Local residents have characterized Ron Kirkish as everything
from a
”
saint
”
to an
”
unhinged bizarre individual.
”
Either way, there’s no denying he’s become a force in local
politics.
Local residents have characterized Ron Kirkish as everything from a “saint” to an “unhinged bizarre individual.” Either way, there’s no denying he’s become a force in local politics.
A little more than a year ago, Kirkish was an unemployed engineer looking for ways to spend his time. These days, he is helping out a state assembly campaign for Gilroy Unified School District trustee Francisco Dominguez, advocating for the owners of Pinocchio’s Pizza amidst problems allegedly caused by Sobrato Transitional Apartments residents, and getting regional attention for his opposition to medical marijuana.
It all started when City Councilwoman Cat Tucker suggested he get involved locally to keep his sanity. So, he started attending City Council meetings and began speaking out about various city issues. First it was the condition of the city’s sidewalks. Then, it was about binding arbitration, “best of the best” pay for city staff and marijuana dispensaries.
He has become so notorious that Tucker jokingly sent an e-mail to him recently that said that Kirkish’s name was more well-known than hers.
“I’ve been loving this so much I wish I could get paid for it,” Kirkish said this week with a Cheshire cat-style grin.
Kirkish, 62, has spent most of the past 25 years living in Gilroy, but his adventure in activism really got rolling within the past 1.5 years.
Tucker’s son used to play sports with Kirkish’s son, so the two families had known each other for some time, she said. When Kirkish mentioned at a Gilroy High School football game that he had been laid off, she urged him to get more involved in civic matters.
Little did she know how deeply involved he would become.
“I just encouraged him to keep your hands busy,” she said, noting that it often can take laid-off professionals a long time to find employment. “Little by little, he got the bug.”
While Kirkish has taken on many City Hall issues in the past, he has become most well known during the past six months for his stance against marijuana dispensaries after a dispensary applied for a business application this past spring.
After doing research, Kirkish decided marijuana dispensaries are a ruse for recreational use and he is afraid that it would lead to more drugs in the hands of children. At first, Kirkish was the lone resident speaking out against the dispensary. But gradually he met with city officials, police, churches, business owners, and members of community organizations. Soon enough, there was a huge outcry at council meetings from local residents.
“He got all the people together, gathered all the people, and introduced everyone to everyone,” said Tucker, who initially stood on the opposite side of the issue from Kirkish.
His anti-dispensary stance has garnered him regional attention recently as he spoke Wednesday against medical marijuana dispensaries in San Jose. He is slated to speak at a roundtable on medical marijuana at San Jose State University next week.
Kirkish was also selected to be an activist by the Rancho Cucamonga-based Coalition for a Drug Free California last month.
“Ron’s a superstar,” said Paul Chabot, founder of the 6-month-old advocacy group that links 58 other antidrug coalitions in California.
The local activist may be relatively new to Gilroy’s political scene, but he has a long history of public service. He served in Turkey in the Air Force from 1966 to 1970, copying down morse code messages from the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and the Soviet Union in Germany.
“All these things taken into perspective helped me to realize what a special place (the United States) is,” he said. “It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close.”
Kirkish describes himself as a political moderate, and says he is a “Harry S. Truman kind of guy.” He spent time studying the late president’s life and the Civil War while living and working in Missouri – Truman’s home state – in 2007.
“The man spoke the truth, and he didn’t hide from the truth,” Kirkish said. “If it smelled like crap, he would stay away from it.”
He has taken that attitude to heart as a local activist.
“I’m not saying that I’m a bull in a china shop, but in certain instances I believe that politically correct behavior has encouraged bad things,” Kirkish said.
Certainly, his rhetoric can be pointed at times, particularly in his comments on the Dispatch Web site. Kirkish has blasted Mark Zappa, who has sought to recall Mayor Al Pinheiro for allegedly ignoring public safety issues.
“Lies, Lies, Lies……this guy is just like Sen. Joseph McCarthy of the 1950’s……..he will not let the truth get in his way,” Kirkish wrote.
Zappa said he has only spoken to Kirkish once on the phone regarding binding arbitration, and he has no intention of meeting him in person.
“He at best is an unhinged bizarre individual,” Zappa said.
Another political opponent of Kirkish, marijuana dispensary advocate Marc Perkel, had kinder words. In fact, he said he believes Kirkish is right about most issues.
“There are some people who I disagree with who I think are just plain crazy, like the guy who wants to impeach the mayor,” Perkel said. “Ron, he’s a thinking guy. I can understand where he’s coming from. He’s into it honestly. He’s not doing it just to hear himself talk.”
Pinheiro said he has found Kirkish to be willing to engage in dialogue even when they disagree. Pinheiro said they first met after the mayor contacted Kirkish over some comments that contained misinformation. Now, Kirkish feels free to call Pinheiro whenever Kirkish has an issue to discuss.
“I think that today, he definitely has a different respect for what I do, and an understanding of the difficult challenges that I have as mayor,” Pinheiro said.
Tony Oliveri, owner of Pinocchio’s Pizza 2, went so far as to call Kirkish a saint. He said that Kirkish first contacted him over the marijuana dispensary issue, and he has continued to take an interest in the pizzeria, which has had problems with nearby criminal activities that the owners believe are connected to the Sobrato Transitional Apartments complex.
Kirkish said he has no interest in a political career, and when it comes to political consulting, he’s “not a proven quantity.”
Still, he says he hopes to stay involved in local affairs when he finally obtains employment. In the meantime, he will continue to speak up for the issues that he believes are important in his hometown.
“I’m hoping that I’m making things better for the City of Gilroy,” Kirkish said.
