How much do the Democratic candidates for mayor know about
the city they want to lead? During our campaign coverage, we’ll be testing the
candidates — no prior notice, no research allowed. (Want to suggest
questions? Write to themail@rochester-citynews.com. Subject line: pop quiz.)

Questions:

1. How many homicides were there in Rochester
in 2004?

2. What’s been the largest capital-expense item in the past
10 years?

3. What will be the largest in the next 5 years?

4. What has been the largest single area of decline in
federal funding in the past 5 years, and what did that money pay for?

5. What percentage of Rochester
families live in poverty?

6. If you live near the intersection of Clifford and North
Clinton and work at Marketplace Mall, what bus to you take to get
there?

Bob Duffy

1. 35

2. Charlotte harbor

3. Renaissance Square

4. Community Development Block Grants. They’re mostly for
community development in the neighborhoods.

5. 70 to 75 percent.

6. You take the Clinton
down to Main Street. I
don’t know what number it is. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen buses at Eastview or
Marketplace. I’m gonna say there’s not a bus that goes directly there.

Chris Maj

1. I think there was 43. 42, maybe? 42.

2. I think it’s Renaissance Square. Pretty much the largest
chunk of change has been allocated for that, I believe.

3. Renaissance Square still, because we’re planning to spend
money on that. That prison downtown was pretty big. I think that was like a
good chunk of the tobacco money went towards that. So that’s a damn shame, that
we built that new prison. I can’t recall the last time they built a new school,
really.

4. Probably health-care dollars.

5. Something like 90 percent of children are living in
poverty, so I think it’s 90 percent. Over 90 percent.

6. Well, I know you take the 24 to get to Marketplace from
downtown. I think to get down from Clifford you ride the Number 3 bus. Maybe
along St. Paul?

Tim Mains

1. 30. No — somewhere between 30 and 40. I’ll say 30.

2. I would say, hmm, I would say the PublicSafetyBuilding.

3. Revival of the Rochester Erie Canal bed and tunnel.

4. Cops. But that money has been coming out of public
safety. So I would say housing. Yea, housing.

5. 40 percent or very close to 40 for families. For singles
it may be different.

6. Oh, let’s see. Well, you take the bus and you have a
transfer. I don’t know the bus number, but you take it to Midtown, then you
transfer. And you take the bus that says Marketplace Mall. Again, I don’t know
the exact bus number you take, but the sign right above the driver will tell
you the route, and you take the one that goes to Marketplace Mall.

Wade Norwood

1. I do not know. I would say — I would say somewhere in
the mid 30’s.

2. The PublicSafetyBuilding.

3. Oh, no. The Broad Street Tunnel (laughter).

4. It is probably the community block grants, which have
supported so many of our housing needs.

5. I think it is in the upper 20’s. Somewhere… yeah, I think
it is up there near 30 percent.

6. I know the St. Paul
and I know the Joseph. I say it’s 7 Clinton,
and you take that downtown and you need to transfer there to the 24. I think
that’s right.

The answers

1. 35.

2. The Public Safety Building was the largest single project.
The largest aggregate project: harbor improvements in Charlotte,
including the ferry terminal. (Renaissance Square and the jail are notCity of Rochester
projects.)

3. Filling the subway tunnel.

4. Block grants, which the city has used for downtown and
neighborhood development.

5. 23.4 percent, according to the US Census.

6. Take the Number 7 bus (“North Clinton”)
to Main and St. Paul.
Transfer to the Number 24 bus (“RIT/Marketplace/Scottsville”), which goes
directly to Marketplace Mall.

This article appears in Jul 27 – Aug 2, 2005.