Jay Ward, the moderator of Tuesday night’s District 4 candidate forum at Joaquin Miller school, reports that more than 80 people turned out for the event, which was sponsored by the Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Association.

“The consensus was that we were very fortunate to have seven well-prepared and informed candidates running for District 4, “ said Ward. In addition to the questions given to the candidates before the forum, three impromptu questions came from the audience: What would you do to reduce crime in the hills? What would you do to bring jobs to Oakland? What specific experience do you have involving complex public policy issues?

If you missed last night’s forum, not to worry. There’s another one Thursday evening at the Fruitvale Presbyterian Church sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the Laurel Village Association, the Dimond Improvement Association, Melrose High Hopes NCPC, and the MacArthur Metro.

The Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Association is bringing together all seven candidates for the District 4 race tomorrow evening.

The organizers provided the candidates the questions from PPNA members in advance. Here’s what the candidates will be asked:

1) What have you done already to improve the lives of residents of District 4?

2) What would you do to address Oakland’s crumbling streets and roads, and how would you prioritize resources in order to keep them in better shape than they are now? Specific examples of problems that have gone unaddressed for years are Mountain Boulevard by the Highway 13 freeway entrance, Skyline between Snake and Shepherd Canyon Roads, and Ascot Drive around Mastlands where EBMUD tore up the road a few years ago and never put it back in its original condition.

3) How will you contribute to making City Council more effective and less dysfunctional?

4) How do you plan to make any changes in how the City balances its budget and what you are prepared to do to help cut any unnecessary spending?

5) What will you do to keep undergrounding for Piedmont Pines on track?  We know that Councilperson Desley Brooks has tried to derail our project in the past.  What steps will you take to stop her if she tries to delay our Phase 2 and 3 in the future?

6) What are the three most urgent needs for change in our district?  What are the three most important elements to preserve in our district?

7) We are told that very little of Oakland’s budget involves discretionary spending.  Much of Oakland’s revenue is restricted by previous propositions.  Do you believe these restricted funds should be made visible to the public and revisited to see if they match the priorities of today’s economic challenges?  How would you do this?

It’s a good list that goes right to the heart of some of the most serious issues in the district and the city. What would you like to ask the candidates? You can pose your questions Thursday at a forum at the Fruitvale Presbyterian Church.

If Oakland’s campaign season has got you down (or underwhelmed), V Smoothe at A Better Oakland has the lowdown on politics in a far more interesting universe.

What: PPNA District 4 Candidate Forum

When: Tuesday, September 14, 7pm

Where: Joaquin Miller School, 5525 Ascot Drive