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1. Reginald Caldwell | April 30, 2012 at 12:33 pm

   what are your predictions?
2. VOTER | April 30, 2012 at 12:48 pm

   Lucas keeps saying he’s an entrepreneur and will create jobs, yet I’ve not heard him say exactly how. Nor have I heard him address any other pressing city issues such as infrastructure and city depts
3. starcitysensation | April 30, 2012 at 1:25 pm

   Mark Lucas continually makes reference to running the city like a business, but let’s remember….there are many more unsuccessful businesses, than successful ones. Being the Mayor of a substantial city, with over 100,000 residents takes much more than, knowing how to put together a business plan. David Bowers loves this city, yet Mark Lucas can’t even find the time to sit on commissions & non-profit boards. Hmmmm…..
4. Mason Adams | April 30, 2012 at 2:22 pm

   If you missed your chance to ask a question on the live chat, have no fear. You can still catch the replay above, or post your question or comment here. It may take a little longer, but I’ll try to post answers if I’ve got them.

   You can also follow me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook.

   – Mason Adams
5. John Brown | April 30, 2012 at 2:30 pm

   David Bowers is a dinosaur that needs to be put out to pasture. His love for Roanoke is nice, but what we need is a mover and a shaker to bring business and amenities to the Roanoke Valley. We need to be aggressive and proactive in improving this city, not smiling for photo ops and cutting ribbons.
6. Mason Adams | April 30, 2012 at 3:26 pm

   I just realized I made a pretty big typo at 1:28 in the live chat. It should say that Onzlee Ware has *not* taken a term limit pledge. I knew that but got to going so fast trying to keep up with everyone that I completely left the “not” out.

   – Mason Adams
7. Katrina | April 30, 2012 at 3:38 pm

   I missed the conversation, but after reading some comments about people moving out of the city after their children reaching school age…do they not realize that all of the council members are in favor of letting the meal tax expire? Brandon Bushnell is the ONLY candidate who is for keeping the tax. Roanoke City has Title I schools-in my opinion (and in many other parents opinion I’m sure) that’s just not good enough, but the current council wants to let the tax expire? Don’t our kids deserve better? We have a retired woman from the school system on the current council and even she won’t commit to continuing the tax so the city schools are better. The schools are going in the whole after the upcoming school year. I plan on moving back in to the city within the next year or so (I’m currently in the county) simply because it’s more convenient to the places I need to go to, closer to my friends, and I could use Valley Metro more often instead of having to drive with gas prices as high as they are. I want my child to have the best education possible in the city-why aren’t we following…omg, I’m going to say it…SALEM’S EXAMPLE and make it permanent? Brandon Bushnell will push for that, and anyone who has our children’s best interest in mind would have my vote if I was in the city.
8. Katrina | April 30, 2012 at 3:39 pm

   typo, I apologize-schools are going in the “hole”
9. John Brown | April 30, 2012 at 4:03 pm

   I may be wrong but I believe they are also giving raises to teachers based on a surplus of money raised by the meal tax. A tax that does not exist anymore. Permanent raises based on a fixed amount of money? That doesn’t seem like good business sense to me. Primary rule of finance? Don’t finance long term debt with short term money. Correct me if I’m wrong.
10. Mason Adams | April 30, 2012 at 5:33 pm

    @John Brown:

    It was my understanding — at least this is what’s been stated in the candidates’ debates — that the council required the schools to bank revenues from the meals tax increase for the future, in part so that it would not be spent on teacher raises. It’s possible I misunderstood, but that’s what I’ve heard from Court Rosen, who came up with the idea for the meals tax increase.

    – Mason Adams
11. Katrina | April 30, 2012 at 5:48 pm

    Mason-that’s correct. The banking of revenues wasn’t intended for raises. It was there to have more money in the bank, which after the 2012/2013 school year, the money that has been raised the last 2 years is gone, and we’re right back where we started. It was a short term fix brought up by Court Rosen that Brandon Bushnell is the only candidate believes should be in place permanently. Why should our students pay the price when an extra 2 cents on the dollar eating out hasn’t stopped anyone from eating out in Roanoke City? Restaurants are still packed all the time. No one even notices it. Unlike what other people have commented in other blogs, no restaurants have shut down because they went broke because of that 2 cents on the dollar.

