Gilroy needs a breath of fresh air in its key leadership post.
The tone and tenor of political discourse within our community has
become more terse, more Machiavellian and more acrimonious than
perhaps ever before.
Gilroy needs a breath of fresh air in its key leadership post. The tone and tenor of political discourse within our community has become more terse, more Machiavellian and more acrimonious than perhaps ever before.
Everyone needs to calm down and conduct an about-face from the current focus – who’s doing what behind the scenes – and change to a more productive, energetic march – who’s advancing an agenda to the people that will move this community forward in the next four years.
At this juncture, leadership, clearly, is critical. Just as clearly, it’s Al Pinheiro’s time.
Pinheiro has proven his leadership skills, his commitment to Gilroy and his character in the nearly four decades he has called Gilroy home. A 51-year-old businessman who owns an insurance agency and travel agency, Pinheiro has served on the Gilroy Planning Commission, is a current Gilroy City Councilman and has been active in the Chamber of Commerce.
He has earned respect in the community, and because of that he will, we believe, win handily Nov. 4.
Pinheiro’s style is very low-key and businesslike. He has a jovial a sense of humor, can be self-deprecating and is not someone who boils over quickly. Those qualities are important character assets for a leader in what will likely be challenging economic times. He promises consensus building and cooperation – and that’s sorely needed. But we also trust that he will take the mantle of leadership bestowed upon the mayor and push an agenda of accomplishment. It will take a mixture of carrot and stick, for example, to get not only a plan for downtown revitalization together but some money and long-term commitment to back it up.
Pinheiro’s right on the money with his top three priorities for Gilroy:
• addressing the city’s potential budget woes that have been brought on by the state’s flood of red ink
• improving the beleaguered downtown
• creating a spirit of partnership and vision among City Council members.
“I’m not just talking about ‘here’s my idea, so let’s do it.’ I want to create that sense that we’re all trying to make something happen. It might not be exactly the way I envisioned,” Pinheiro said. “That’s the kind of leadership I believe I can bring …”
The ability to compromise, to adjust his vision to accommodate the ideas and interests of his peers and constituents will serve Pinheiro well on the City Council dais and on various boards and committees on which he will represent Gilroy.
When it comes to decision making, he is very reflective of the community as a centrist. He understands the cost for the new police station is too high, for example, and yet also believes a new station is needed. Thus, he will work to pare it down to a reasonable level that makes sense for the department and citizens. He made a commitment Tuesday night during the Dispatch-CMAP forum to finish a downtown plan during his four-year term. We think he can. We believe Gilroyans should give him the opportunity.
Pinheiro’s opponents in the mayoral race are former Councilwoman Lupe Arellano and political newcomers Ellyn Atkins and Mary Hohenbrink.
Voters have spoken twice in recent years on Arellano. From a “safe” Council seat, she ran for mayor against Tom Springer and lost and also was defeated in a re-election bid for a City Council seat.
Arellano speaks of building consensus, but in her City Council tenure that was not evident. After four years of dominating style, the last thing Gilroyans need is four years of the same. And that’s what we’d expect from an Arellano administration.
Then there are newcomers Ellyn Atkins and Mary Hohenbrink. While we applaud both women for their civic spirit, they need to learn much more about city operations at a much lower level than mayor. They should serve on commissions and task forces before seeking elected office – especially as the top elected official in Gilroy.
Hohenbrink, however, is a brighter prospect in that she has attended forums that Atkins declined to show at and faced a barrage of questions on a variety of sometimes-complicated issues.
Again, for a positive change in the political climate, for leadership that will be inclusive, not divisive, for a focus on budget and downtown, for a mayor who will have the best interests of Gilroy at heart, vote Al Pinheiro for mayor.
