Santa Clara’s propaganda machine is tuned up and turning this election season, and it’s taking things to a new level.
For years, Santa Clarans have watched the wheels turn from below the city council dais, with the same handful of community members stepping up to the public lectern and tossing out a variety of accusations against council members — everything from bribery to collusion to racism.
But this election cycle, the old guard has sunk to a new low. This time, it’s using a lame-duck council member to spread its lies from the dais.
On Sept. 24, during a city council meeting discussion, Council Member Kathy Watanabe made a reckless and baseless accusation. She accused this publication, The Weekly, of paying for city council candidate Harbir Bhatia’s flier distribution.
Watanabe claimed her information came from a delivery person.
“I said, ‘By the way, who’s paying you to pass out all these fliers?’ and he said, ‘The Santa Clara Weekly,’” Watanabe said. “And he said, ‘Yeah, they give us these, they give us these carriers to carry everything. And to pass them out.’ And I said, ‘Well, good luck to you.’ and he went on his way, and I went home and looked more into this issue.”
What does “look more into the issue” mean, exactly? One thing’s for sure, Watanabe never contacted The Weekly.
If she had, she would know that The Weekly does not endorse candidates or pay for the delivery of candidate materials. We would have told her that we do not donate to political campaigns. In fact, The Weekly has a decades-long track record of not endorsing political candidates.
But Watanabe didn’t ask.
She also didn’t ask the distributor. We did. He told us that the employee remembered the conversation. The employee said he was asked what company he delivered for. He replied with the business owner’s name. Watanabe then asked the employee what else he delivered, and he told her The Santa Clara Weekly.
We’re not splitting hairs. It’s clear that Watanabe heard the answer she wanted to hear and not the actual truth.
Less than 12 hours after Watanabe’s comments, The Weekly emailed the city and Watanabe, asking the council member to set the record straight at the next council meeting. We also asked for an email reply.
So far, we haven’t heard anything.
The truth is that this is exactly what the old guard propaganda machine wants. Watanabe was never searching for the truth; her purpose was much more malicious and dangerous than that.
She was searching for a sound bite.
And she got it.
Her comments about The Weekly were repeated on her favorite blog first thing the next morning. The purported “news site” also didn’t contact The Weekly for clarification or comment.
Her hand-picked council candidate, Satish Chandra then amplified the message. He didn’t talk to us either. Instead, he jumped on social media to spread the rumor. Not only did he comment on the initial post by that so-called “news site,” but he also made sure to spread that rumor on NextDoor and several Santa Clara Facebook community groups.
When our publisher, via Chandra’s NextDoor post, offered the truth and asked Chandra to stop spreading the rumors, Chandra deflected.
Chandra blocked comments on his Facebook posts, so we couldn’t set the record straight there.
And this has always been the danger of Santa Clara politics. A whispered rumor that spreads like wildfire with a little flame-fanning from the old guard.
Back to Watanabe, who apparently has no qualms about making false statements if it furthers her political agenda.
It is hard to believe this was a slip of the tongue. It’s more likely it was a blatant misrepresentation designed to discredit a publication that has been critical of her in the past and is currently critical of her hand-picked council replacement.
Remember, this is the same council member who will not cordially greet her council colleagues.
This is the same council member who whined to the media that a fellow council member threatened her in a closed session. Never mind the Brown Act. She was also mum when a third-party investigator found her to be the aggressor.
Still, she continues to spread that rumor. Just last month, in a court document no less, she again said that the council member “verbally attacked” her, and she left the meeting because she was concerned for her “safety.”
We wonder if a judge will compare the two stories.
Rumors are the currency of Watanabe and the rest of the old guard. They sow seeds and then spread those seeds until people can’t distinguish truth from fiction. Under the guise of “Reclaiming Santa Clara,” they foment chaos.
Do you remember what Santa Clara was like when they were in control?
Do you remember the millions of dollars spent fighting the California Voting Rights Act lawsuit?
The Weekly remembers. We were highly critical of the council’s continued opposition to the CVRA.
Watanabe remembers too. She voted in favor of that court battle.
Watanabe and “Reclaiming Santa Clara” are all about reclaiming that power. And apparently, they are not above trying to discredit an independent news organization to do it.
View Comments (12)
I suggest the Weekly should threaten to file a slanderous lawsuit against both Watanabe and Chandra. That should get their attention and then demand that they offer an immediate apology.
Kathy Watanabe reminds me of the spoiled child who creates a problem with her siblings then runs and hides behind her mother when her siblings come after her. Then she claims, "I didn't do it!" I seriously wonder if she will ever show maturity and dignity. For a public figure to put out messages that she has not bother to verity is defamatory and quite frankly immature. But this seems to be her normal mode. I keep wondering why she got voted into office.
I have taken this accusation with a healthy grain of salt.
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But it is believable considering that it seems that your editors coordinated with Becker and the Forty Niners to get a copy of a grand jury report before its public release in order to preempt it with PR spin that would be advantageous to Becker and the Forty Niners. Specifically it is Carolyn Schuk and Angie Tolliver who have been implicated in this.
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But anyone who reads this publication knows that anything political in it is partisan. So this accusation is believable.
