Dear George,

I think it does matter what city councilors think about issues of public concern beyond those city council has authority over. I think the public has a right to know these opinions before they vote for candidates. Attitudes about public issues of state and national concern may influence the way they lead on council.

I completely agree with Meredith Richard's statement about the scope of questions which should be asked of city council candidates so I find myself in the unusual position, for me, of disagreeing with a reasoned opinion of Lloyd Snook's.

You never know when there will be a reason for council to deal with issues such as sodomy laws, abortion, the death penalty etc. Even if they don't deal with them directly, their attitudes about these issues will influence the way they deal with related issues.

For example, a candidate's opinion about sodomy laws may well be indicative of whether they would choose school board members who support including sexual orientation in the non-discrimination clause of the city public schools. Or how they would respond if the city police department conducted an Ivy Creek Sting Operation again.

I do not think candidates should avoid these issues or use relevance to city policy making as a way to hide their views. I think I remember City Council taking a stand on supporting a moratorium on the death penalty and I supported that.

I, for one, will not be voting for any candidate that refuses to answer questions on this basis.

Thanks for eliciting this important discussion.

Helen Reynolds (electronic mail, February 18, 2002)