Mayoral candidates square off.
A Jan. 9 mayoral debate forum titled "Energy, Equity, Education & Economy" at Santa Fe Community College was the first public debate between all the candidates; SFR took the occasion to appraise their individual performances at the debate in four categories (on a scale of 1-5) so you didn't have to.
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CANDIDATE: DAVID COSS
Occupation
: City councilor
Style
: I'm a unique snowflake, but I can blend in with the blizzard. Light brown jacket, maroon shirt, maroon and gray tie.
(3)
Substance
: Coss hammered away on the experience card, frequently citing his hands-on knowledge-from civic center negotiations with the Tesuque Pueblo to orchestrating the Buckman Diversion project-in an attempt to show he has his finger on the pulse of city politics, though he was a frequent apologist for city government.
(4)
Eloquence
: Polished. Coss articulated his points with the ease of a political vet without seeming wooden, even if he had to be cut off for speaking too long virtually every time he responded to a question.
(4)
Quotable
: On the root of the city's education problems: "It's not that we're Hispanic, it's not that we're immigrants, it's that we don't fund public education."
(3)
Score: 14
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CANDIDATE: DONADO COVIELLO, AKA JOHN COVENTRY
Occupation
: Artist, rabble-rouser
Style
: I'm funky, but I'm really not a crackpot. Conservative black suit, blue shirt and tan tie with wild card oversized turquoise glasses.
(3)
Substance
: Hit or miss. Coviello made pointed attacks on Coss and Romero-the forum's seasoned politicos-and exhibited familiarity with government workings, but was too focused on pointing out the problems to offer many viable solutions.
(3)
Eloquence
: Entertaining, if disjointed. When he wasn't bemoaning the "fat cat bureaucrats" sitting at the table with him, Coviello went on tangents about art, teaching, flea markets, melanoma and committing civil disobedience by erecting a windmill.
(3)
Quotable
: After a particularly cumbersome query: "I try not to answer questions that are longer than the allotted time to answer them." And on his fellow candidates: "The people you are asking how to solve these problems are the people who created the problems."
(4)
Score: 13
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CANDIDATE: TONY LOPEZ
Occupation
: Tony Lopez Roofing Service
Style
: Ronald Reagan meets your Uncle Tony (Soprano). Manicured hair, crisp black suit, blue shirt and tie complemented by a "Tony Lopez for Mayor" button. Plus some bling, in the form of a glittering pinky ring.
(4)
Substance
: Lopez was clearly zealous about putting the city's problems in a headlock. But just exactly what the city's problems are-and how he would solve them-routinely got lost in the scuffle.
(2)
Eloquence
: Unfocused. Lopez showed a penchant for passionate declarations and animated gesticulations, but didn't make many sound arguments.
(2)
Quotable
: On city relations with the county and surrounding pueblos: "What we need to be is bridge builders; we've had too many demolition experts among our communities." And on his fellow candidates: "Pie in the sky is all I hear across the table…If you aren't maintaining your integrity and promises, then you have no business being in politics."
(3)
Score: 11
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CANDIDATE: JIM ROMERO
Occupation
: Former Santa Fe and Española city manager
Style
: Comfortably uncomfortable. I don't really want to be here but I'll still wear my nice black jacket and blue-striped shirt anyway.
(2)
Substance
: Romero exhibited a solid grasp of the sometimes tedious intricacies of government and cited his experience as city manager to illustrate his understanding of the city's various facets and responsibilities.
(4)
Eloquence
: Technical. Romero had arguably the most comprehensively pointed answers to questions about the function of city government, but his answers also were steeped in governmentese.
(3)
Quotable
: "I tend to agree with David [Schutz/Coss]…"
(2)
Score: 11
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CANDIDATE: DAVID SCHUTZ
Occupation
: Home-builder
Style
: I borrowed some things from City Councilor Miguel Chavez' closet to evoke a roll-up-my-sleeves working man. Tweed jacket, jeans, blue shirt, no tie.
(2)
Substance
: On point. Schutz was direct with his answers, his perception of the city's problems and the prospective solutions for them. He also elicited a passion for the issues, albeit not in as commanding a way as Lopez.
(4)
Eloquence
: Directed. Schutz tackled questions adequately but often spoke as if reading from prepared statements and was too deferential to the opinions of other candidates to fully establish his own voice.
(3)
Quotable
: On solving budget problems: "I believe raising taxes [to solve budget problems] is akin to trying to cure obesity by loosening your belt."
(3)
Score: 12
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CANDIDATE: KAREN WALKER
Occupation
: Real estate broker
Style
: Schoolmarm with a Vogue subscription. Heavy makeup, peach jacket and black turtleneck, topped off with stylish Buddy Holly glasses.
(4)
Substance
: Economics are clearly her forte and Walker excelled at answering business-related questions while managing to answer the rest with an air of intelligence, even when she was giving answers to questions nobody asked.
(3)
Eloquence
: Well-spoken. After all, proper grammar is one cure for society's ills.
(4)
Quotable
: On economic development: "Business is sometimes a dirty word around here but without business…nobody would be paid." And addressing the audience on the topic of literacy: "A lot of you are probably too young to have taken a required grammar class."
(3)
Score: 14
