Candidate Forum #1

We had a candidate forum Last night at the Medford City Council Chambers. There are two more coming up - Sep 30 at the Ashland Council Chambers and Oct 5 again in Medford. All are being aired on RVTV.



Coverage for my particular race was the final grafs...

Doty, who is a teacher at Crossroads school, said he is running because decisions made in Salem affect his ability to educate. "For me as a teacher, it is very personal to close a school for 10 days," he said.



Esquivel, who is currently a state senator, said that with the financial problems plaguing the state, it is very difficult to be a legislator. "You have to know how to build consensus," he said. "You have to roll up your sleeves and get the work done."



Responding to an audience question, Esquivel said he thought students from other countries should be immersed in English-speaking families. He cited his father, who immigrated to the county, as an example of someone who urged his own children to learn English as fast as possible.



"Should we teach bilingual — I don’t think so," said Esquivel.



Doty said he supported bilingual education, although acknowledging it’s a big cost for schools. "The price tag is high and the imperative is high," he said.