With no time left for possible candidates to surface for the
November election to the City Council, voters are left with a
mighty poor choice:
City Council Soap Box Opera
Dear Red Phone:
With no time left for possible candidates to surface for the November election to the City Council, voters are left with a mighty poor choice: two “rubber stampers” who want to keep their council seats (Velasco and Valiquette), one has-been council member who wants to return (Dillon), one planning commission member who has already shown he sees nothing wrong with closed meetings to keep newspapers and the public in the dark (Day), one darling of the local Democratic group (Tucker) and one last-minute dark horse (Woodward). Where are all the outraged people who wanted to redo the entire council last April? Not stepping up to offer their services apparently.
Red Phone:
Dear Seeking Council:
Though Red Phone can’t get into any name-calling matches, it should add that caller forgot to mention two other candidates – Mayor Al Pinheiro, who is running for re-election against challenger Councilman Craig Gartman.
And, good caller, there is still time to file papers to run. The deadline is Friday, though that deadline will likely be extended to Aug. 15 because incumbent Paul Correa is not running, so perhaps you’d like to challenge those already in the race.
There are plenty of issues this time around – the proposed city purchase of Gilroy Gardens; pay range hikes for top city managers; and a mega-mall proposal headed for 119 acres of east Gilroy farmland, to mention a few.
Red Phone is hopeful that with these pressing issues – and not the desire to sling mud – will be topmost in the mind of candidates and political observers as the election draws near.
Raising the Stakes
Dear Red Phone:
Hello! What we need to do is get rid of all these city councilman and the mayor who are giving all these wonderful raises while the poor people of Gilroy are expected to pay for the broken sidewalks of Gilroy.
Shame on you, council!
Red Phone:
Dear Broken:
It’s an interesting parallel you mention. What rate of speed is faster? – the sidewalks raising or the city’s top-tier workers’ salaries raising? Please call back with your figures for Red Phone to analyze.
Nice for a Change (Purse)
Dear Red Phone:
I’d like to thank the very nice man who found my coin purse out at a fruit stand and returned to me. It had my driver’s license and it had special meaning. It was given to me by my sister. I didn’t care about the money, but I am just so appreciative. I just had a feeling there was an angel out there who was going to do it, and he did. I don’t know his name. I don’t know who he was, but if he shows up at my house or calls me I would be happy to give him some homemade jam and a nice loaf of homemade bread.
Red Phone:
Dear Thankful:
Red Phone likes to hear nice stories about Gilroy folks. And, even more about delights such as homemade jam, especially strawberry, but also raspberry, blueberry and peach. Do you do peach? If so, let Red Phone be your matchmaker.
Red Phone:
Dear Nice Man Who Returned the Change Purse:
If you call the Red Phone, it’ll put you in touch with the nice lady with the jam. But, only if you share.
