Coming out of the nap room, fully rested after a week off, the SF 49ers returned to form. Taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who possessed an identical record as the 49ers, (5-3) were well…obliterated by the red and gold.
This was the type of performance which had been absent the past few games. Fans expect 49er victories, and there was no disappointment in this one. The final score of 34 to 3 was a display of dominance, determination and drive. Congratulations to the team, managers and owners.
Take note, there are still a few residents and community leaders who are afraid of the 49ers. Somewhere in their wiring, they have a very short circuit. These folks need a villain they can point fingers to as a power-hungry organization wanting to gobble up everything in town. That point of view is strictly for political purposes and has no factual basis.
After ten years in Santa Clara, the 49ers have been amazing. They continue to support Santa Clara schools, nonprofits and dozens of charities. Their management company continues to schedule fabulous events at the stadium, like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift. Events that have produced millions for Santa Clara.
And how much have the 49er critics produced for Santa Clara? Exactly Zip! Nada! Nothing!
Mayor Lisa Gillmor, an outspoken critic of the 49ers for the past ten years, has made history with Santa Clara finances. She is the only public figure known in Santa Clara history to take office with a $41 million surplus and end her first two terms in office with a $17 million deficit.
Oh, that’s right. It must have been the 49er’s fault!
What a crock!
Where did all that money go?
Better streets, parks and playgrounds? Not in Santa Clara.
Mayor Gillmor works very hard. Primarily pointing her finger at the 49ers and the council members who disagree with her, all the while ignoring the obvious.
Her salary awards to the SCPD catapulted them into the highest paid cops in the state. In return, they supported and funded her reelection.
Her narrow win of 700 votes — after a political career that spans four decades —indicates she is not considered an overwhelming choice. The 49.5 percent that voted for her opponent Anthony Becker indicates a major divide. It’s unsurprising that Becker is now the focus of her political retaliation.
Obviously, this also must be the 49er’s fault.
And no doubt, there are folks in Santa Clara that still believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and that Mayor Gillmor can do no wrong.
Miles, suggestion going forward: You should separate professional sports team performance from city politics. 49ers players and staff don’t deserve to be drug into all this by people who supposedly support them.
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The over-generous salary provides employees at SCPD room to afford shoveling hundreds of thousands of dollars into the SCPOA PAC. It also rewards them with an inflated retirement pension much greater than employees in neighboring police departments. The City Council needs to freeze future pay increases and bring compensation down to levels that similar roles in neighboring cities like Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Campbell, Milpitas, Los Gatos, and the cities contracted to the Sheriff’s Department – Cupertino and Saratoga.
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As a community newspaper the SVV should look to investigative articles around city finance and amending the charter to appoint a police chief, those topics are of high interest and will benefit residents.
CSC,
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Good luck trying to convince Miles from doing anything but being a cheerleader for the Forty Niners.
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And good luck trying to get him to be concerned about reform of the SCPD. He only cares about reducing the political power of the SCPOA and does not care about the bigger issues that you write about.
Buchser, the SCPOA’s power should be reduced significantly. About 95% of employees represented by the SCPOA have never lived in the City of Santa Clara so all the money put into influencing city politics should be considered “outside influence.” I won’t make accusations about what Miles believes just as I won’t make accusations as to what I think you believe. We’re three grown adults, we can make those statements ourselves if we choose to do so.
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SCPOA is an employee labor union, that’s it. And like all employee labor unions their focus should solely rest in providing a unified voice to procure adequate benefits, compensation, and a safe working environment for the employees they represent. Of the thirteen law enforcement agencies in Santa Clara County, eleven also have labor associations representing law enforcement officers but none of them are embroiled in decades long fights with police leadership and city councils. None of the 11 appointed police chiefs in Santa Clara County have to deal with external politics in their roles. Santa Clarans deserve better, they can start by amending the city’s charter to appoint a police chief and remove politics from law enforcement leadership.
CSC,
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If the SCPOA were aligned with the Forty Niners and the council majority then Miles Barber would be aligned with them too. You and I and all other grown adults who can read know this to be true.
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He does not care about police reform. If the charger amendment is successful and we switch to an appointed chief I will be shocked to see Miles and the Silicon Valley Voice being critical of the appointed chief in any way.
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It is actually very commonplace for police unions to be engaged in the politics. Both in their city and beyond. Anyone can look up political endorsements published by police unions. It is also very commonplace for police officers to not live in the city where they work.
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Nonetheless I agree that it is not good for Santa Clara to have a police chief that is in effect handpicked by the police officers union. And I think the only way to change this is to make it not an elected position.
I wouldn’t mind paying the police higher salaries than surrounding areas if their performance justifies it. What we have are a modern day Praetorian Guard, arrogantly riding around in their newish SUVs (and breaking speed limits while talking on their mobile phones), and interfering in city politics. They know they are on thin ice, which is why they spend money on public relations on Nextdoor and other media.
It’s going to take an appointed Chief and several years to clean house and get a forced that serves the city, instead of the other way around.