Editor's note: On May 20, the Ledger Dispatch e-mailed each candidate for Amador County supervisor a list of six questions. They were asked to choose five:

Name: Ken Berry

Age: 58

City: Jackson

Profession: Software developer

Running for: District 1 supervisor

Q: According to school district records, the county sent 53 percent of its students to public California universities or community colleges in 2006-07. What other educational options need to be pursued and will the county ever have a community college?

A: County government does not deal with education directly, but I would support a local effort to site a community college here.

Q: According to 2005 statistics from the California Employment Development Department, 75 percent of the county's job opportunities paid below the self-sufficiency wage for a single parent with two children, while 41 percent paid below that level for adults in a two-parent household. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated 9.2 percent of the county's population was living in poverty in 2003. Is Amador doing enough on the economic development front? If so, cite examples. If not, what would you do to bring in better-paying jobs?

A: There is very little the county government can do to create jobs. Hiring more public employees would certainly increase the local payroll, but to create public jobs without a clear need would not be productive in the long run.

The county has numerous parcels zoned for commercial and industrial uses. I believe these are adequate and the reason industry does not locate here has to do with our remote location. I would support changes to zoning to accommodate businesses that would create jobs. I would also consider forgiving or redirecting taxes to help businesses that create jobs get started.

Q: According to U.S. Census data, Amador County ranked 18th in population growth among California counties between 2000 and 2003, with most of that growth in the unincorporated upcountry area. What should be done to make sure infrastructure (schools, roads, public protection, wastewater capacity) keeps up? What part, if any, should regional planning or revenue sharing play?

A: The proper purpose of planning is to make sure that new development does not adversely impact the residents and businesses that are already here. Unless local residents are willing to pay for infrastructure just so it will be available if and when needed, there is very little that can be done prior to new projects being approved. Since new projects need new infrastructure, they should pay for it.

Growth is not something that happens and the board of supervisors comes along to deal with it. Rampant growth, such as the 3,700 new homes proposed for the Sutter Creek and Jackson areas, happens only as a result of deliberate policies in the five cities and counties. It is a very simple matter to require new development to pay its own way, or go away. The problem is a lack of will in our elected officials to protect the interests of current residents.

Q: A Capital Region Healthy Futures Project study projects that the 55 and older group will make up 40 percent of the county's population in 2020, up from more than one-third in 2005. Is Amador becoming a bedroom community for retirees and can it survive as one?

A: Amador is and has been a bedroom community for decades. The vast majority of voters, if not all residents, are of retirement age, and the proportion of retired people continues to grow.

Of course Amador can survive. There is nothing wrong with retired people. They need supplies, enjoy entertainment and do all of the things people do everywhere else. Businesses that cater to those needs will continue to do well, and should prosper as the retired population increases.

Q: What's the most important thing to maintain about Amador County and what's the most important thing to change?

A: The most important thing to protect is our rural quality of life. The most important change to make is to elect people who have no vested interest in businesses that depend on public subsidies. The qualities that make Amador unique are being destroyed by new residential housing projects that do not pay their fair share.

There are two kinds of politicians running for supervisor. Most imply that the growth they have promoted is inevitable and they want to talk about providing infrastructure without telling you who will pay. I am absolutely opposed to passing costs from private projects onto the public. That means I will only support projects that pay their own way and mitigate their impacts on the rest of us.

Check back tomorrow for a Q&A with District 1 candidate John Plasse.