the opportunity to expand.

22. What is your position on the establishment of a living wage ordinance?

I believe that everyone that works should earn a living wage. That said, I would need to review any proposal made to establish such a policy. The City employees have a negotiated wage. All City employees are represented by some organization.

23. How would you ensure that community benefits are negotiated into city contracts, development assisted by the city, or franchise monopolies such as Comcast?

All large City contracts should have community benefits built into the. City assisted projects already have obligations to be met. Provided that Federal or State Regulations do not interfere I believe that legislated or franchised monopolies should be held to local community standards and pay their share of the costs the same as the refuse haulers.

24. Briefly state your position on the use of eminent domain.

Eminent Domain is a tool the same as any other statute. A City should be more judicious when attempting to use it. It is a last resort option.

25. What would you do in office to address poverty and homelessness in San Leandro?

San Leandro needs a place for homeless men. The availability of funds will dictate any action that I would take.

26. What would you do to improve public transportation and make San Leandro a more walkable city?

I would work closely with agencies such as CMA, MTC, ACTA/ACTIA to insure that San Leandro receives its share of  County and State funds for transportation and friendlier transit options. I would like to see more projects such as the History Walk.

27. How would you promote opportunities within San Leandro for historically-disadvantaged populations/minorities?

Increased opportunities for all San Leandro residents is something that needs to be looked at more closely. I do not have a fix for it at this time.

28. What is your position on the EBMUD Heron Bay groundwater project?

I am not in favor of the EBMUD Heron Bay project. However, I am not in a position to stop it.