Why are you running for this office? Describe your vision for the city of Dallas and, specifically, how you would accomplish your goals.

John Jay Myers: I am running for this office because I can no longer sit by idly while our city funds hotels and becomes yet another debtor. We pay 225 million dollars a year in debt service. That is more than double the projected 100 million dollar budget shortfall.

Together we can lead Dallas to a more prosperous future for all our citizens. I will wake up the City of Dallas so they realize we have got to stop spending ourselves into bankruptcy.

I will also let people know that the time for back room deals, and sweet-heart deals for developers is coming to a close. When the government gets involved in private enterprise they become the tool for greed or misplaced philanthropy.

Contrast your leadership style with the current mayor and council members.

John Jay Myers: The biggest difference is that I have a deeper understanding and a stronger respect for the Constitution of the United States. I also recognize that the role of government should be in today's spend-thrift ideology. I feel like City Hall has grown too far beyond its proper role. It is time for citizens and private enterprise to take the lead in our city. In a city like Dallas it is important for the Council to help plan development areas, but only to facilitate the needed infrastructure.

How important are coalitions on the council, and how would you work to build consensus?

John Jay Myers: I hope to work amicably with everyone on the council. When it comes to matters of the role of government or the Constitution, I have little leeway to offer on those issues. I will discuss any views I have that might be contrary to the "status quo" with the other members prior to the council meetings so they might see my point of view. They may also see fit to share theirs. I hope to have a cordial working environment with all of them though I know I will be one of the lone voices for smaller government. Together we can make it an effective one.

Why does Dallas remain a divided city, and what immediate steps should be taken to bridge the divide?

John Jay Myers: We should engage all the residents in the decision making process on public issues rather than creating ordinances or spending their money with little or no concern for their thoughts. If the people of Dallas have some input at the get-go, it would alleviate some of the problems we run into later. For instance if you ask a developer "what do you think of the convention center hotel?" they will say "FANTASTIC!" if you ask the average person in my district about it, they will say that we need to fund this hotel like we need a hole in the head. Most people would agree we don't need more holes in our head.

What is an uncomfortable truth about Dallas that your constituents need to confront?

John Jay Myers: We have got to stop spending money wastefully. We have to stop expanding the power of government in an attempt to solve all of our problems. The best solutions come from the community, not from the government. We should be there to assist in the right ways. No one is worse at spending money than the government. They are not the best managers in most cases. A bureaucracy is inherently slow at finding and resolving problems.

Dallas has committed to add more police officers each year for the foreseeable future. What else must the city do to help bring down the crime rate?

John Jay Myers: Instead of spending officers' time picking up kids on the streets or doing random traffic stops we should focus the officers on the true problem areas. They should patrol and be ready to respond to robberies and violent crime. Coordination and response to home and business security services in the private sector are a good focus. Also, we need to hit crime before it starts. Instead of seeing how many folks we can arrest we might actually try to provide economic opportunity. How do we do that? We improve the infrastructure of our problem areas which would, in turn, increase new businesses. Then new businesses bring more jobs. And, with more jobs comes less crime. Less crime also comes from education and stronger families and churches. These are all places I would try to attack the problem before throwing yet another teen's life down the drain. As far as our police officers are concerned, we need more Andy Griffith and less Robocop. As illustrated by the recent Robert Powell/Ryan Moats debacle.

The city manager's office already predicts up to a $100 million shortfall, with the hard budgeting work still ahead. How would you advise making up the difference: a property tax increase, cuts to city services or a combination?

John Jay Myers: Spending is the problem, not revenues. I would look at budget items in terms of my view on the proper role of government. I believe the private sector better provides almost all services and would try to scale down government intervention. We also need to aggressively seek out opportunities to save money. I want even the most miserly of individuals to say, "Boy, those city council guys are cheap!" The private sector would love to add more jobs and that would add to our revenue base as well.

If the city faces difficult service cuts in this budget cycle, please list the three areas, in order, you consider to be off-limits for cuts and the three areas where you would start cutting.

John Jay Myers: I believe there are always misallocated resources and opportunities for efficiency in any department. Public safety and infrastructure are the core functions of government and would face the least amount of cuts, though with a budget of over a half-billion dollars public safety could take a little more scrutiny. I think too often politicians are scared to even talk about cut backs in this department, when reallocating the resources may actually reduce crime. Code Enforcement is also stretched too thin as it is. Any function that interferes with the private sector or the free market should be reduced. Subsidies for some businesses at the expense of others and needless new projects that will incur debt and interest expenses should be cut. There are many examples of wasteful spending, like plasma TV's at City Hall that can definitely go. I mean, did we really need those? In fact, we should sell those things to make up some revenue.

With The Bridge homeless assistance center up and running, what next step should Dallas take to address the needs of the homeless and to reduce the homeless population?

John Jay Myers: I think the city should do whatever possible to support private, non-profit, and community organizations to provide assistance to the homeless. The resources are there right now to solve the problem. I believe the city's role should be to coordinate the various efforts of these groups and the City Council should use its position of leadership to provide compelling encouragement to our citizens to participate in initiatives for the homeless. As a matter of fact, Wednesday March 25th, I went to a charity event to help the The Bridge and made a donation. It may surprise you to know that the city had nothing to do with it.

