On Aug. 30, The Weekly submitted the following questions to District 1 candidates — Albert Gonzalez, Harbir Bhatia and Satish Chandra. Candidates had until Sept. 13 to reply. Below are the answers The Weekly received from Bhatia and Gonzalez. Chandra did not respond. Answers are presented verbatim.
What are the biggest resident concerns in your district?
Gonzalez: The biggest concerns in District 1 are housing affordability, services for a sustainable quality of life (such as police and fire, senior services, mental health options, city permitting, parks and recreation, and climate sustainability), event day issues (such as traffic, parking and trash) and the leadership dysfunction.
Bhatia: The residents’ concerns are for overall quality of life and affordability, from our seniors to youth. Due to the poor representation, planning for our area, and lack of residents inputs being considered. The overall welfare, parking & traffic, safety, affordability, and beauty of the region are being impacted with no solution insight. Coming from major events, poor traffic demand management, and lack of infrastructure improvement to roads, sidewalks, waste management, cell towers, networks, and more. Due to lack of funding for delayed development like the Tasman development of City Place. Lack of affordable housing and spaces for residents and small businesses
Do you support the formation of a stadium-neighborhood relations committee? Why?
Gonzalez: Yes, I would support the formation of a stadium-neighborhood relations committee. The more communication and input that occurs, the better, more thoughtful decisions that will be made. It will also be able to mitigate issues before they occur.
Bhatia: Yes absolutely. I have been advocating for this from the beginning. It is critical that the community have a greater voice and insights on the large-scale decisions for this region. Especially as the stadium has one of the most significant impacts on the surroundings. The bi-directional communications will improve understanding and solutions, and overall relations for more productive and mutually beneficial outcome, especially the residential experience.
What are your thoughts on negative campaigning? Unless you support such campaigning, how do you plan to address the inevitable campaigns targeting your opponents? If you support such campaigning, please explain why.
Gonzalez: I don’t condone negative campaigning and will not be participating in any negative campaigns. I would denounce any negative campaigning that I may encounter.
Bhatia: My approach is using facts to explain how I am the most qualified through with my past record and plans. The differences are provided by facts not false accusations and personal attacks, especially against the divide and rule practice. People don’t like unethical and divisive behavior. It breaks our communities apart. Everyone needs to look at the facts and remember that we all have to live and work together after the elections. The past negative campaigns divided the community and the City staff. This role is bettering the lives of our residents not a trophy for the mantel. It hurts everyone!
What would you do to promote a collegial and respectful city council?
Gonzalez: Organizations are built on relationships. In my 16 years on the Santa Clara Unified School District Board of Education I have encountered different governance teams, all being different. One thing that I have learned is that you need to build relationships with the different members of the team, in this case the city council members and mayor. This means having coffee or a meal and not necessarily talking about city matters but building respect for each other.
Bhatia: It starts with reestablishment of ethics training by empowering the City Clerk. It is important do have conflict resolution and relationship management training at the city. Council members need to do team building activities and get to know each other persons. New leadership, too!
What actions would you take with respect to the long-stalled Related project? What is your opinion of Related’s new plan?
Gonzalez: Work with the developer to see if we can speed things up. I have looked to work with other organizations and work outside of one’s silos. There maybe some synergies that may exist with another partner or public agency that will benefit the project.
Bhatia: One approach is to start the project in phases that allow investments to improve the infrastructure. Utilize the open spaces to create popup markets and activity spaces. The new plan needs to be made more aware, greater involvement and input by the community. While explaining the fiscal and quality of life impacts. Many residents want understand and can lend with their expertise and insights as well. Overall new developments need to not only create spaces for new people, but provide greater benefit to the existing residents too.
How can Santa Clara benefit from hosting the Super Bowl and the World Cup? What do you plan to do to ensure this?
Gonzalez: The Super Bowl and World Cup will allow for a global view on Santa Clara, which can benefit to have future events at the stadium or convention center.
Bhatia: Our district needs a visionary, experience and strategic thinker that understands economics for better planning. The games will bring funding to a depleted City budget, beginning to return after the past deficit by poor choices and structural deficits, or go back. Our city will be on the world stage, and needs leadership that can help us shine to build City’s brand. We need to ensure the fan programs, not just the games, are in Santa Clara, not just San Francisco. Including, opportunities for large companies and small businesses to participate, hosting watch parties, and tourism bundles that benefit the city.
What other city committees, commissions, task forces, and volunteer efforts have you participated in? For how long?
Gonzalez: I have served over 50 years combined on different boards and associations: Santa Clara USD Board, Santa Clara County Committee on School District Organization, Metro Ed Board, California School Boards Association (CSBA) Delegate Assembly, CSBA Board of Directors, CSBA Executive Team, Santa Clara County School Boards Association.
