WQRF, Chamber, Rockford Register Star cosponsored Coronado mayoral debate; League of Women Voters kept time.

3 comments March 25th, 2009

It’s always great to debate at the Coronado. Thanks to WQRF-Fox 39 , the Rockford Chamber of Commerce and the Rockford Register Star, I got a chance to ask questions of the Rockford mayoral candidates Wednesday night. The event was televised live on Fox-39. I shared question-asking duties with Steve Stadelman of WTVO-TV17 and Einar Forsman CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

The hour went by quickly, and we each got in just 4 questions — I’d prepared 29 just to be prepared!

I’m not sure I got any good answers, for there was a lot of posturing by all candidates. John Harmon, the Republican, did say that balancing the city budget, which has a $8.6 million hole, would require a reduction in force. Doug Block, the Democrat, deflected my question about requiring police and fire fighters, 60 percent of whom live outside the city, to move in. He presented a scenario against it, citing a hypothetical situation in which a Rockford cop and Loves Park cop are married. Where do they live if each city has a residency requirement

I asked Mayor Morrissey about Home Rule, and he said he is in favor of putting it on the next possible ballot. Block said he used to be for Home Rule but now is against it.

I asked Green Party candidate Jesus Correa VII, who says he is an artist and comedian, whether in fact his campaign is in reality an act of “performance art.” He said no. While he knows he won’t win, he’s still serious about his candidacy.

There were about 200 people in the audience, many of them Block supporters carrying signs. Organizers of the debate made them put away the signs for the duration. The audience was polite and there were no outbursts.

Did any of you see it on TV? How’d it come across?