Do you favor the city's effort to build an attached Convention Center hotel?

Do you also favor the plan to pay for the construction through taxpayer-backed bonds? If not, how would you rather see the city fund this hotel project? John Jay Myers: The city should absolutely not build a publicly owned hotel. Funding for such a project should solely be the responsibility of the private sector. The idea of the city risking taxpayer money and actively participating in the hotel market is ludicrous. Was that clear enough?

Should the city continue twice-weekly trash pickup? Or do you believe the city is moving quickly enough toward once-weekly trash pickup, supplemented by once-weekly recycling pickup?

John Jay Myers: Ideally private enterprise should handle trash pickup. For now, there is nothing wrong with lowering costs and promoting recycling. We need to make sure we listen to any citizen feedback and positively respond to their concerns as we implement these changes. We must also make sure that information regarding the change is properly communicated to everyone to avoid problems and confusion.

Do you support Mayor Tom Leppert's push to fast-track the Trinity River Corridor project? And with the toll road reportedly $1 billion short of being built, how would you suggest making up that funding?

John Jay Myers: As a matter of fact, if I had my choice I would knock the toll road out of the Trinity River Project. I still believe that people did not know what they were getting with a "Trinity Parkway". People did not sign on for failing levees and billion dollar shortfalls. There are alternatives to the toll road. We should build the parks and lakes as planned, and reconsider the rest seperately. We should not risk the safety of our city by ignoring the levee problems in an effort to expedite the project. We have seen how well this worked in other cities.

What role should the city take in improving education in Dallas' public schools?

John Jay Myers: You answered this question just by asking it. With the DISD school board controlling the schools, the fact that you are asking Dallas City Council candidates instead, illustrates the problem. We have to elect capable and qualified school board members. That is up to the citizens of Dallas. I could help get parents involved with their children. We need to encourage parents to come together with local teachers, students, and non-profit groups to provide community based solutions to education. Families and teachers need to take the initiative, because the school board has failed them. The city should bring teachers, parents, and students together to decide how best to change the administration of the public schools. It is called the PTA. We also need to encourage churches, charities and especially adult volunteers to get involved with helping to advance the education of our less fortunate kids.

Is the city doing enough to encourage and support denser, more pedestrian-friendly development, especially around DART stations? If not, what specific steps would you propose?

John Jay Myers: The city has been successful in encouraging these mixed-use and transit oriented developments. The city's role should be to determine what type of infrastructure and other improvements can best facilitate these developments. There are gold mines waiting out there for prospective entrepreneurs, the city needs to lead by planning and then get out of the way. We should also do whatever possible to protect the property rights of our citizens.

Do you believe the city has done enough to encourage and support a water conservation strategy? If not, what specific steps would you propose?

John Jay Myers: The city must make every effort to curtail ridiculous water consumption. The conservation strategy needs to be greatly expanded and the City Council needs to take the lead in making the public truly committed to the future of their water supply. The city should also encourage new developments take measures to minimize their water use as our city and population continue to grow. Finally, the city should make an effort to coordinate with other cities because it is an issue that is regional in nature.

Do you support building the Marvin Nichols Reservoir in northeast Texas as part of the city's overall water strategy?

John Jay Myers: We need to reign in consumption first. Dallas has one of the worst per capita consumption rates, and that is unacceptable. I favor market based solutions to the problem, and I will support water conservation efforts throughout the city. We also have other alternative options available such as raising lake levels at Wright Patman, or using reservoirs such as Texoma or Toledo Bend to their fullest.

For decades, the southern half of Dallas got short shrift from City Hall in development and other resources. In which specific ways should the city redress this neglect and bolster southern Dallas neighborhoods?

John Jay Myers: Dallas should target infrastructure and other investments in the areas that need it most, like district 7. Neighborhood associations, developers, community and non-profit groups and citizens should be actively included in the process of development. When people take ownership of their communities the possibilities are endless. Together we can seek out private sector solutions to our problems, rather than employing ineffective and expensive government programs that are imposed from above. These programs tend to benefit big developers and not the people they were intended to help. Often those people can't afford the affordable housing built for them.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing southern Dallas? Conversely, what are southern Dallas' biggest assets?

John Jay Myers: The lack of employment opportunities is the biggest challenge. A hard working labor force sitting on top of affordable land should be known as our biggest asset. The people of South Dallas are ready to produce. We just need the industry to take the next step. I am committed to engage the citizens of district 7 so that they can take control of their community. Government's role should be to facilitate the infrastructure and safety that encourage the business that hire the people.

Would you support creating an economic development corporation to oversee redevelopment efforts in southern Dallas? If so, how would you fund it?

John Jay Myers: There are already many economic development entities in the city. The city's role should be limited to improving cooperation and coordination of the private and non-profit organizations, while ensuring public safety and superior infrastructure.

Is the city doing enough to encourage and support development in and around the International Inland Port of Dallas? If not, what specific steps would you propose?

John Jay Myers: Projects like this need to be created by the private sector. The city should provide core services and support private enterprise in building that development. We also must bring together the people and businesses of that area to plan their own future. City revenues will grow naturally as a result of balance in the public and private sectors.