Bhatia: Highlights. Fought and got funding for the Northside Library. +10 Years providing the low-income students with shoes (Steps4Success), winter jackets and gifts (Christmas4Kids), Scholarships, Youth- Mentorship. Women skills trainings. Know-Your-Rights workshops for immigrants. Anti-Asian-Hate Rally. COVIDRelief, organized 500 volunteers to build +50,000 masks and face shields for schools, law enforcement, front-line works, hospitals. Built Food-Pantry to serve +1000 families and Seniors. Groceries for the low-income students. Daily Online StoryTime. Economic Development Forums. Helping people escape Ukraine’s conflict zones and providing medical, power, and humanitarian aid. Served on Cultural Commission, Library Foundation, Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Sister Cities, Citizens Advisory Committee, and more.
Election Day is Nov. 5, 2024. For a list of all the open offices and who is running for them in the City of Santa Clara, visit the city’s website.
Other Candidate Q&A’s:
Santa Clara City Clerk Hopefuls Sound-Off on Transparency, Qualifications
Police Chief Candidates Square-Off on Safety Issues in Santa Clara
Meet the District 5 Candidates, Santa Clara
I believe leading up to the Measure A & B campaigns, the Gillmor crew opted out of a joint discussion hosted by the Silicon Valley Chamber of commerce. This discussion would have allowed residents to hear both sides of the measures straight from the highest profile supporters. With Chandra (and Kertes in previous article) not participating in the public discussion of their candidacies, it appears he is following the Gillmor Gang playbook and letting outside money and the Trumpster MAGA movement do his talking.
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Bhatia and Gonzalez’s responses to “biggest resident concerns” and “stadium-neighborhood relations committee” were about equal. Bhatia appears more conversant on the topics, likely her many years’ experiences as an executive and engagement with residents.
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Point for “collegial and respectful city council” response, goes to Gonzalez. As hostile as some school boards and interaction with the community have become, I’m sure his experience there has given opportunity to reflect on positive personal engagement.
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The content of Bhatia’s concise response to the Related Project illuminates her project management and executive experience. Simply ‘speeding things up’, as Gonzalez puts it, and looking at outside groups to find a compelling reason to move forward isn’t an effective plan. Bhatia is keen to focus on both fiscal and quality of life benefits that are being negatively affected by this overdrawn and delayed project. Bhatia is the only one who makes sensible suggestions here.
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A true businessperson and community leader realizes the opportunities and benefits another Superbowl, and the World Cup bring to Santa Clara businesses. Bhatia has the executive savvy to branding revenue with businesses like AMD, Nvidia, Avaya, Applied Materials, Kaiser, and other companies headquartered in the city. Santa Clara hotels and restaurants will be booked at premium rates. City services and employees will be afforded opportunities to earn additional income, just look at how SCPD took the opportunity to create their own Super Bowl 50 merchandise: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/333855336548
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Previous experience on city commissions, task forces, or volunteer efforts is good but both Bhatia and Gonzalez should be commended for throwing their hats in the ring to represent District 1. Gonzalez stating “over 50 years combined” in disingenuous. Bhatia is a lot more articulate in her contributions to the community and with that readers can easily see the relevant experience she affords District 1.
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Overall, I score responses 3-to-1 in favor of Bhatia. District 1 residents should elect her their new representative.
First, there is a lack of trust by many of this publication. Their heavily biased reporting favors the 49ers and the 49er five regularly. One of it’s “reporters” has ghost written responses for a current city council member. You can see why there is a lack of trust to respond to them. You should do a little research on Bhatia and the shady dealings of Silicon Sage in 2020. She was a director for them prior to her 2020 candidacy.
Your comments relating any of the opposition candidates to Trump and MAGA are simply untrue and irresponsible. You make them without any supportive evidence. The fact that Related is the developer does not automatically make people that do business with them Trump supporters. I’m guessing you know this but you hope that people only react to your baseless, inflammatory comments and don’t actually fact check you.
There is a lot more trust in the Santa Clara Weekly and Silicon Valley Voice than there is the Haugh blog.
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Comprehension is not your strong suit. “I’m guessing you know this but you hope that people only react to your baseless, inflammatory comments and don’t actually fact check you.” If you fact-checked and found contradicting information you would have posted references. Sitting behind a keyboard thinking you can give orders to people to “go do research” but you don’t purvey that research yourself. Go ahead and write a Op-Ed about Chandra’s political stances, Related Santa Clara’s political influence and monetary support of candidates, and/or Responsible Internet Commenting, then submit to Silicon Valley Voice for publication. If substantiated I’m sure they will publish it. If not, go submit to the Haugh blog.
CSC,
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“There is a lot more trust in the Santa Clara Weekly and Silicon Valley Voice than there is the Haugh blog.”
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That is whataboutist response. The point that the Silicon Valley Voice is a politically partisan publication is good and true. I am sure that you know this is true and I would not expect someone who is as thoughtful in your commentary to try to deflect from this truth.
