Coffee with Dan: Conversation with the Candidates
The Mill — Monday, Aug. 20 from 5-7 p.m.
It’s only appropriate that in a somewhat unusual election, the election’s first candidates forum would also be somewhat unusual. So, instead of the audience submitting questions and candidates reciting answers, the candidates will be asking questions and listening to answers of people attending the forum at The Mill on Monday.
Conversation with the Candidates will be hosted by its organizer, Daniel Boscaljon. Boscaljon, a frequent contributor to Little Village, explained in an email that the structure of the forum is designed to facilitate a conversation between the candidates and the audience about “politics in terms of vision and character.”
“By character, I mean the habits and contingent circumstances that shape who each of us becomes,” Boscaljon said. “By vision, I mean the values that inform what particular good things are most important to emphasize when thinking about the future of Iowa City. Both are important because even when the visions are similar, the distinct character affects how each candidate translates that vision into reality.”
All five candidates — Ryan Hall, Brianna Wills, Christine Ralston, Bruce Teague and Ann Freerks — have agreed to participate in the forum. Boscaljon will begin with a brief conversation with each candidate, as a way of introducing the candidate to the audience. The candidate will then have an opportunity to ask the audience questions, and Boscaljon will moderate a discussion between audience members and the candidates based on those questions.
The two-hour forum will begin at 5 p.m., and is free and open to the public.
Conversation with the Candidates will also serve as a kick-off to the series of public conservations Boscaljon will be hosting called “Coffee with Dan.”
“My hope is that this series will create the space for a community of thoughtful individuals who share my value of living well with others and my interest in exploring difficult questions in respectful and empowering ways,” he said.
THANK YOU for stepping up and hosting a forum. With so little time before the voting, it is critical that the public is able to hear the candidates views and compare them against each other.
This is really awesome. Love the format. Conversations are the building block of community!
The League of Women Voters of Johnson County will host a Council Candidate Forum on Wednesday, Aug. 29, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. in Harvat Hall at City Hall, 410 E. Washington St.