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The only reason why I do not find it totally believable is that I would not expect this publication to pay for the labor to distribute flyers. Not unless it was serving as a distributor of Forty Niner funds but that would make no sense because they just spend their millions influencing Santa Clara politics by setting up expenditure committees.
Yes, for you it is nothing but a heathy “grain of salt”. But for this paper, it is obviously, not. It is for the facts, and also to protect its reputation. That is the reason for their investigation and for publishing the article above.
As for Becker, you really need to get off your stupid soap-box. You remind me of the “rabble-rousers” from “Mockingbird”. “We don’t need a dumb trial! He’s guilty! He’s guilty! So, let’s all go and drag him out, and hang him! Yea! Yea! Yea! ”
Buchser3,
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Hang him? I have written at least a few times on this site that I hope that Becker can settle his case with a plea bargain that will allow him to move on with his life without the stain of a felony conviction much less a prison term. I have also said that he is an idiot who was too stupid to avoid putting himself in this position but that there were more intelligent adults in his life who could have helped him avoid this.
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Unfortunately these adults were Forty Niners executives and staff here at the Silicon Valley Voice. And they all were using Becker as their useful idiot for their own political purposes and more interested in his use to them than his personal welfare.
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My comment above is not about Becker or his punishment. It is about the hypocrisy of a supposed newspaper supposedly reporting the news but having staff who are party to political machinations. The hypocrisy of a supposed newspaper publishing an Op Ed crying foul about unproven accusations that they are party to some political machinations when it looks clear that they have been party to other political machinations.
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They do not have much of a reputation to protect. Not when it comes to being a partisan political publication. It is a fact that they are not a rumor or a mere allegation.
Well, you obviously do not have much of a reputation to protect either. Definitely much much less than this publication has. After all, this is their business. As for the “Hang him” remark, I was referring more to the “To Kill a Mockingbird” book/movie. Becker has pleaded innocent of the charges. Please allow the trial to begin. You are guilty of attempting to influence potential jurors. The facts will come out. Becker does not need your advice as to how to “plea”. Your comments often align closely to those of Lady Gillmor and her minions. It is a statement of fact that most of your comments are also often no more than mere allegations, too.
Buchser 3,
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The sad fact is that Becker has needed good advice. Carolyn Schuk should have advised him to not abuse his position and leak the grand jury report to her and the Forty Niners and definitely to not lie about it under oath. Maybe she did the latter but she was delighted that he did the former.
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That's not a mere allegation but a fact. She texted Rahul Chandhok with "Oh, yes. That’s what we needed to shove Lisa’s October surprise right up her ass."
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https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/49ers/article/ex-49ers-official-key-witness-anthony-becker-18109280.php
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There are many more facts that are also already known and the case against Becker seems to be very damning. It may not have been the case but I expected that he would have had the opportunity to receive a much lighter charge and conviction and punishment in exchange for a guilty plea and a resignation. But now he is on almost the literal eve of trial and I think that opportunity has passed him by.
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If he becomes a felon it will forever damage the rest of his life. Nobody seems to have cared about this and only cared about how his criminal behavior could be useful to their agendas. Giving the Forty Niners and the Silicon Valley Voice a chance to take a swing at the grand jury early meant nothing good in the long term. The only reason why anyone remembers that they preempted the grand jury report is because he is about to go under trial for committing a crime to help make that happen.
These are many allegations and many unknown legal facts. Whether Carolyn advised him or not is not known. Whether or not he shall be given an opportunity to receiving a lighter charge or any punishment at all is also not known. Becker deserves a fair trial. According to you, he is already “guilty” and is to be charged as a “felon” and forever be damage for the rest of his life. I suggest you drop this vendetta and simply allow the trial to continue and decide his fate. In any case except for your own personal vanity purposes, you have absolutely no power to determine the ending. Stop your babbling.
There are some real idiots on these comments. I agree with W.S.
I agree with both you and W.S. I hope you don’t get too annoy with our comments. We’re just having a little fun. After the elections, I’ll go away.
The Question is has Ms Watanabe actually apologized. I too believe the Weekly should consider slander. I watched the council that night, she clearly manipulated the facts. But hasn't' that always been the case, many of lisa's former co-horts have. As Watanabe ever apologized for the slanderous comments about Becker that he swore that one time, when it was investigated and shown not to be true ? has she ever apologized to Park over the "this is MY EVENT". She wears her colors on her sleeve and her followers appear to be no better. Her High School demeanor is so yesterday. No wonder some people associated them as trumpeters. They carry on like petty children. Being Child like is so different to being Childish. We've witnessed nearly 8 years of Lisa's Childish attitude when she didn't hold all the cards on Counsil. Honestly can't wait to see the back of her and I hope she moves to Morgan Hill or Gilroy or better Oregon where being weird is accepted. And KW needs to go back to NY where being RUDE is part and parcel of their existence. So tired of Lisa and Kathy God help us if her minions get up we are going to see nasty reign supreme.
I find it strange that an article which explicitly states that the Santa Clara Weekly never endorses political candidates is followed by an ad for a DeBartolo backed candidate! :>)