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Q&A with Palo Alto City Council candidate Victor Frost
WEEKLY: Why are you running for council?
FROST: To bitchslap the nonprofits. There's a statement for you.
Palo Alto's my hometown, all right? One of the major problems in my hometown right now is we have unemployed residents who need work and we have the homeless and they need work.
The Opportunity Center and Urban Ministry has refused to put together a day labor program or an employment program that works. This is now, this is in the past seven years. I tried with the homeless garden. They screwed that up.
Alright, it's of prime importance for out community to have an employment program that works. This is one of the reasons I' m running for City Council. People are out of work, they need work, we need to keep families together. That's it, OK.
Number two, to develop a better democracy in Palo Alto, in city government and bring the people and city hall together so we work as a cohesive unit, not with all this animosity.
We should be proud of our community, our homeless problem should be solved, we should have a homeless garden that works, a homeless program that works.
We should have - which is of prime importance right now - a disaster relief program that we could be proud of. We don't have one.
The Opportunity Center people, the Communtiy Working Group, has $25 million of taxpayers money to help the needy and the homeless. Well, let's use that money for a disaster relief center now.
My contention is use the top two floors for the Opportunity Center for a disaster relief center. The only remaining three floors for a kitchen a dining hall and -- what do you call it -- free beds? The two layers in the garage should be used for disaster relief storage areas, for MREs, for blankets, for medical supplies.
When we have an earthquake, it's five minutes it's over. We don't have three days. We should be ready to go. We should have communications systems ready to go. We should have people that have assignments. We should have different areas, a flood control communications system that is state of the art. We should have this all tight and together. And we should be the leader. We're in the middle of the Silicon Valley, we should be the leader in disaster relief.
And also, we should be put some showers for the homeless. We haven't had showers for the homeless for 10 days. Now, next question.
What in your background should give the public confidence you know how to lead?
At the Sony technology center, have Japanese management shoved down my throat and their disciplines.
I have developed management skills and talents to deal with all kinds of situations and dilemmas, and this is one of those demanding things about Japanese management. You do your job, then you're taken care of. That is one thing that we need right now, is professionals with a good professional background that can get the damn job done.
Even if I'm indifferent, even if we have personal differences, we have to work together as a team.
Alright, next question.
What one recent council decision would you overturn, and why?
One of the most important things -- someone wanted to donate a trailer to the library system. Whoever turned that down is nuts, both those people are nuts.
We need every resource that we can get for the library system. As I said in the last forum, I'm going to be scraping up every damn dime I can get for the libraries here in Palo Alto, and probably restructuring the library board.
Alright, next question.
This question comes from reader Elisabeth Seaman. "What do you suggest will improve communication among Council members and between Council members and the public?"
A BBQ. This is nothing to laugh at. I'm serious as hell, and I mentioned this at the last forum.
We have to bring the people to together with a BBQ for the residents of Palo Alto, multifunctional. We'll have different restaurants, different people coming together, for a BBQ.
Next question.
Real estate development is typically the most controversial issue in the city. Do you consider yourself more "slow growth" or "pro-growth"?
In real estate development, as in Japanese management, we have to take line item by line item, case by case. We cannot generalize.
We must go after, what are the repercussions now, what are repercussions in 10 years. And the other thing, which hasn't been mentioned in real estate development in this area, is how many jobs are going to be created through real estate development. Duh, no one's said nothing. Well, I am.
When someone comes up in front of the City Council and says, 'Well, we're going to do this, we're going to do that, we're going to develop' I want to say, 'Hey, how many jobs are you going to make for the residents of Palo Alto? Day labor, management or whatever. How many jobs are you going to create?'
Alright, next question.
At controversial sites like Alma Plaza, should the city encourage or discourage high-density housing?
We have to have a balance, and this is becoming clear. And we have to have rent control that works for more than one year.
We seem to have a gap in rent control, that only works for one year. We need a balance. Again, we have to look at these matters - what is one the table now, what's on the table ten years form now.
Next question. Does that make sense?
Is the city doing enough to protect its economic base? If no, what specifically should be done?
No. Lawsuits are a problem. We have animosity and people looking to make money off the city.
We also have to start and we have to look dynamically at creating jobs so people can pay their property taxes, which will decrease the deficit, OK? That is the thing that people haven't looked at.
'Well, we need to increase taxes.' No! Not increase taxes.
This is where the Daily misquoted me. Let's create jobs for residents, not just the homeless, but for the residents so they can pay their property taxes and then the deficit comes down.
Creating 1,000 jobs is a very hard thing to do but we need to do it.
Alright, next question.
When it comes to balancing the city's budget each year, there are two fundamental places to cut spending. What's more important to maintain in tight budget times: spending on infrastructure repairs or services?
Services is clear. But then we have to go over services line-item by line-item. And what are our priorities? And what is an immediate need? And what can be held off for six months to a year or five years.
So we have to have that kind of pyramid and that kind of priority structure set in.
Alright.
When it comes time to cut the budget, which current service or program would you first look to cut?
That's a hard one.
We have to start redefining the service/program area and services has to be -- we have to get this mess cleaned up and we have to bring out everything on the table. Then we can go into 'What are our priorities?' Right now, it's a mess, alright? So to say 'What area this?' We have to bring everything out on the table.
There are things we don't know about. And this is one of the things about communication and about disaster control and about the nonprofit sector. We have to bring things out on the table and make them clear and defined. Then we pick our priorities. It's basic Japanese management.
Let's get things out on the table, get them clear and then we go from there.
