With the Super Bowl just days from now, most local discussion and attention is on the Big Game. Can, and will, the 49ers capture that coveted trophy to accompany the five that rest in the 49ers Hall of Fame?
Projected viewers may set a record this year for two reasons: momentum and promotion. Tickets to attend the Big Game in the past have been around $7,000 each; however, this time, if you are lucky, you might be able to find one for $10,000. A recent report indicates that tickets are oversubscribed by five times.
The Big Game will be coming to Santa Clara in 2026 along with soccer’s World Cup, and you can be thankful for Levi’s Stadium. These events will bring thousands of fans and, in turn, millions of tax dollars to Santa Clara. Hotels, restaurants, car rentals and ancillary services will be humming.
All this good news gets little attention except complaining from Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor. She has an ongoing grudge that just gets in the way of Santa Clara’s partnership with the 49ers and Levi’s Stadium. She won’t talk to them about even routine operations and loudly objects when anyone else does so.
Her sidekick, Council Member Kathy Watanabe, opposed creating a neighborhood-stadium committee where her constituents could discuss stadium concerns and resolve them, preferring instead to whip up indignation on social media.
Other city council members took it upon themselves to talk with the 49ers about the stadium and ways we could mutually profit in the future. Gillmor was so incensed, she was a star witness for 2022’s error-riddled, poorly researched and opinion-packed “grand jury” report attacking council members who had discussions with Santa Clara’s stadium business partner, the SF 49ers. The report was straight out of Gillmor’s political playbook.
Now let’s see: You are a city council member and have the responsibility of working with the city’s business partners — we also have a convention center and you can’t talk to them? Who made up that rule? Oh…that’s right…Mayor Gillmor.
Thank you to Santa Clara council members for doing your job, working with staff and city partners, and making decisions that benefit all residents.
Thank you, SF 49ers, for coming to Santa Clara, ignoring the negative comments of the Mayor and making it to the Big Game. Kick butt.
Gillmor has one obvious trait – hatred.
Did the Mayor of Santa Clara ever congratulated the 49ers for making it to the super bowl?
She has not and she won’t for one big, political reason: The opposition to Measure A & B keep referring to a group of City Council Members and “the 49er 5” (now 6) as being behind an effort to amend the City’s Charter.
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A mature person would separate the home town team from politics. Supporters of Measures A & B have been transparent that neither Jed York or the 49ers organization has any input or influence on the matters but with just a few weeks before voting (March 5) the Mayor and her political allies won’t give up their mantra: “it’s all the 49ers fault, they’re trying to control local politics.”
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Lisa Gillmor’s mayorship ends in 2026. It’s past time Santa Clarans look for a Mayor who can support both residents and local businesses. Please spread the word to Vote YES on Both Measures A & B.
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Separate from the above: Congratulations to the NFC Champions and Go 49ers!
Looking forward to the day we don’t have Gillmor, Watanabe and Nikolai involved in city politics.