It is important to plan infrastructure things in advance to minimize the time people spend stationary in traffic.

Helen Anthony: I believe in alternative transportation.  I would fight very hard to maintain the bikeways, trails and pedways properly. I would really like to focus on more bus service. Our bus service is inadequate. We could do a better job at adding more routes. I’d like to explore that avenue.

First Ward

Pam Forbes: I think we need more public transportation, and it needs to go to places where people work, not just people who work at IBM. They need to have buses that go to places where people work and give them access to getting jobs. And it will help the environment.

Darrell Foster: Well you know, there are a number of things that go into developing transportation strategy. I think the mayor has done a good job in terms of opening up transportation. At the same time, the growth of the city of Columbia was unexpected. So based on that, we have to look at everything, all the transportation, construction, we have to look at those. Transportation is an ingredient into improving the situation in Columbia. It will add jobs and opportunities. It has the ingredients to do that.

Mitch Richards: There’s plenty of people for whom biking and walking is the preferred transportation. I empathize with that. I’m a walker myself. So far the city has made some efforts with that, with bikeways and corrals downtown. I would be open to expanding some of those things, and it’s clearly something we can address. For me, we need to stay within the budget, so we need to come together to figure out what our priorities are.

Fred Schmidt: “People should have a choice in transportation, and as gas prices go up, many people will choose alternatives, and there are many inexpensive things the government can do to make those choices more viable. In these times, we should be looking for inexpensive things, and most things that bicyclists and pedestrians want don’t require a lot of money. We’re in tight budget times, but bike paths offer economic alternatives for those people able and wiling to do it. Everybody benefits from bike paths, even people who don’t use it, because it reduces strain on the road system, and that’s a very subtle argument that most people miss. It doesn’t matter who gets off the road.”

I think we need to provide more affordable housing throughout the city. We should decentralize the poverty and move people out into the community – which means we need better transit.I support programs like Circles, run by Central Missouri Community Action. I really love the concept.  They provided mentors to low income families and acted as a guide for families – taking them out of the cycle of poverty by partnering them with people in the community. I’d like to see more of those kinds of programs.

African-Americans make up 15-20 percent of the community, and we should get 15-20 percent of those jobs. Inclusion will bring about safety. We have a stale in what’s going on if we’re included, and then the safety will come along. Inclusion is one of the ingredients that will bring about safety.

That said – I think we should pass it.   The only reason is that the stipend provides the opportunity for people with childcare needs,  and people who could otherwise not afford it to run for city council, 20 hours a week is a lot of time.  I believe that city council would be better served by a more diverse group of people

First Ward

Pam Forbes: Because I haven’t served as yet, I don’t know if I can fully tell you, because I have no idea how much out-of-pocket its going to be. I think that the council people should have access to a stipend. Maybe a situation where you turn in a receipt, but you shouldn’t just get a check. They shouldn’t just write a check for it. In other words, I think you need to prove your expenditures.

Darrell Foster: I’m indifferent. I’m running the position to serve the citizens of the First Ward. It’s a non-paid position, I’m running to serve. If a stipend is something that comes about, we’ll have to look at it. When I win this election in April, I won’t be a part of that, unless I’m elected again. I’m running to serve the citizens of Columbia. I’m a member of the First Ward ambassadors, and we volunteer in our community all of the time.

Mitch Richards: My gut reaction, my initial reaction, I’m against them, I’m skeptical of them. If we want to spend money, we should be spending it on helping people or don’t spend it at all. My reaction to stipends is somewhat skeptical, but ultimately its something the people of Columbia will decide.

Fred Schmidt: “It won’t affect me because it doesn’t tae effect until 2014. I am, frankly, neutral on it. I can understand that argument of people who say that it would help. I can also understand the argument that it won’t make a lot of difference. I’m honestly not sure, I’m inclined to favor it because it might help people who otherwise couldn’t serve serve. Ultimately the people will decide, not me, because it’s going to be a ballot initiative.”