Three garbage cans award

Scott Herhold of the San Jose Mercury News each year gives awards for campaign ads.  He dishes out trash cans for political hit pieces, and bouquets for well done pieces.

He awards three (3) Garbage Cans to the hit piece that took the side of challenger Chuck Blair, by the Santa Clara Police Officer’s Association against councilwoman Jamie McLeod.  Personally I think it should have got four but he gave four to a Vietnamese-American group associated with the LIttle Saigon movement that did a hit piece on Councilman Dave Cortese who is running against Sunnyvale Councilman Otto Lee.  I trust Herhold if he says that, that ad deserves 4 garbage cans I’m sure it does.

Clearly the hit piece done on these two candidates warranted the attention of the greater community otherwise Mr Herhold would not have written about it.  Local city politics here is definatley more intense and there seems to be more at stake if you win the race.  Which begs the question Why?  What is it that have people so hell bent on being on a city council?  What do they get out of it?  A gravy train?  Junkets? I don’t know what the answer is?  Perhaps is it civic duty? Civic pride? a Vision for something ….

and if it is a vision then let us hope that those that get elected in Santa clara this time can earn some bouquets from the residents and that they look at issues like

Cleaning El Camino in Santa Clara,

Planting trees along El Camino

decrease the number of high rise buildings planned

Give us a proper downtown area

and start to listen to what residents want

Once again I say support Jamie because she appears to be one of the few current council people who has listened to residents and asked questions.  She is a thinking person, and I believe that there are others out there running in this election that representing thinking people, such as Brian Lowery and Mary Emerson.

 

©Letters From Silicon Valley 2008

In the press

So did you catch the article in the Valley today of the SJ Mercury News?  It’s all about Mr Bouza and Mr Moore.  Very interesting reading.  If you hadn’t heard about this before you do now. I think you can make up your own mind as to who, what or whether it is true.  One thing for sure that is disturbing is that there has been a history of this happening before in Santa Clara – which gives you cause to ask the question – is it not time for Change?  A change from the majority share holders that have been around the Santa Clara city politics?  Time for some fresh blood and thinkers – people who ask questions and listen to residents.

Here is a link to the article in the SJ Mercury News if you didn’t catch it.  Rumors are that there were other people that made calls to Bouza not just the ones mentioned in the article.  I guess there is nothing wrong in giving your opinion to a candidate where he/she decides to run but you just got to wonder WHY?  Why do people care?  Why are people so positional about city politics?

 

©Letters From Silicon Valley 2008