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And Robert Haugh’s santaclaranews.org is a partisan publication. Both are politically partisan. I think it is even more partisan but I also think that it does not really pretend to be otherwise. If and when Haugh tries to it is not going to fool anyone. But the Silicon Valley Voice’s political coverage can appear nonpartisan to readers who are not fully informed and who do not read critically.
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From what I have seen it is fair game to describe Chandra as a Trumpster and even if I could vote for him I would not as a result.
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Whomever Related supports with campaign spending I think does not reflect on that candidate’s positions on national politics. I think that Related makes contributions based on its local interests only and I so far have not seen anything suggesting a quid pro quo at least not like the Forty Niners’ contributions to local candidates and their actions in office.
Buchser, you’re right. I am very aware many writings in the SVV are partisan, especially if it comes from Miles Barber, but other contributors frequently appear to construct articles based on objective criteria and at least try to arrive at impartial summaries.
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Most comment here with an imperturbable tone, but every now and then commenters like the one above need to be checked. Thanks for your composed comments.
this is an interesting comment, Satish has posts still about Trump on the internet, its amazing what you can find when you look hard enough, and another publication out of SJ brought up some of those posts that he chose to remove on FB. I honestly don’t care if he likes or dislikes Trump. What I take more offense to is he saw a way to get on council and he changed his ways because he saw a path by being Gillmor and Watanabe’s buddy. Sprouting whatever they tell him to sprout.
while it is well known Harbir once worked for Sage, let us not forget that Acharya the owner of Silicon Sage romanced Gillmor and she along with a number of other politicians (Fremont Mayor Harrison and SJ Liccardo) were the ones that took campaign money from him. Yes you can look it up. The 3 of them are all into developers. Make no mistake.
Gonzales has school board experience true but does he have any other experience. I think he’s a one trick pony in a competition that is beyond him and if he gets up will be in time one of Lisa’s “you do as I say or else” buddies.
District one clearly only has one choice and that’s Harbir
November is getting closer,
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I completely agree that the Silicon Valley Voice is politically a very partisan enterprise. I think it is a shame that the one publication that we have that is devoted to Santa Clara news and politics is so partisan. It is unprofessional and does a disservice to its readers by taking sides so strongly.
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Despite this I think it was completely unnecessary for Satish Chandra to decline to write responses to the Silicon Valley Voice’s questionnaire. While their publisher Miles Barber will state falsehoods as fact in his editorials the rest of the writers do not lie as far as I have seen. They are biased and they will sway voters in a nonjournalistic way through their choice of what to write about and how they write about it and what they omit but I do not see them making statements that are not true.
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And so I trust them when they claim that they are printing the candidates’ full responses verbatim. And I trust that they would have done so with anything Chandra would have submitted. And if they had not then there would be a paper trail for Chandra to prove that they did so.
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I see no good reason for Chandra to have declined to send in responses. To me his refusal to do so is either a petty act or a bad decision that denies him the opportunity to get his positions out in front of more voters. Or it is both petty and a bad decision.
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This decision is only one of several reasons why I cannot take him seriously as a candidate but this does not matter since I do not live in the district that he’s running for council in.
To: November is Getting Closer — I have never hidden that I worked at Silicon Sage nor have nothing to do with whatever happened to them. I was an employee there who also paid a heavy price like many others. It seems you have been misinformed that I have something to do with the company’s dealings besides working there from December 2018 to mid-2020, or that I hid it. My LinkedIn profile lists that I worked there. If you search you will find it. Multiple buildings were built in downtown Santa Clara and in El Camino, which was before my time. So please be more aware of what you write and post.
I have known Harbir Bhatia since she originally ran for City Council against Kathy Watanabe. She lost by a small margin. She was not originally in favor of bringing in the 49ers. Kathy Watanabe and Lisa Gilmor bowed down to the 49ers originally. Harbir has been working hard and even went to Ukraine for assistance. As head of the Santa Clara City Chamber of Commerce, she has distinguished herself promoting business and events in the City. She will be a dedicated Council member, transparent and fighting for our City and will recuse herself if it is in conflict with the Chamber’s interest. She is far more qualified than Satish Chandra who is beholding to Watanabe and Gilmor and will vote on her own conscience. She has been working for more diverse issues than Gonzales and is the superior candidate for the District One seat.
I have known Harbir Bhatia since she originally ran for City Council against Kathy Watanabe. She lost by a small margin. She was not originally in favor of bringing in the 49ers. Kathy Watanabe and Lisa Gilmor bowed down to the 49ers originally. Harbir has been working hard and even went to Ukraine for assistance. As head of the Santa Clara City Chamber of Commerce, she has distinguished herself. She will be a dedicated Council member, transparent and fighting for our City and will recuse herself if it is in conflict with the Chamber’s interest. She is far more qualified than Satish Chandra who is beholding to Watanabe and Gilmor and will vote on her own conscience. She has been working for more diverse issues than Gonzales and is the superior candidate for the District One seat.