I cannot attend the forum due to conflicting plans.

I hope someone has the chutzpah to demand that each candidate state their list of priority issues beginning with #1 and going down the line... to say #5. Just name the issue... no editorializing or rationales... just the name of the issue.

The question leads to a very revealing and often surprising result... one of which is: the candidate who doesn't have any idea of his/her answer.

Ah, jeez Maher - now you've tipped them off.

League of Women Voters had a program last month in Sunnyvale where they allowed each of these same candidates to present themselves in three minutes each. Afterwards we are able to chat with them individually. I had already read up on how each one stood on the key issues, so this was a great opportunity to see what they wanted us to know about themselves in three minutes time.

I had a favorite going in, but left with a better choice. I will continue reading about the candidates and their past voting records to see if I still stay with my choice.

Recommend these local programs to anyone who can attend. The LWV does us a great service.

Ask the councilmembers about the generous pay and benefits given to city employees - including underfunded pensions and promised future medical. And ask Barry Chang to explain when exactly he moved into the Assembly district. And ask each candidate to name the candidates for President and US Senate he (or she) supports.

Did anyone attend the forum? Did any candidate say anything of importance? Today, the San Jose Mercury News came out for BERMAN and opined that VEENKER should make the two-top runoff in November. No mention of pensions, of course.

@ PensionTsunami.com

I dropped by for the last half-hour. To my recollection, both John Inks and Peter Ohtaki mentioned the state's pension liability.

Most of the forum stuck pretty closely to the same hot-button issues we outlined in our candidate profiles like high-speed rail, education funding, delta infrastructure, etc.

Web Link

These sets of video interviews are very good. Thanks Local Press! (Embarcadero)