Dear Editor:
I love local politics. It was Tip O’Neill who said,
”
All politics is local.
”
True enough.
Dear Editor:
I love local politics. It was Tip O’Neill who said, “All politics is local.” True enough.
We in Gilroy are blessed with some rather colorful politicians. I apologize to my readers for not writing about Lupe-Gate sooner; it’s just that it took me this long to get up off the floor after laughing hysterically.
Apparently, the Lupe-Gate scandal goes back to when she tried unsuccessfully to become our mayor in 1999. After losing to Tom Springer, Ms. Arellano had more important things to do than comply with the law and file her required paperwork. Really?
After reading Ms. Arellano’s silly excuses, even her loyal supporters must be having doubts. City Clerk Rhonda Pellin, who literally handed Ms. Arellano a bill and a self-addressed envelope about a week ago for a fine that is two years old, only yesterday received payment. How can Ms. Arellano be trusted to lead our city when she can’t even manage her own affairs in a timely manner? By the way Ms. Arellano, it didn’t take you a week to pay, it’s more like two years and week. Vote NO on Lupe!
Yes, Gilroy is going to be an interesting place after the labor unions delivers on their promise to buy the city council race. Its no surprise the union endorses Ms. Arellano in spite of her scofflaw attitude. Honesty and integrity are not of concern to the union bosses as long as the politician does their bidding. That brings me to another hysterical turn of events.
The labor unions gave their blessings to all of the usual suspects, except one. Funny, the only suspect, (those seeking a Big Labor Endorsement) not getting the “Hoffa blessing” was Bruce Morasca, a long-time union activist and card-carrying member of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. Morasca recently stood on the front lines for his union brethren against the evil Wal-Mart Empire. The thanks he got from the union; cement shoes. In a way, Mr. Morasca should consider it a compliment. Perhaps the union felt that he couldn’t be bought.
Only recently did the union reverse their position and endorse Mr. Morasca after realizing how bad it looked that they passed over one of their own.
Dr. Peter Arellano gets the union nod not because he can be bought, but because he (Arellano) is basically a socialist at heart, and that fits very nicely with big labor. Paul Correa is definitely union material. As a matter of fact; I met his dad at the anti-Wal-Mart protest at City Hall where I was the only Wal-Mart supporter present.
Like his father, Paul Correa is cut from union cloth and you can be sure he will do the unions bidding, opposing businesses who refuse to be extorted by Big Labor just as he has done while sitting on the planning commission.
So far, the only candidates I will support are Dion Bracco and Russ Valiquette. Dion is a personal friend who possesses integrity and is a successful businessman. He is the owner of Bracco’s Towing and he understands what it takes to run a business.
This experience should assist him greatly in helping to keep the council fiscally sane and pro-business. Russ Valiquette, current Planning Commission Chair, has paid his dues, and while he isn’t as conservative as I like, the rest of the line-up is downright frightening.
As for mayor, Al Pinheiro’s obsession with downtown and forming an RDA scared me as much as a takeover by the unions. An RDA could further burden taxpayer’s unnecessarily. In hindsight, Mayor Springer’s opposition to the RDA likely saved us from a huge financial burden after Gray Davis gutted funds from RDA’s across the state.
I spoke to Mr. Pinheiro by phone, and he assures me that resurrecting the RDA is not his intention. Mr. Pinheiro told me that the idea of economic incentives, such as reduced or eliminated impact fees, are a better idea to inspire owners of buildings downtown to fix their own property. This will eliminate taxpayer subsidy of private property improvements. I will therefore take Al at his word and support him.
I take heart that in the last four years; the city has made incredible progress and growth despite the best efforts of the Greenbelt Alliance, the Audubon Society, Gilroy First (S.O.S), Connie Rogers, Paul Correa, and “Jimmy Hoffa and company.”
I can only hope that this upcoming crop of union hacks and socialist tree huggers will have little or no impact other than symbolic while providing me with volumes to write about.
Mark Zappa, Gilroy
Submitted Thursday, Sept. 11 to ed****@****ic.com
