Hiding the campaign cash, taking the easy way out and
discovering an urban marijuana farm make this week’s Gilroy
list
The following organizations and individuals deserve either CHEERS or JEERS this week:
JEERS: For any local candidate who accepts cash donations of $99 or less which allows the donor to legally hide from public scrutiny. How about $1,000 in 10 envelopes? Council candidate Perry Woodward’s stance, lone among the candidates, is admirable. Troubled by the amount of money flowing to candidates from developers, he’s decided not to accept any donations from them.
CHEERS: For the latest downtown event, the Arts and Wine Festival, which migrated for the first time from Christmas Hill Park. It will take a while to build up the events and get the set-up just right downtown, but this past year has marked the beginning of something very positive.
JEERS: For the Gilroy firefighters union which declined to endorse a candidate for mayor. What’s the point of interviewing? Is it just a matter of hedging the bet against the next contract/wage increase? Well, that’s the truth and, hopefully, voters will see past any union endorsement. It’s not about what’s best for the community, it’s become all about what’s best for their wallets . And you can take that to the bank.
CHEERS: For Lisa Ladd who is carrying on a tradition her grandfather, Henry Mantelli, started by keeping weather statistics from the area for the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the family’s Gilroy ranch. There’s something touching about passing a “baton” like that through the generations.
JEERS: For the urban marijuana farm discovered in a home at 8890 Morey Way. A fire started in the home, and when firefighters arrived they found three bedrooms with three- and four-foot tall pot plants in bedrooms under grow lights. “Though the house was vacant, neighbors said two clean-cut Asian men drove a green van into the garage weekly,” read the story. Yikes, let’s be friendly neighbors but not naive. If something is clearly not right, give the local police a non-emergency call.
CHEERS: For Santa Clara Valley Water District officials who are considering voting themselves a pay increase. Wow, after the job they’ve done the last year – handing a board member a $184,000 per year staff position and raising water rates (again), they certainly deserve a flood of extra cash so they can laugh all the way to the soak-the-taxpayer bank.
