Among the more interesting “forum” opportunities for the two candidates for the District Six seat on the San Jose City Council is actually online, but it’s not for the faint of heart.

Both Steve Tedesco and Pierluigi Oliverio were given chances to post 500 words or less on their candidacy on the local political weblog, SanJoseInside.com.

Neighborhoods Are Our Building Blocks
Steve Tedesco, February 12, 2007:

Our vision for the future of San Jose should be nothing less than assuring that the city we leave for future generations provides the quality of life and opportunities that were provided for those of us who were born and raised here.

My son, who is seventeen, is already concerned that he may not stay in San Jose. He talks about how he’s tired of the traffic and how congested this area has become. He’s not sure if he will be able to find a job and be able to afford to live here. And he is just like thousands of others.

My vision is to rebuild San Jose around the unique character of our neighborhoods and focus on the establishment of a vibrant downtown which will become the center of our city. …

Accountability and Visibility
Pierluigi Oliverio, February 19, 2007:

The City of San Jose Via a Web Browser

If elected, constituent service will be my top priority.

For the past twelve years, I have worked in the private sector high-tech industry. Based on my experience, web browser technology is an excellent communication tool that can be implemented into the way the City of San Jose does business. By implementing a web-based solution to the District 6 office, I will be able to enhance constituent services and, within a year, have empirical evidence describing specific outcomes by tracking constituent issues in real time.

If you enjoyed the recent decrease in campaign civility, you should check out these ongoing discussions. After the candidates posted, readers started a vigorous debate on the issues and the candidates, with the vast majority of commentors chiding the candidates for a lack of creative ideas and inspirational leadership.

Actually, the discussion devolved into political name-calling and a collection of notable quips. Commentors almost universally panned both posts, and then began questioning the leadership potential of both candidates. And since neither candidate has returned to add a comment in their defense, neither of them looks very good.

But, it’s good reading nonetheless, just so you can say you’ve read about both sides.