With primaries two weeks away, it is disappointing that there are no debates scheduled among the Democratic candidates for Auburn mayor and city council.

Such forums would not only be enlightening to registered Democrats, but to the community at large, as we head toward November.

It may be that with several candidates having multiple lines, that it really doesn't matter, since we will see most of their names on the ballot in another 60 days. That unfortunately misses the point of getting as much information out to voters and the public on where the candidates stand on a whole host of issues.

The mayor's race pits former Auburn Fire Chief Michael Quill, who has the support of the majority of the local Democratic Committee and its leadership against two-term City Councilor David Dempsey.

So far, with little exception, this race has been run by the placement of political signs, Web sites, letters to the editor and most recently on Sunday, an ad defending a role in the Auburn Fire Department contract that created a new manning level with a 15-man minimum.

Yet local Democrats have not been able to see Dempsey and Quill go head to head to talk about issues. Clearly, in this race there are a lot of questions, not only those surrounding the contract, but the chief's resignation and a slew of issues related to the councilor's behavior in and out of city hall.

It would make sense for the Democrats to have an event and hope that Democratic voters on Sept. 18 pick the stronger of two candidates overwhelmingly to take on incumbent Mayor Timothy C. Lattimore, who will be on the Republican and Conservative lines.

Dempsey half-heartedly called for such a forum last week, but it had the tone of a weaker candidate calling for something to help raise his profile.

Local Democratic leaders may see this as a last desperate gasp for attention.

In the case of the race for council, one person who wins in two weeks, whether it is incumbent Thomas McNabb, or newcomers Gilda Brower (who also has the Democratic endorsement) or challenger Cherry Love-Duncan, will get a seat come January.

With the local Republicans miserably failing to find even one candidate and the only other candidate being Peter Kotzer of the Independence Party, one of the two Democrats who wins will be assured a seat in 2008.

A forum allowing all three to be heard would help local Democrats make their decision with a primary campaign that really hasn't seemed to have any energy.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com