By Emerson Drake
7/11/11
The five candidates spoke to a packed house of 70-80 ( standing room only with a few still out in the hall) in the small room provided by the hotel and the air conditioning on this hot night was fighting a losing battle.
While the hosts the Northern Tea Party Patriots asked 17 questions mostly about the candidates mayoral aspirations the assembled crowd tentatively awaited their answers.
The obvious loser was Armando Arreola who by actual count had three prepared answers which he read to respond to all of the questions. He went so far as to claim he had been endorsed by the police union while waving an unopened envelope which appeared to contain his MPOA questionnaire that all of the potential candidates received.
The surprise newcomer (this was the first time most of us had heard his name)was Kenneth Zanolini an accountant who works "over the hill" for a building contracting firm. He repeatedly reminded the audience he had returned to California after living in Texas.
We have two city councilmen running for Mayor, Brad Hawn and Garrad Marsh who had a previous engagement. So it was left to Hawn to defend his voting record and the Council's performance. Despite attacks from two of the other candidates Hawn didn't fluster. But Hawn did seem to have flip flopped on the solar power question which he now says is too expensive. A turn around since he had worked with his leading donor Stephen Endsley (of the attempted garbage burner fame in Beard Industrial Park)attempting to sell the solar power concept to Yosemite Ave. businesses.
Under the format (each candidate was given 45 seconds to respond to each question) it was obviously difficult to give meaningful responses. Eventually they went to a 60 second format which helped a little but was still exceedingly brief.
When Bill Zoslocki recited his resume it was both lengthy and impressive. We couldn't help but notice with the various boards hes been on he had tailored his response to his audience by omitting his having been the head of the local Building Industry Association and having sued Stanislaus County and lost, costing the county over $200,000 in legal fees while claiming the county didn't have the authority to insist on ag mitigation for developers. He was named builder of the year in 2008 which was the year of the great collapse of our housing markets.
Robert Stanford self professed Airport area Activist caught the crowds attention placing his passion for the under privileged front and center, by advocating the open carry of fire arms and displaying a copy of the U.S.Constitution which he said he caries with him all of the time. Stanford attacked the Council past Kristin Olsen and her close donor relationship with developer Chopra Enterprises to the current members singling out Brad Hawn calling him a developer's whore. Stanford was definitely the evenings entertainment getting the loudest laughs. After telling the crowd several examples of how he had changed his mind in recent months several in the audience were heard to wonder when, not if, he would change his mind again. Will these attention getting laughs turn into votes?
They questions ranged from micro loans for businesses to the Modesto Mayor/Council hierarchy. The need for annexations and how to bring new business to Modesto.
The official candidate filing doesn't start until later this month but look for the race for Mayor to keep heating up.