The way things are now, there's stuff in the closet they don't want to talk about. There's some stuff we do now. We have a major parking ticket problem. People are doing bent about that. Library systems.
Let's get everything on the table and then go through out priorities. That's what we have to do. Let's start cleaning home. To put it in short terms, 'Let's start cleaning our house and organizing stuff.' That's the first thing, let's get that done first, then we go on from there.
People have been evading that for a long time. It's like all the crap in your garage has been building up, for a long time. Well , it's time to clean the garage out.
What service or program would be untouchable?
Health care for the employees. And increasing medical for the families. That should be the No. 1 issue.
Also, I think medical care for the homeless seems to be a major problem. I don't like homeless people dying in the bushes. And we have to figure out some way to get the homeless medical care. They can't get it. That's mental and physical.
Alright.
The city has a large backlog of capital projects to repair and upgrade. What's the most important unfinished infrastructure project in the city? How would you pay for it?
Flood control. It's not building a new one; it's giving them major repairs and maintenance.
The Santa Clara County water district wants a new everything. Well, we can't afford a new everything. Let's hire some homeless people. One, to clean the creek out now that it's empty. Two, to start patching the cement - um, what do they call those things -- levees?
What's our technique for doing levee repair? And get the homeless to start busting their butt. Get them out there working. Get them cutting brush. Get them cleaning the goddman creek out.
Yes, let's do that.
And who's going to pay for it? The city? No! The Community Working Group has lots and lots of money. Let's start hiring the homeless at 10 bucks an hour to start cleaning the creeks out, doing the cement work. You don't need very much training to put cement in a hole.
I went on the tour two years ago, by the Santa Clara County water district, they wanted new this, they wanted new that. Well, guess what? We need to do the maintenance. Hire some homeless people to mix and patch.
Alright? Alright. Where do we go from there? Next question.
The Library Advisory Commission is currently considering the future of the city's library service. What changes, if any, should occur?
We got to readjust the library commission, first of all. We got some people that have -- what's it called? -- political delusions, and their priorities need to be straightened out.
For our children to learn, in a positive and safe environment, is paramount. I feel the library commission sometimes forgets that. The upgrade our library, to have longer hours and more resources and services, maybe we need some new people on the library board, OK, some fresh talent. And then you go from there.
Alright.
In terms of policy-making style, the current council has been divided between those who challenge staff with tough questions and those more trusting of staff's professional expertise. Where do you see yourself in that dichotomy?
I'll help by becoming the homeless coordinator for Palo Alto and solving the homeless crisis to a competent level, a level that we can be proud. In doing so, I know already -- I've already started -- I know it's going to be a tough road to hoe, to use the expression about gardening.
That is going to be my forte. I'm working in that capacity now, as a candidate. And I am fighting the nonprofits on a lot of issues. So I'm not going to do the job, I'm already in that job doing it.
Alright, next.
What kind, if any, of police oversight should the council set up?
An independent police commission, or an investigating commission, totally independent of the police department. That means in-depth investigations. Now if that includes the FBI, fine. If it means criminal charges or civil charges, let's do some in-depth investigation. Do we have felonious complaints? Are we going to have felonious complaints, legal complaints in city hall? Let's investigate these.
Sometimes, yes, there are people who go after city hall to make some money intentionally. But then we do have, sometimes, valid cases that need to be resolved to a competent level, like the one I had to go through. No one wanted to help me.
What was that?
It was a homeless harassment suit, a suit against the Palo Alto PD.
I was harassed every goddamn night, practically, with a bad police officer at night that went around and harassed all the homeless people. He got off on that. In fact, my Toyota truck was confiscated deliberately.
I was stopped and harassed by the last police chief, ongoing.
So I got into a definition. I had to learn how to file a lawsuit and go through the changes for a year and a half to file a lawsuit against the city. The only thing that I missed was the filing by about two months. Now I know how to file a lawsuit against the city, anybody else that goes in my way. This also goes for the nonprofits.
Alright.
What issue is ripest for more regional cooperation and how would you approach it?
We touched on this two years, three years ago with (former Mayor Gary) Fazzino, and the flood control situation and the communications between was it three cities that had flood control? I think let's try it out. I think we need to spark a fire into that, not just a $1 million. We ought to look at dredging, maintenance and Corps of Army Engineers and do some reassessing.
This also comes into disaster relief. Are we eligible for free disaster relief funds for flood control? If it's issued by the Army Corps of Engineers, let's go ahead and do it. Let's hire some homeless. Let's hire some residents to be out there and break a sweat.
Okay, go on.
How would you rate the performance of City Manager Frank Benest?
He was at his best six months ago. He is a true professional. But as a city manager you have to take destructive feedback from the people. I think Frank has lost touch with the people of Palo Alto. He' s good administrator, he's an excellent professional, he does his job well but he must be in touch with the people.
I think Frank should sit out here for a day with me and just take questions from the people and meet the people, face to face. Let's meet the people.
Alright.
What will be your pet project?
The homeless garden. Or a BBQ. They kind of go together.
Alright.
What's the most important environmental issue facing the city and how would you address it?
Flood control. Now. And again let's do an assessment of the creek and the waterways and get some environment impacts from the Corps of Army Engineers of exactly what the priorities need to be done first. Let's stop bickering. Let's get to work.
This question comes from reader Ed Laak. Do you participate in PaloAltoGreen?
My Mercedes Benz does not have a solar cell yet. I am not connected up. And my hotel room doesn't. But if I had a house or if in California when I get my 20 acres and my log cabin, I will be totally solar, wind. I will not be connected to the power grid, whatever.
I will be a total solar man.
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