    John Brown-the 1% raise that has been approved for teachers is a slap in the face. Their first raise since 2007, and they get 1%. What will that buy them? Their classrooms are overcrowded, they buy a lot of their own supplies on their small salaries as it is, some work two jobs to make ends meet…
12. Sally Betsy | April 30, 2012 at 7:42 pm

    #5 -Dinosaurs are extinct. Bowers is not.
13. John Brown | May 1, 2012 at 9:50 am

    #12 He may be after today (at least from the Mayor’s office)
14. Jeff Artis | May 1, 2012 at 10:14 am

    We will see the lowest turnout for a City Council election in years, maybe ever.
15. John Brown | May 1, 2012 at 2:44 pm

    @Katrina, I think we need to realize that the tax system as a whole isn’t working and work on fixing it instead of inventing new taxes on top of new taxes to place band aids on programs that need stitches or better yet need to be reborn. The same goes for the education system in America. We’re ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math. Not to mention the graduation rate in the city is something like 67%. In my day that was a failing grade and does not deserve to be rewarded. The government is really not good at much besides national security and that’s the case because there is a practically infinite budget on defense spending. You don’t see private corporations running their businesses like the government runs its programs because they would be out of business.
16. Sandi Saunders | May 1, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    You made the statement and still appear not to make the connection: “The government is really not good at much besides national security and that’s the case because there is a practically infinite budget on defense spending“. You cannot continuously underfund and overcrowd schools and expect better results. Anyone with the education of most teachers can get a better job with better benefits too so why should they stay in the classroom and work for insults and condemnation?

    I think the government is good at a lot of things and can only imagine if all of our services depended on the Walmart model. That the government has to bribe people with the tax code, protect certain people with the tax code and pay for work and jobs with tax money means that in the bif picture, the government is the ONLY real “job creator” in this nation.

    Ask a conservative, they will assure you that a business exists to create wealth for the stockholders and the moment the economy or the government tries to fix the tax code, many will simply lay off their work force and close. The system is indeed messed up.
17. Katrina | May 1, 2012 at 3:15 pm

    John Brown, can’t say that I disagree with you. Yes, things overall need to be fixed, but, at the national level, locally we have little impact on fixing it. The education system in the US is bad, really bad, when compared to all other civilized countries.
    And a 67% graduation rate isn’t good enough either (we are higher than other areas of Virginia at least), but I think in the short term this meal tax needs to stay in place-the money has to come from somewhere and I don’t see McDonnell sending it to us from Richmond.
18. John Brown | May 1, 2012 at 4:16 pm

    @Sandi “You cannot continuously underfund and overcrowd schools and expect better results.” Therein lies the problem, thinking you can just throw money at the problem in a virtually unaccountable environment without changing the system. Tenure, pensions, unions, who knows maybe there is enough money going to education to make it successful, not as it is currently structured but if you were to set it up differently who knows. Maybe not pay history teachers 150k in upstate NY and 30K in SW VA for starters. Reward teachers for excellent performance just as you would for an employee who exceeds expectations. As well as hold Faculty accountable for poor performance. Job security shouldn’t be infinitely higher for government/federal employees just because they aren’t required to turn a profit.

    As for businesses closing down the moment we try to fix the tax code, yes maybe some but not the majority especially under something like the Fair Tax. We’re currently not capturing billions of dollars from people in the United States legally and illegally. If it were based on something logical instead of wackiness meant to employ IRS agents and 40 other branches of government then maybe there would be more money to dedicate to more valuable programs.
19. Sandi Saunders | May 1, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    Excuse me John Brown, YOU are the one who compared the good national defense we have with their virtually unlimited funding. I merely noted that even in realizing that you still fault the schools when their situation is constantly to be a political football asked to do more for less.

    I have not argued to “just throw money at the problem in a virtually unaccountable environment without changing the system“, never, not once, nor would I. But saying that they are chronically underfunded is the truth and saying that they are chronically overburdened is too. I was acknowledging facts.

    If you say the system needs reform and to not be a political football, we can agree. But that was not the point you were making, nor the one I commented on.

    If you think that “Tenure, pensions, unions” is the problem, you are simply not paying attention but following marching orders. Principles and teachers are often at loggerheads and teacher protections are important. Look at what happens to a “whistleblower” in this nation, even with laws to protect them. Telling the truth is frowned on in any business and in any school.

    There is no such thing as a “fair tax” in a nation that goes from subsistence to opulence in income. If you do not understand that business and wealth controls this nation, the entire political system (that writes the tax code), the judicial system and anything else they can buy or influence, again, you are not paying attention. The tax code and the size and scope of it is complicated and hard to understand for a reason. It could be fixed in a day…but it never will be. Do you not even wonder why? Do you believe there is a politician on this planet that fears poor people? The working poor? No, they are not setting the system in their favor because they do not have the dollars to buy politicians.
20. John Brown | May 1, 2012 at 5:03 pm

    Sandi, they are chronically underfunded and overburdened as the current FAILING system sits, agreed. Thinking tenure,pensions, and unions have a place in a successful education system only points out that you don’t want to bother yourself with fixing the actual problems plaguing the education system but rather just cry foul and point fingers.

    As for the second part of your diatribe, it sounds as if you’ve given up hope that things can change for the better. I understand what you’re saying and agree with the factual portions. However I don’t agree that things will never change. Things have to change or life as we know it will cease to exist. We’re running out of fingers to put in the dam. You can keep your doom and gloom, I’m taking the high road.