I have lived in the area that is now District 6 for more than 46 years. My adult children and their children attended school here. I have never seen a minority from my district. That is why I support Anthony Becker, who represents the LGBTQ+ renters and other under-represented communities. He was born and raised in Santa Clara and has been a community activist in the City of Santa Clara since 2010, ran for office in 2016, ran for mayor in 2018 and now serves on the City Planning Commission since 2018. He has great ideas for the City of Santa Clara and is very committed and dedicated to making fundamental changes different than the present City Council led by Mayor Lisa Gillmor who has the majority vote to do her bidding.
Anthony, who has always opposed at-large voting, has been dedicated and committed to making changes in Santa Clara since 2010 as a community activist. He has been on city commissions since 2018, even serving as the Chair of the Planning Commission, and as a community activist since 2011 when we wrote to the City Council that the At Large Voting was against the California Civil Rights Act. Furthermore, he supported districted elections when we sued the City under CVRA in 2017 and won a court ruling for 6 districts in July of 2018.
Although the city council tried to combat District Voting by initiating Measure A with 2 districts in 2018 and Measure C with 3 districts earlier this year, those measures were defeated by the vote of the people of Santa Clara. Still, Mayor Gillmor, through her city council majority block, is appealing the CVRA ruling, wasting millions of our taxpayer dollars that would be better spent on improving minority representation.
Anthony Becker will move to drop the appeal against District Voting returning to At Large Voting and he will work to improve our City Parks recreational programs and downtown development. He represents the younger generation of voters and minorities who have become the majority. This will ensure a more representative City Council.
Here is my question about his opponents. I am wondering if Rob Mezzetti, Gillmor’s personal lawyer and a lobbyist who represented Joe Montana for a hotel across Levi’s Stadium that never happened, actually lives in District 6. He supposedly lives in our neighborhood, but I have never seen him. He may own a legal residence, but I am not sure he really resides here. I walk near his home every day, so I am curious as to whether or not he is a true resident. I also wonder about Gautam Barve. Does he actually reside in District 6 or does he live in San Jose?
I also support Harbir Bhatia for District 1, Suds Jain for District 5 and Kevin Park for District 4. All have supported District Voting and they are persons of color with fresh voices providing equity in representation and supporting better government.