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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
Wow last night I attended the City of Santa Clara council meeting. This was a first for me. As some of you may or may not know my background in Australia was politics. I was involved in politics at a student level and later at a State and Federal level and still call some members of parliament close friends. In fact one of the senior party members has visited the U.S. and spent time with our family. In leaving Australia I really was happy to leave behind my political involvement and any political desires I might have had or been requested to pursue. Love it or hate it, I was happy to leave it!
These past weeks I inadvertedly got involved in discussions with a number of residents over the planned building of a site on the old Kaiser hospital on Kaiser Drive. I learnt that the property had been sold to a developer – fine that’s groovy – until you discover the plan and the ‘accommodations’ the city planners are making to allow such a development.
This project is called the Fairfield Project and this was not why I went to city council last night but it was a catalyst for me attending. I went to here about the Marina Playa project. Boy politically was this an eye opener. Here are some of the things I witnessed.
I saw Dominic Caserta acknowledge openly one of the head developers for the Marina Playa project. I also witnessed him looking completely bored, half asleep, walk out of the room more than five times (yes I counted), one time returning munching on food. Clearly Mr Caserta had voted in his mind on the proposals that were to be put forward that evening. His vote had been caste before he was asked to vote. I heard a Doctor point out that Mr Caserta should ‘excuse’ himself from voting on the Marina Playa project because he had legally accepted donation money from the builder of this project to fund his political aspirations. I heard that Mr Caserta did not take the decision to ‘abstain’ in fact he voted in favor of the project. Suprise Suprise. The Santa Clara weekly calls him young – I suspect he’s more foolish than young. I’m sure Shakespeare had something to say about that when he wrote the stages of man.
I saw Mayor Patricia Mahan look away with embarrasment when one of the local residents pointed out that her father would be ashamed of her associations with the planning projects that were currently on the table. Mayor Mahan clearly was ‘uncomfortable’ with the statement that this elderly Santa Clara resident had to say about her lack of support for city as a whole. I heard Mayor Mahan be defensive with another resident when he challenged her over where these projects were being built in relation to her own property in Santa Clara. The Mayor felt it was unfair to be personal yet she herself had made comments that these projects were no-where near where she lives.
Pat Kolstad had nothing to say all night except press forward the proposal to pass the Environmental report that allows the planning department to allow the builder to build Marina Playa. Wow perhaps he did this because he wanted to go home – it was getting close to midnight when this matter on the agenda was being discussed by council. Perhaps the meeting was getting past his bed time? just a thought given it seems he’s been on the council a few too many years. Fortunately his term is up – time for some fresh blood – perhaps someone who knows how to ask questions of importance and listen to residents. After all more than a dozen residents talked against Marina Playa, noteably most about the traffic issues and the discrepencies between what the CHP and the city contractor had to say. Mr Kolstad is a former cop – you think he of all people might have some thoughts on the fact that the yards of these proposed townhomes are going to be 10×12 feet. This size yard reminds me of a prison yard – hmmm food for thought.
Jamie McLeod had a lot to say regarding the traffic reports in fact she suggested that the city take more action and reviews in this area but ALAS Jamie was knocked down and eventually voted in favor of Marina Playa. Though I did observe that even Jamie was not comfortable with the size of the yards of these units and how the traffic around this project, along with the other to be submitted projects in the same area, will in turn affect the Lawrence/El Camino cross street. Jamie was alone in a crowd of wolves! Sorry Jamie I heard your cry but your ‘buddies’ took you down. My only question is: why did you vote in favor of it?
Kevin Moore – hmm can’t say he had much to say though. I guess Kevin feels that the 10×12 yard is sufficient for any good person given his concentration is parks and recs and he did well because the builder gave parks and recs $200,000 to sweeten the deal. Ahh I see – he swims with sharks.
Joe Kordner attempted to align himself with Jamie and ride in on her amendment to have the planning department review the traffic conditions in that area. But sometimes yah just gotta do what the boss says Missum! You know how it goes ….and after-all given he’s on the financing authority of the city you know that the money the builder is going to give to fix the sewer line has to be his sweetener.
Bottom line I smell a rats – rats that finked out their residents. To learn more about how you can help and what’s going on in the city according to residents versus according to the city planners and the city council visit http://liveforeverodt.com/santaclara/ - through this website I started to realize that what was going on was not all kosher at the Santa Clara City Hall.
In talking to an old time Santa Clara resident I discovered today that a lot of this has been going on for years. This accounts for why we don’t have a proper downtown, why our public schools are some of the worst in the area, why once you enter our part of El Camino there is nothing more than brothels, $49 motels, tattoo stores, and sleazy seedy sex shops! Yep something to proud of Mayor Mahan! You have served your city well – may you and your crowd move on to better cause. May Mr Caserta find his place in the Assembly and be brought to more scrutiny.
You gotta love a day in the life of Santa Clara Politics! I’m so proud that I can vote this year because as it stands I’m not going to vote for one of these guys or one that they wish to endorse – their records speak for themselves after what I witnessed last night. In 1975 Gough Whitlam was voted out of Australian politics – and in the words of the Liberal Campaign I have three words for most of the Santa Clara city council:
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME
©Letters From Silicon Valley 2008
