The Executive Council special election is less than three weeks away. Up for grabs is District 4, which includes Manchester, Bedford, Hooksett and Derry. With a look at the two candidates, NHPR?s Dan Gorenstein has more.
Republican Councilor Tom Colantuono?s departure to the US Attorney?s office left an opening on the Executive Council. And former Manchester Mayor Ray Wieczorek and current State Representative John Kacavas want to fill it. If you think about it, running for office is like applying for a job. So Dartmouth Government Professor Dick Winters provides a job description.
6:25 This would be someone who ought to have both the extensive knowledge of state administrative activities and an extensive and developing interest in those activities. That is to say, the councilor has the whole waterfront of what the state does b/c it approves and reviews so many activities.
He says the second prerequisite is knowing folks.
6:59 ?they have their own personal rolodex with biographies attached, or in a handful of phone calls a councilor can vet a nominee efficiently, effectively, and with pretty good confidence.
And finally, being a political creature who knows all the right people, and attends all the right functions.
Now that we have an idea what the job calls for, let?s look over the applications.
QUALIFICATIONS
Ray ?the Wiz? Wieczorek served as the Mayor of Manchester for 10 years. A republican in a democratic city. He also is the founder of Wieczorek Insurance Agency.
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:02 I think I have a lot of common sense and business sense when I come to the table. Contracts are something I worked with here, for ten years in the city of Manchester. You are going to have to take a good look at contracts over there.
John Kacavas currently is a state rep, and practicing attorney in Manchester. He worked for the Justice Department and in the Attorney General?s Office.
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Much of the work of an councilor is reading, reviewing dense complicated financial contracts. Being an attorney qualifies me to do that. I think the confirmation function that a councilor plays, as an attorney, my experience serves me well.
How about job experience? What have these two actually done?
Kacavas chaired a commission that investigated the physical plants of Manchester Public Schools.
4:00 I went in during finals and I saw one class, with jackets mittens and hats, and went to the next floor, and kids were taking tests with the windows wide open b/c it?s too hot. There are no lockers, the physical facilities are awful, and I want my kids to go to those schools. I am going to do my part ot make a change to those schools.
Mayor Wieczorek found himself in a bind. He had 4 million sq. feet of empty mill yard space zoned for industrial use. He says there was only one simple thing to do.
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1:33 change the zoning so anything goes.
So now, if you head for the mill yards, you would find some manufacturing, engineering and software firms, two museums, restaurants and the University of New Hampshire.
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2:33 we made a deal with the University of New Hampshire before I left office, we made a swap for the land they have on Hacket Hill, and we gave them a bldg in the mill yard?Now what we have done on the hill is give over 400 acres to Nature Conservancy?out of the 800 plus acres we have from the University system, the city will be fortunate to wind up with 150 acres of land they can develop, and that will be for corporate development. You always have to have something in the hopper.
Since executive councilors don?t get to make laws, voting records on ?the issues? like gambling and taxes don?t help to distinguish one candidate from another. The Council does approve any contract that exceeds five thousand dollars. And executive councilors must approve the Governor?s judicial, and state agency appointments. So candidates? views on economic development matter. That?s what we call vision and philosophy.
Wieczorek stands by his economic development record.
:56 fiscally I am very conservative, I am very conscious of economic development in the community,?They have revitalized city center stock?the revitalization of the mill yard, and the downtown area, we revitalized those things, the airport, the arena. For 30 years they talked about doing that thing.
With an eye on the impending widening of Interstate 93, Kacavas says he is interested in nurturing development, but he wants to do it with a conscious.
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In 2020, if we keep up with development, with permitting, at the rate we are doing, what does our town look like in 2020? Do we want it to look like that? I am talking about impact fees paid by contractors, caps on bld permits, preserving open space, that?s what I?m talking about.
So now that we?ve looked over the job history, qualifications and career objectives, let?s check references.
State Representative Martha Fuller Clark is running US Congress, and likes John Kacavas?s credentials.
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:33 I think Kacavas would make an outstanding member of the council b/c he brings experience, commitment, energy, intelligence to the job?he has the ability to review contracts, he has the qualifications to judge appointments, I think he would put the time in that is needed, that he would bring a point of view of new younger, emerging leaders, and stand up that we get the best qualified people.
Dave Whiby, one of the Aldermen who served under Wieczorek, says the Mayor looks for good people, not ideologues.
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:17 you need people, and that?s when they go see Ray, and they say you are one of the one?s I need, it?s not going to be, right away, ?yes, you?ve got it? it will be what do you bring to the job, he has done it for department heads in Manchester, some of those people I didn?t even like, that he put on, as far as dept heads, but they have shown they have done a great job. He has learned to ask the tough questions, and that?s what he?ll do on the council.
John Dowd heads the state Republican Party and is a Wieczorek fan.
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:12 the thing to keep in mind si that the mayor of a city, had a much stronger democratic majority, in order to govern successfully, he had to work with Democrats. He looks at it, if someone has a good idea, and it makes sense, that?s a good idea, let?s do it. It?s a proven record that he can do this. He does not look at life, through the eyes of Republican idea, that must be good, democratic idea, that must be bad. But rather is that a good idea or bad idea.
Attorney Gordon Rehnborg works with John Kacavas.
Gordon Rehnborg, attorney
6:16 john recognizes there are a lot of people in this state who just don?t have the opportunity to take part of the NH advantage or American Dream. There are people who aren?t heard?the kid under the bridge, the people on drugs, those people don?t need a handout, but help so they can participate. I think John really wants to eb the voice for those people. He is not some wide-eyed liberal, worked for Dept. of Justice, has dreams, and can mix the two together, and effective coalition builder.
Now we come to the most illusive part of the application process: the aspiring councilors describe their character.
Ray Wieczorek.
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:00 well what I would like them to know about me is that I am an honest person. I have always treated the community and their money with the utmost respect. Always try to treat everything responsibility?and I would like them remember me as someone who helped bring this city ahead. From the depths of 1990, to the year in 2002. This is a good city.
John Kacavas.
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:54 played basketball for Central, won a championship?
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1:07 ?in all honesty, my experience as a basketball player taught me character. You loose, it?s heart-breaking, but you have to get yourself back up. And that?s what character is all about, when you fail, you come back and do it again, that?s what shapes your character. If I were to let people know what I am about, I am about it?s a voyage, I am trying to shape my character with everything I do, and be of good habit?
O.K. you?ve read through the resume, cover letter and talked to the references. Still don?t know who to vote for? You can call their campaigns, just vote party line, or try something I used on perspective girlfriends to understand their true character: favorite ice cream flavors.
For Kacavas it?s Rocky Road. Wieczorek goes with vanilla, but maple walnut isn?t bad either. Do with that information, what you may.
The special election is March 12th. The winner will represent District 4 until the general election in November. For NHPR News, I?m DG.
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