The following is a faithfully transcribed telephone conversation between me and Green Party member James Simpson recorded on March 1, 2009 between 7:15pm and 7:21m. Jame Simpson is currently running for mayor of Burlington.

HB: First of all I’m recording the call. Is that OK?

JS: Yeah. Not a problem.

HB: I just want to ask a couple of questions and give you a chance to say what you want about the election that’s happening on that’s happening on Tuesday... First of all, why are you running for mayor? What would you like to do if you got elected? And is there anything else you might want to say?

JS: Well, I’m hoping to put the city’s spending into more of a central focus on the city works, public works. The city’s growing a lot so I want to make sure that any kind of future that a modern city has is available to Burlington- that we don’t get left behind, progress-wise. As far as things going for development on the waterfront, I want to make sure that it’s an environmentally sound plan. I want to basically make sure the spending doesn’t get too excessive on that project. Also with the pension issues, I want to make sure things are set in the long term investment package for the city workers. That way they can produce something of a good, long lasting kind of pension as opposed to more of a shorter term investment and pay-out. So a lot of these people are really invested in making sure that the money is going to be there- sort of the funds being invested and then used, invested and then used and everything like that so...

HB: OK.

JS: There's a lot of worry going on there. Also with the city there’s a lot of upkeep that has to go on and the city doesn’t have as many machines as that needs for its snow removal and cleaning. The city needs a lot of these old telephone poles pulled down and buried underground and they need a lot of work on road repair and flood control. That’s something that influences the way the city kind of functions that way, and without those channels and everything set proper, and it looking appropriate, people aren’t going to want to come out and enjoy the city.

HB: And what would you say to a voter trying to decide between the candidates? Why should they choose you over the others?

JS: Well I look at things more architecturally as far as development is concerned for the city. I’m very much interested in building and building many things that are useful for everybody. I’m definitely interested in working on new energy resources and new inventive and creative businesses and can be used to service us here in Burlington . You know, trying to build as much of a small community based economy as possible without trying to get too far into incorporated businesses. I’d rather see the small guy win. I’m more of a grassroots candidate- somebody who would be more functional in office as far as coordinating and producing a better standard of economics in the city. Shooting for union pay wage increases and unification of all the different industries in the town and putting as many people to work and in housing as possible, through whatever resources we have available. So I’m definitely trying to eliminate the poverty factor and thereby reducing the crime factor and everything by providing for as many people as possible.

HB: And lastly, just a little biographical information about yourself- where are you from? What do you do? How long have you been in Burlington ?

JS: I was born and raised in Princeton , New Jersey. I went to a real prestigious private prep school in Atlanta, and then I went to high school in Atlanta, in a public school and got the architectural design experience. Engineering. Construction planning and all that stuff wrapped up in Atlanta. I got into field projects and decided to move up here with my girlfriend in 1995 and I've lived here ever since except for like a two-year stint where I went on the road and did some work. I shunt across county a couple times. I design and build climbing walls, occasionally getting the opportunity to manage them after working with the project managers and stuff like that. And I just got basically out of like a first season bike taxi, how can I say-like a demonstration of the service that we had available, and just kind of see if it was popular enough to mass produce the cabs. This season we're going to be expanding the business and trying to get into more human powered vehicles and transportation services.

HB: So it's a bike powered taxi-service?

JS: Yup. And also the winter, we're planning to import a couple of tuk tuk taxis. They're like motorcycle framed. They have a seat on the back and they have a three hundred CC [Cubic Centimeter]engine. We're going to be retrofitting those with a water fuel HHO [Hydrogen Hydrogen Oxygen] gas generator. So basically you just put water in it and you get like twenty-six hundred miles on ten gallons of water.

HB: Huh.

JS: And you know we're not even going to need to worry about emissions or anything like that because the only emissions that come off it are water and heat. It's a really creative idea because it's going to have a lot of Indian flair on there. You know just kind of like a Tibetan taxi sort of thing. And have some local yahoos running the taxi services and stuff like that.

HB: And what part of the city do you live in?

JS: I live in downtown Burlington.

HB: OK

JS: Yup. Up on the north end.

HB: So like in Ward Three?

JS: I don't actually know what ward it's in.

HB: Where do you vote?

JS: Bright Street. I just moved. So I kind of have to figure out where I'm at now. I think it's Ward Six. I'm not sure.

HB: Alright. Thanks a lot and good luck.

JS: Thank you.