Councilor candidates debate jobs, education
Khalid Bey, the Democratic candidate for 4th District Common Council, talks during a debate in Watson Theater on Tuesday night. Bey stressed the relationship between the community and its elected officials. Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for 4th District Common Council, addresses nearly two dozen people Tuesday. Hawkins focused on the economy and how the rich can help by paying their share.
Candidates for the 4th District Common Council seat went head-to-head Tuesday night.
The candidates, Khalid Bey and Howie Hawkins, spoke in front of about two dozen people at Syracuse University and will face off on Nov. 8.
Bey, the Democratic candidate, touched on numerous issues that have affected his community throughout his life, both as a Syracuse resident and a political activist. Bey focused on the relationship between the community and its elected officials during the debate at 6 p.m. in Watson Theater.
Hawkins, a longtime community activist, focused his side of the debate on the economy and how the rich can help by paying their ‘fair share’ — a term that was echoed throughout the debate from the Green Party candidate.
The lack of city-funded jobs for Syracuse citizens was one of the topics the candidates discussed. The main initiative people need to take is to get their name out there, be proactive and get involved, Hawkins said. In relation to SU, Hawkins said students need to bring their skills into the community and be able to assist in their specific field.
Bey said people, especially SU students, need to find what type of jobs are in demand in the area. Bey said he believes there is a lack of knowledge facing the public about what the job market is really about. SU students have to blend into the community if they really want to get involved with the public, he said.
When discussing education, the two candidates disagreed about where to get the money to fund the school system.
‘I know where the money is, the rich have it,’ Hawkins said.
In comparison, Bey said citizens have to be ‘cautious of painting a picture that cannot be delivered.’
City graduation rates were another major topic discussed during the debate. Both candidates said elected officials, mainly school board members, need to find more creative ways to get students involved. The candidates agree it’s hard to keep students’ attention in class, but with more innovative ways of learning, they will begin to thrive.
Another topic both candidates agreed on was public safety. Hawkins and Bey said parents should be involved in their kids’ lives because most of the crimes committed by children often occur after the doors of the recreation centers close.
SU students’ safety is a main priority of the university, but both candidates said they believe the students should not be looked at differently than other Syracuse residents. Hawkins said SU students should ‘receive no special treatment, just sufficient treatment.’
Mallory Lang, an intern for the New York Public Interest Group and a junior political science major, coordinated the event along with NYPIRG.
Lang said she believes having the debate at SU will encourage more students to vote.
Said Lang: ‘The main goal is to get SU students involved in the process and to eventually vote in November.’
Published on November 1, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Contact Nick: nrcardon@syr.edu
