Bob Filner for Mayor 2012
1850 5th Avenue Suite 6
San Diego, CA 92101
Fletcher for Mayor 2012
4079 Governor Drive #329
San Diego, CA 92122
August 18, 2011
Carl DeMaio for San Diego Mayor 2012
PO Box 27227
San Diego, CA 92198
Bonnie Dumanis for Mayor 2012
110 West C Street Suite 1300
San Diego, CA 92101
Councilman Carl DeMaio and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis,
We are disappointed to learn that neither of you has yet accepted any of the invitations you have received for mayoral debates. The debates scheduled thus far are sponsored by legitimate community groups seeking to provide the public with information about our candidacies and our visions for San Diego’s future.
We have a great city that deserves a great debate about its future. You have both enthusiastically pursued media coverage of your campaigns through news conferences, news releases, and public events, so it is difficult to understand why you would be unwilling to expose your views to a wider audience through the proposed forums. Additionally, you both have significant experience in debate-type formats, and should do quite well. One of you has a long history in front of juries, and the other has experience discussing city issues in debate-type settings.
From the public’s perspective, debates offer an opportunity to compare and contrast the views and personalities of the candidates that is not available in carefully choreographed news conferences, prepared statements and similarly scripted campaign events. The public has a right to ask questions of the candidates for Mayor and have those questions answered openly and forthrightly.
Next year’s mayoral election presents an opportunity for a full and vigorous debate about the future of our city. San Diego residents deserve such a debate, and they deserve the participation of all legitimate candidates in it. Waiting until next March, when the debate may largely be overshadowed by 30-second television commercials, would be a disservice to all
San Diegans.
We urge you to reconsider and join us in discussing the issues that will shape our city’s future.
Bob Filner
Nathan Fletcher