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Do you think Santa Clara City Council will ever look at El Camino and notice that it looks different once you leave Sunnyvale?
Have you ever noticed that as you exit Sunnyvale you leave behind the tree lined part of El Camino and the rather large set back? Have you ever noticed that there are no $49 dollar meth labs along that part of El Camino? I don’t think there are any tattoo stores along there either. Perhaps the House of Pain needs to move up a few blocks! Have you ever noticed that there are no after hour porn stores, oops sorry I mean ‘book stores’. Book stores my goodness! Do you think they have a copy of War and Peace in there? It’s no wonder we have a store called “The Starving Musician” along that part of town – how can they make a living in that neighborhood. I hope their rent is low.
As for the couple times I’ve tried to eat along El Camino one time at one of the ‘faster food’ chains I had something in my chili that wasn’t food, and no it wasn’t a finger, rather a sugar wrapper. Another time we were at a restaurant and we asked about the poor state of the salad bar – the waiter told us it was fresh at lunch time – it was now 7pm. We left and that place has sinced closed down. We do like Andy’s though – fortunately they came to town because there are very few good or descent restaurants in Santa Clara. Have you ever tried to take someone out to lunch in Santa Clara it involves going to Cupertino or Sunnyvale.
Imagine with all this high rise building going on we won’t even get anything commercial – which leaves the question why do these developers want to come to Santa Clara? ah’vey – there must be something in it for them – what do we not know?
Well, I don’t want Zuma Dogg to get a big head, so big that he can’t fit his head through the City Hall Doors down LA way but he has really helped me understand City Politics. Having come from a Land Down-under where politics can be dirty and where we understood all the players, I thought life here would prove to be different but I guess I’m wrong.
I’m just starting to understand the players and the complicated web they weave. The ins and outs of their relationships. As I’ve said the Internet is an amazing tool. I’m starting to think that there are some over laps of friendships and relationships in the mission city. It may appear that I’m digressing from the title of this blog – but I don’t because Zuma Dogg gave me the inspiration to look harder and seek information. Zuma mentioned a few times in some of his on-line clips the Brown Act. So I seeked information on this Act. One thing I learnt is that citizens can express their opinions of their elected officials according to the Brown act. I also learnt though if you are a paid employee of a council member it now is a different story and writing as a paid employee is not ‘very’ good. I also learnt when attending a city council meeting according to the Brown Act a person who wishes to address the council does not have to fill out or actually even state their name and address – as I take it you may remain anonymous. Sweet …. because if I read between the lines of the Brown Act there has been politically bullying towards residents by elected officials in the past in some cities – I’m not saying that happens in Santa Clara but it sure makes you wonder. Do you think that city official bully some of the residents? Do you think that cutting residents time to speak at a council meeting is a form of politically bullying? Do you think that preventing residents a right of reply after a ’so called’ expert has spoken a form of bullying? Just my observations at this stage … I’ll keep you posted on the bullying theory and observations.
Perhaps city councils could incorporate the ‘friend fixer’ and start to talk to their residents again and see what they would like of their city. I know Jamie McLeod offers her time to sit and talk to residents each month or as needed - but do any of the others? Dominic Caserta have you sat down and talked to residents about Marina Playa or only the builder who supposedly gave you $10,000 towards your political campaign? You know Dom (hope you don’t mind me calling you Dom), as I think about this, perhaps you make phone calls to concerned residents and that’s why your city owned phone bill is so high! I’m sorry I might be pulling the trigger when I do not need too. Mate I understand, conferences calls work just as well with residents …. you do, do that right? Talk to residents? Your a people person right? Patting babies on the head, having a beer on a hot day, shaking hands with the little folk right? Please don’t tell me you only do this at election time, break my heart mate! I hate pollies that do that – they are every developers and interested parties friend until it’s election time and then they start patting babies on the head and shaking hands with strangers – mate, that’s pure germ heaven! Be warned us regular folk get the heebee jeebees when we see that stuff coming.
©Letters From Silicon Valley 2008
