By Jorge Casuso

Oct. 1 -- For the first time in the race, all nine hopefuls for three City Council seats gathered under the same roof Tuesday for a forum sponsored by The Chamber of Commerce that gave an initial glimpse of the candidates' styles and views.

The forum at the Four Points Sheraton provided no surprises, since it did not allow exchanges between the candidates, who had been sent copies of the questions that would be asked. In fact, the bulk of the time was given to opening and closing comments.

Following is a summary of each candidate's views:

Chuck Allord: "I am the most outspoken, snarly, growliest, probably upset candidate out here. It's not anger. It's just a direct approach to things. I've seen my community go to pot…. There's a lot of things wrong with the city, but there's a lot of things good with the city…. " The long term goal of the City, Allord said, is "political manipulation. They don't listen to the community." The short-term goal is "to get candidates elected. We're going in the wrong direction." Although "some want to tear the airport down, they're fooling themselves. The federal government won't allow it. This airport is here to stay." The problem, Allord said, is jets. "Everyone who lives here has had problems with the jets. Jets, jets, jets, everyone has problems with jets." Allord opposed the Living Wage. "It's unconstitutional, they're biased and they're playing games. I will fight to stop this because it is wrong. You're the opposition. If you don't stand together, you will not have change."

Josefina Aranda: "I come from immigrant parents. My father started as a dish washer and now drives the Blue Bus and owns several buildings." Aranda said that she is a product of the public schools and plans to teach elementary school. She said she organized a candlelight vigil for peace in the wake of a rash of shootings that left five dead in 1999. Aranda said she would like to see more parking for "businesses, workers and residents" and more shuttles. "We need to make streets safer and more pedestrian friendly." She advocates investing more in the Convention and Visitors Bureau. The City should overhaul its system of issuing development permits "so developers don't have to go through as many hoops and have an increased level of predictability." The business community, Aranda said, "is the heart of Santa Monica, and we cannot succeed without the business community. Everybody should be involved in all processes. I'm a listener. We are not all enemies. We are all here together. We are here to come up with creative solutions."

Abby Arnold: The parent of two children, Arnold said that she is active in children's sports and involved with the School District. "Education is one of my real priorities," she said. As a member of the Pier Restoration Corporation, Arnold said she knows "what it's like to get things through the City bureaucracy." She wants to be "a force for making the City comply with what the people want." A budget analyst, Arnold said she wants "to bring those skills to the City Council." Arnold supports the Living Wage on the ballot and said she wants to see it implemented in a quick and efficient manner. The law would help people who work hard full time and cannot afford to feed, house and provide medical care for their family. The City's goal, Arnold said, "should be to maintain and improve the diversity of the city." Santa Monica, Arnold said, "is a city that cares about each other, that takes care of the people who are young and the people who are old."

Matteo Dinolfo: Dinolfo noted that he has been a practicing physician in Santa Monica for 22 years. The son of Sicilian immigrants, he is the product of public schools. Dinolfo said he plans to tap his financial experience running a private practice and as chief of staff and chief of medicine at Santa Monica-UCLA Hospital. He also is a member of the UCLA Health Care Board. Dinolfo said he is "running primarily for public education" and is a "strong active supporter of EE," the school parcel tax. "If (the parcel tax) passes, I would ask the City to increase its expenditures" in education, he said. "I think our children are a precious asset. This is an absolute must." His other key issues are public safety and increased services for seniors "to keep them in their home." "I want to bring a moderate voice back to City government," he said. "You are getting a proven leader, a person of honesty and integrity. I will be a thinker, a problem solver. I will not bring an ideological bent."

Councilman Bob Holbrook: Holbrook was born and grew up in Ocean Park and "went through the Santa Monica schools, as my father had, as my children did." He then attended Santa Monica College and USC, where he is a pharmacist and a member of the faculty. "I'm a moderate," he said. "I have a record of common sense." Holbrook supports measures that would carve out election districts, raise the school parcel tax and allow tenants to buy their units. He opposes the Living Wage. "We have really set ourselves apart," he said of the measure. Holbrook said he would like to see the economic impacts included when considering a new development. "We are never told the benefit of a project. Hey, this is jobs. This is a service that would be a nice service. We are never told what the economic impact is." Among his goals, Holbrook said, is "to deal with vagrants, transients and homeless. There are far too many, and I don't think we should have public feeding in the parks." He also would like to tackle the traffic and parking problems, the ongoing violence in the Pico neighborhood and "noise and fumes from jets at Santa Monica Airport."

