Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor wants nothing more than to eliminate objective, balanced, informed and thinking council members this November. She has chosen candidates who are “Committed Gillmorites,” and who will vote as she directs.
The current council majority has hired outstanding personnel, worked to balance the budget, resolved the 49er litigation and made intelligent decisions for the community.
All of these accomplishments were without any support from Santa Clara’s mayor, Lisa Gillmor, nor from her lone council supporter, Kathy Watanabe.
However, Gillmor has still been busy. She has actively recruited candidates for the coming election who will follow her lead, vote for her proposals and ask no questions.
Many residents remember Gillmor’s last council majority. That was the group that burned through Santa Clara’s $40 million surplus, turning it into a multi-million-dollar debt.
The current council majority has a record of success, earning them respect and the right to be returned to office.
By comparison, this council has qualities that set them apart from Mayor Gillmor’s majority, which ruled just a short time ago.
The current council’s actions include integrity, concerns for residents, balanced decisions and the hiring of experienced personnel, bringing productive results to Santa Clara.
Santa Clara needs a mayor who works for Santa Clara residents. That’s not going to happen in this coming election as Lisa Gillmor has two more years.
Her current plan is simple. Devious, but simple. Return Santa Clara council to a Gillmor majority putting power and control back in her hands. And when she terms out, she’ll likely run for council again and potentially serve another eight years — a potential 31-year reign.
Residents cannot afford another Gillmor majority. They cannot afford putting her in charge of the city checkbook, or putting in charge of hiring and firing key personnel.
Following Santa Clara’s last election, the new council majority made bold decisions to terminate City Manager Deanna Santana and City Attorney Brian Doyle, restoring fiscal sanity and giving the city an attorney whose duty is to his client instead of his own agenda. You had to take notice and realize this new council was serious — serious about serving Santa Clara residents.
Gillmor appointees Santana and Doyle were complicit in her reckless spending and autocratic decisions. Now, she wants council control to do it again.
You can only wish I was kidding!
Your vote can retain your productive City Council by re-electing Suds Jain, Kevin Park and Anthony Becker.
The North side offers great options in Harbir Bhatia or Albert Gonzalez to replace termed-out Watanabe.
Remember, Gillmor council control was not that long ago. However, voters can and do forget. That’s the reason for this reminder. Your informed and knowledgeable vote prevents another unchecked Gillmor loose-cannon council.
Previous Milestones:
Milestones – Same Old Tactics – Opinion
Milestones – Power To The Voter – Opinion
Milestones – Are You A Thinker? – Opinion
View Comments (5)
The next four years will be dangerous for Santa Clara finances and equitable representation of these four candidates are voted in...
• D1 Satish Chandra is simply a 'yes-man' whose capabilities are limited to surfacing trivial and non-productive policy suggestion. During the recent Charter Review Committee session, he proposed spending hundreds of thousands on swimming pool maintenance that competent project analysts and City Staff already deemed beyond repair. The swimming pool Chandra spoke about wasn't even a topic the Charter Review Committee was tasked to evaluate. Chandra won't represent District 1 residents well.
• D4 Teresa O’Neil is a rehash who was previously passed over by residents largely due to insignificant contributions and outlandish spending objectives. She should not be considered again.
• D5 David Kertes is relatively unknown and his professional background appears to just be sales. His resume doesn't indicate he is a better choice than the current D5 Council Member. And Kertes is taking campaign contributions from a corporate entity whereas Suds Jain is committed to solely a grass-roots, neighborhood campaign.
• D6 Kelly Cox despite a campaign web site billing her as a an 'Assistant Dean', she's actually just a student at Santa Clara University who dabbles in bartending, and appears to have her hands full after classes caring for a child by herself. While being a single mother and full-time college student should be supported, it's unlikely she'll be able to give the same amount of care and attention to a District and City Council that is in need of someone with significant professional experience and who can accommodate council meetings that frequently run into the early mornings.
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Residents will be much better represented and served by electing CEO Harbir Bhatia in District 1, reelecting professional engineer Kevin Park in District 4, and reelecting MIT educated and retired engineer Suds Jain in District 5.
This is so boring and such a tired spewing of crazy. Let's start with this:
"The current council’s actions include integrity..."
Seriously? And you want to re-elect Becker the compromised? Or Park the bully? Or Suds the ax-grinder?
Come on editor. I don't think the 49ers themselves could draft this opinion piece any differently. It's so blatant and unapologetic. It show the lack of integrity in your "journalism." And it is just sad. I don't hear you talk much about how Becker leaked the report to you. Or how you fail to cover any of the numerous issues Becker displayed. But that is on par for a propaganda rag like this. It's a shame. You have some talented people that write here, but their voices are a severe minority to the spin and contempt your paper shows.
But we know what opinions are like.
Seriously? The truth is that it’s Kirk Varian’s comments here that are so boring and such a tired spewing of crazy. He is so blatant and unapologetic. It’s sad. So much propaganda rag for Gillmor’s minions. It’s a shame. He shows a lack of integrity in all his writings. He shows his contempt for all the readers of this paper. But then we all know what his opinions are like.
Perhaps Vartan should run for City council, if he's so bored and tired of crazy. In a couple of years he won't be a special advisor to anybody in city hall.
I seem to recall a someone coming to council complaining about kirk being a Bully.
Once again Kirk doesn't remember his actions or how he treats council members. bit of the Pot calling the Kettle Black.
You Mr Vartan i declare YOU as one of the most prominent bullies that comes to council, or calls in, makes videos and turns up consistently as Becker's court cases.
you want to Stand Up for Santa Clara but you need to Stand down, you are not a resident, you "may" own a business in the city but even that is truly questionable.
You tout yourself as an "Advisor to the Mayor" but its only about "co-ops" but you make it out to be more.
You brought back Shanks as a so called expert on ETHICS who was Not Re hired by the City. Together you are both unethical in your actions and manipulations
You are a FAKE and we don't need you in our city any more. Find another play ground to do your bully tactics.
Thank you Miles for your recommendations on who to vote for.