San Bernardino mayoral candidates trade arguments

By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO -- Mayoral candidates Pat Morris, James F. Penman and Rick Avila exchanged views in a pair of debates Wednesday as the Nov. 3 election draws closer.

The candidates first met for a lunchtime forum at the San Bernardino Hilton Hotel. Local Rotary and Kiwanis chapters hosted the debate.

A second debate took place Thursday night at First Congregational United Church of Christ. Reporting from that forum, hosted by Inland Congregations United for Change, can be read at www.sbsun.com.

The mayoral race could be a climax to the political jostling and arguments that have taken place in San Bernardino -- usually featuring Morris and Penman on opposing sides -- over the past four years.

Morris was elected mayor in a 2006 runoff largely on his campaign pledge to fight crime through an increased law enforcement presence, enhanced youth services and collaboration with social service providers in a model that he calls Operation Phoenix.

Morris pointed to reduced crime -- particularly reduced murders -- and an array of planned public transportation and civic construction projects valued at more than $1 billion as signs that life in San Bernardino has improved under his leadership.

"I knew what the priorities had to be. We had to reduce violent crime in this city or we had no hope, no hope at all of inviting business," Morris said.

But Penman, who in 2007 won another term as city attorney after beating a challenge from a Morris-backed candidate, contended that the past four years have been a time of lost opportunities.

Penman noted that while murders have dropped, other crimes -- offenses that he said are more likely to affect residents outside of gangs and the drug trade -- have increased. When he asked the audience to raise their hands if they felt safer now or in 2006, a third of so of those in the Hilton banquet room did so.

"This is the legacy of a city government that has not devoted itself to the jobs that cities are supposed to do," said Penman, who called for a back-to-basics policy of tough policing and code enforcement throughout the city.

Police Department statistics show murders that during the first nine months of this year, San Bernardino has been the site of 23 murders. That figure is down from 26 killings during the same period last year, and murders have trended downward since 2006.

Rapes, thefts and vehicle thefts are also down, but other offenses cited by Penman have increased.

Police figures show that through August, overall robberies have dropped but there have been year-over-year upticks in robberies involving firearms (up 20.59 percent), robberies involving knives (up 12.5 percent) and aggravated assaults are up by nearly 3 percent.

Avila has also been on the political scene during the past four years. He ran for mayor in 2005 and made an unsuccessful bid for a City Council seat in 2007.

During Thursday's lunchtime event, Avila repeated his call to saturate graffiti prone areas with uniformed cops and pursue a sports arena for economic development.

"I'm going to throw it out there. NBA basketball," Avila said.