Councilman Kevin McKeown: McKeown has lived in Santa Monica since 1976 and works for the public schools. Among his accomplishments, he said, are reinstating bidding preferences for local businesses, working with the local business improvement districts, helping to get more parking on Main Street and championing new crosswalks on Montana Avenue. "My focus with the business community is local businesses. We are at risk of losing our own particular identity," he said. "We need to support local businesses so we don't become corporatized." Preferential parking, McKeown said, "is not the ideal solution. It is the best solution we have to address our immediate problem. The real answer is more enlightened land use." Among the immediate remedies are adding parking structures, restripping parking spaces to accommodate more vehicles and issuing parking permits to employees. "We're adding 2,000 spaces Downtown," he said. "The relationship between the City, the college and the schools needs to be improved," he said. Among McKeown's short-term goals is "helping to promote local shopping." In the long term, he would like to retain local businesses and "nurture their start-up efforts."

Council member Pam O'Connor: "We are a community of people who are involved," O'Connor said. "My vision of Santa Monica is that it is a community of opportunity… We face challenging times now." It is important for Santa Monica to participate in regional efforts, she said, particularly when it comes to "small businesses and transportation." A member of the MTA board, O'Connor would like to see the Rapid Transit bus service on Wilshire Boulevard expanded to Pico and to Lincoln boulevards. She would also like to see light rail reach Santa Monica. The chamber, O'Connor said, "provides a voice for business" and should participate in an ongoing dialogue with the City.

Pro Se: Pro Se said he started the city's first disabilities commission and public safety commission in his home. He said the council supported the creation of a disabilities commission after he announced he was running for office. "I am the most progressive of the candidates running," he said. "I have real solutions to end homelessness." VA facilities need to be used and the homeless need to be "deputized." Alaska, Pro Se said, has taken those measures and "you don't have homeless in Alaska. "I've put my life on the line for my community and my country, and I've been wounded several times." The City Council, Pro Se said, "pits residents against business, and that's how it's been for many, many years." Pro Se said he opposes preferential parking. "The answer is underground parking. Put parks for our human and animal residents to enjoy." "If you want the same of the last four years, vote for the incumbents," Pro Se said. He added that he would promote a "no-kill" policy to save the 150 dogs and cats that are put to death every year. He also would like to tackle a growing problem with mold.

Jerry Rubin. "I just hope in the future that this is a union hotel," Rubin opened. He then proposed a toast to a clean and positive campaign. "This is a great city. We disagree on issues, but Santa Monica is one of the greatest cities in the country." Rubin supports the Living Wage because "workers need to be compensated fairly. It was debated adequately." He opposes districting. "We have to have everyone concerned about every district." Rubin said he is for affordable housing and the environment and believes the city needs a youth commission. It also needs a homeless task force. "We've had a vehement debate" about the homeless, Rubin said. "We do not need to pass unconstitutional ordinances." The City needs to "bring in the homeless people themselves and make them accountable." The role of the chamber, Rubin said, "is to take the leadership to work out win-win solutions," not oppose measures such as preferential parking.

Following is the list of questions for the candidates:

1. What do you think are the City's short and long term goals, and what do you envision to be the role of the Chamber?

2. What is your vision for sustained economic growth in Santa Monica and what measures will you take to achieve it?

3. How do you feel the Minimum Wage Ordinance will affect our teenagers and other employees entering the job market?

4. What is your position on Measure EE? If it passes will you increase, decrease or maintain the City's contribution to our public schools?

5. Currently City Council practice is for the Council and Planning Commission to hear only from the Planning Department on proposed projects. Do you think that the economic impact of proposed projects (jobs created, tax revenue) should be included in the staff reports and should the Economic Development Department report separately at Planning Commission and Council meetings? If not, what is the role of the Economic Development Department?

6. City Council has referred to Preferential Parking Zones as bandaid solutions. We now have over 50 bandaids, and you now have the opportunity to save this patient. What is your long term solution for the parking problem in Santa Monica that would benefit both residents and businesses?

7. What do you think the role of a Chamber of Commerce should be in our city?

8. The City is currently reviewing its noise ordinance. The review does not include the Pier, Promenade or airport, as there are separate noise ordinances governing them. Do you think Business Improvement Districts and commercial thoroughfares should have their own noise ordinances or do you think the same rules that apply to neighborhoods should apply to business districts?

9. What would you include in a homeless program that would best suit our residents, businesses, visitors and disadvantaged?

10. The airport lease expires in 2015. What is your position on its continuance as a general aviation airport?