Mayoral Candidates Frye and
Sanders Cover Range of Topics in Debate at UCSD
Full Program to be Broadcast on UCSD-TV

By Barry Jagoda I October 3, 2005

Frye, L, questioners and Moderator Bernstein, center, and Sanders, R.

Mayoral candidates Donna Frye and Jerry Sanders met for 90 minutes on Friday night at UCSD's Price Center Theatre in the first formal debate of the runoff election campaign. The audience of more than 400 students, faculty, staff and visitors heard each candidate respond to questions from a panel consisting of UCSD political science professor Thad Kousser, student government leaders Christopher Sweeten and Laura Kwinn and representatives of the debate sponsors, Common Cause of California and the League of Women Voters. The debate was moderated by Michael Bernstein, dean of arts and humanities, and will be rebroadcast by UCSD-TV in 14 separate airings beginning today and continuing to election eve, November 7.

Candidate Donna Frye at left and UCSD questioners Christopher Sweeten, Laura Kwinn and Professor Thad Kousser.

Both candidates agreed that the central issues in the election revolve around restoration of good government to the city of San Diego and solving its extensive financial problems that were triggered by overextension of pension and benefit programs. Frye emphasized the need for public accountability and touted her experience on the city council and as a citizen activist. Sanders focused on his leadership roles as chief of police, top executive of the local United Way and board positions with the Red Cross. He said he would bring in a strong chief-of-staff, permitting him to lobby in Washington and Sacramento for federal and state funds.

Jerry Sanders listens to a question from the audience. Photos by Karen Jagoda

Both offered what each called a comprehensive plan for rolling back city deficits. Sanders said he would cut back the city work force, renegotiate labor union contracts and "outsource" certain governmental functions. Frye would also renegotiate union contracts, consider declaring the city bankrupt and ask for another special election for voter ratification of her plan, which includes a temporary sales tax.

Questions from the panel and from the audience covered a wide range of subjects from firefighting to fluoride (Sanders thinks it would be a good additive for the city water supply to help prevent cavities in children; Frye was skeptical), from potholes to public funding of elections (Frye is all for it; Sanders thinks the city can't it afford now).

The debate was hosted at UCSD under the auspices of LEAD, the Student Affairs unit that supports leadership in student organizations and by the Office of Government and Community Relations. Mary Walshok, UCSD associate vice chancellor, gave a word of welcome on behalf of the university. A measure of the extensive media focus on the event was live news broadcasting from UCSD by four of the six local television stations, with the other two local stations also present for later coverage on their late night news programs. UCSD-TV public affairs producer Shannon Bradley organized the debate format, in conjunction with Common Cause, and supervised a crew that videotaped the event for later broadcast.