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Managing Editor SPRINGFIELD Mayor Charles Ryan and challenger, School Committee member Thomas Ashe, shared their ideas for the future of Springfield in a televised debate Thursday night on WGBY. Both men were civil, but left no doubt that there are substantial differences between their positions. For example, when asked about a 24-hour homeless shelter, Ryan described how he prevented the Friends of the Homeless shelter on Worthington Street from accessing $11 million to build an addition because of his concern over how the shelter was maintained and managed. That center's former director Frank Keogh is now facing federal corruption charges. Ryan added that his administration is going through with plans to build a larger, better permanent shelter and that he is confident the state will help fund the project. In rebuttal, Ashe said that the city's homeless population was the "biggest problem" in the revitalization of the downtown area. He said that he would have taken the $11 million and worked with that director in building the new shelter. Both men faced questions from a panel of reporters from The Republican, WGGB, WWLP, WFCR and Professor John Baick of Western New England College (WNEC). WNEC was co-sponsor of the debate, which was conducted in Sleith Hall. The hour-long debate also presented questions sent in by Springfield residents which were read by WNEC students. Ashe said it was a "great honor" to run for mayor and that he would represent the working families in the city. Ryan said that his campaign for re-election began that night and he asked voters to consider which candidate has "the moral courage" to make a decision. The questions ranged from Ryan's performance over the last two years to Ashe's record on the School Committee. Both men received applause for their answers at one point despite admonishments from moderator Jim Madigan of WGBY. Ryan supporters showed their approval when Ryan explained why he crossed a picket line at the opening of the MassMutual Center and Ashe received applause when he explained why he didn't cross the line. *** Ryan was asked about his role during contract negotiations between the Finance Control Board and municipal unions. In response, he said, a gag rule would only allow him to say that "significant progress is being made." He explained that he had refused to sign a document from the Romney Administration which would have stripped the unions of their right to collective bargaining. Ashe countered that "very little progress" has been made and that the mayor should sign a binding arbitration agreement. "Bring in someone else and get the job done," Ashe said. Ashe was asked about the deterioration of the Springfield school system during his time on the School Committee and what steps he took to address the problems. Ashe reponded by saying he was proud of the work he had done on the Committee and noted that test scores have increased. He also said that the label of "under-performing," which was placed on Putnam Technical Vocational High School by state education officials was unfair. Toward the end of his answer Ashe apparently lost his train of thought, hesitated as he attempted to regain it and then said, "pass." In his rebuttal, Ryan said that the record of the School Committee since 1999 when Ashe was first elected was not a record to be proud of. He noted that there have been 292 fire and building code violations discovered in the city's schools and that routine maintenance items such as the inspection of fire extinguishers had not been done. Ryan added that his administration is addressing those problems. *** Ryan said "the most serious problem in our city today" is the level of crime and that his administration is "aware and disturbed by it." He said the removal of former Police Chief Paula Meara as an important step in trying to address the problems and that he's "more than delighted" by the performance of Interim Police Commissioner William Fitchit. Ryan said that there has been a "significant" re-deployment of 30 police officers from desk jobs to street patrols and that another 25 officers are also expected to be re-deployed. He added that an additional 20 laid-off officers have been brought back to work. Ashe said he would emphasize a return to a community policing model, which he said worked well when first implemented in 1995 when "gangs were running wild" in the city. When asked if he could work with the Finance Control Board despite his public criticism of them, Ashe said he would work with the Board, but noted that the Board has not yet decreased the city's structural deficit "at all." Ryan said that Ashe's answer "betrayed his lack of knowledge" and said that the previous mayor, and members of City Council and School Committee, failed the city. *** Ashe was requested to share three new specific ideas for the city, and he answered that his top priority was public safety. He then said he was proud of implementing the new neighborhood school program and that developing the industrial property the city obtained from Smith & Wesson was also an important economic issue. He did not, however, offer any specifics on any of these points. *** Time did not allow for the final question that was to have been posed to the candidates by WNEC student Dan Perlowitz; however, Reminder Publications obtained the question: "Please tell us how you would have gone about reducing Springfield's indebtedness by $20 million in 20 months as Charles Ryan did." Ashe was contacted the next morning and he said that, early on in his campaign, he said that the city should have taken the step it took in 1995 when faced with a $26 million shortfall and applied for deficit bonding from private sources. He noted that the 1995 loan has not yet been paid back, but he believes it would have been a better answer than the $52 million line of credit from the Commonwealth that includes the Finance Control Board. Ashe acknowledged that the state line of credit was interest-free. To lose local control, though, has been "a big price to pay" for the assistance from the state, he added. Ryan was contacted as well, so he could rebut Ashe's remarks. He said that 15 months ago nobody would have loaned the city even $20, let alone $20 million. The city had a junk bond credit status. "We're being sustained by that $52 million," he said. He said that the Legislature had formed the Finance Control Board because "the city government had collapsed" as part of the loan package. He said that Ashe's answer was "dismaying." *** Outside Sleith Hall, groups of supporters gathered at opposite ends of the sidewalk. At one end, Ashe's supporters, either carrying signs or wearing shirts identifying themselves as municipal union members, conversed together. The same was true for Ryan supporters at the other end. There were no confrontations. At both ends were groups of teachers. Timothy Collins, president of the Springfield Education Association, said his union was not going to make an endorsement since both candidates are members of the School Committee. At the School Committee meeting on Oct. 20, Collins will present a petition signed by the city's religious leaders urging the Committee to send the contract dispute to binding arbitration. Collins is hopeful that the Committee will approve the action. "I don't know what I'm going to do if they duck it," he said. | ||||||
