Capital Q & A

Three of the mayoral candidates answer five questions about the city.

By PEGGY CIDOR
Which bus line takes you from the central bus station to Pisgat Ze'ev? How long does it take and how much does a ticket cost? Meir Porush: The lines are, if I remember correctly, 6, 6a, 25 and 8. It takes approximately 30 minutes, and the ticket costs NIS 5.70. Nir Barkat: When I was younger I lived in Pisgat Ze'ev and I used to ride my bicycle to the university. When I took the bus, it was number 25. The fare is NIS 5.70, and it takes too long because of the roadworks for the light rail. Dan Birron: It takes between 30 to 60 minutes to reach Pisgat Ze'ev by bus from the central bus station. The ticket costs NIS 5.60, but there are various discounts for students and the elderly. I estimate that without all the traffic jams, it would take no more than 20 minutes. In Jerusalem: A bus ticket costs NIS 5.70. Nos. 6, 8 and 25 travel to Pisgat Ze'ev. How long does it take to obtain a permit to enclose a balcony? Porush: As I recall, when I needed the permission it took me three years. My aim will be to shorten the waiting time and speed up the work. Barkat: At the Building and Planning Committee it takes too much time, depending on the specific requirements of the balcony. I plan to make a reform to cut the time needed. Birron: I'm not sure there's one simple answer. First you have to request it, wait for neighbors' objections and check that your request fits in with the master plan in the Land Registry. If there are no particular problems, it should take between four to five months. I believe that with less bureaucracy, it could be shorter. IJ: It takes about three years to get a permit. Who is in charge of preserving historic buildings and what does the local law say about it? Porush: The name is the Council of Preservation of Historic Sites, and the person in charge is Itzik Shweky. The council takes care of all the sites and buildings that are preserved or to be preserved, and it works in conjunction with the municipality, although there is no statutory mandate. Barkat: The statutory Committee for Preservation at City Hall should preserve these historic buildings, but the committee is not efficient. The balance between development and preservation is not respected. The law gives the municipality the means to preserve its historic sites, but the law is not enforced. So many historic houses have been destroyed, and treasures of history and culture are lost. Birron: The planning department is responsible for preserving historical sites and buildings. At City Hall there should be a list of them, but I think these historic buildings are not protected enough. It's hard to protect them from greedy contractors who are ready to pay big money. But we have to remember that a city without a past is a city without a future. That's what we believe at Green Leaf. IJ: Porush's is the complete and correct answer. If you live in Neveh Ya'acov, where can you register your daughter for state high school and where does a resident of Beit Hakerem register his son for junior high in a state religious school? Porush: In the case of the high school, a person can enroll his children in any school he wants. There are no registration areas. As for the junior high, the answer is Himmelfarb. Barkat: Following my struggle to open registrations areas, all students in the northern part of the city can choose among three schools there. In Beit Hakerem, a graduate of Dror school can register at its junior high and high school or choose between two other schools in the neighborhood. Birron: I'm not an expert on these issues, but I know that in Neveh Ya'acov there is no high school, so they have to go to Pisgat Ze'ev or Ramot Eshkol (to Rene Cassin). As for a junior high school in Beit Hakerem, I think they have the Himmelfarb school or the Noam network close by. IJ: Barkat and Birron are correct. There are four registration areas for high schools: north, south, east and west. Would you require high-ranking municipal employees to be residents of the city? (At present, most of them are not.) Porush: I believe that every municipal employee should live in Jerusalem. But because there is no legal way to require that, the question should apply to the public representatives, who must reside in the city in which they are elected. Barkat: I will strive to hire the best people for the job. If they are also residents of Jerusalem or its environs, that will be an asset. Birron: High-ranking employees of the municipality should be chosen according to their skills and abilities. I would rather see them, at least those who are in charge of the look and the day-to-day life here, being residents of the city. But I don't think we can require that as a precondition. Arkadi Gaydamak did not submit answers by press time.