Let’s start with the good local news before bemoaning the
unsavory TV bombardment that has become the hallmark of California
political seasons:
Let’s start with the good local news before bemoaning the unsavory TV bombardment that has become the hallmark of California political seasons: It’s over, and the little guys – the farmers, ranchers and vineyard owners – won a highly improbable victory in defeating a draconian county land-use initiative, ballot Measure A. And, there’s a new Gilroy school board in place that has the potential to be an “honors” class.
Let’s first tip our hats to the agriculture community and the private property advocates who fought hard against the twisted message delivered by the misguided proponents of Measure A.
In the midst of the busy harvest season, farmers showed up on the county building’s steps to deliver the message that ultimately resonated with voters. Measure A wasn’t about preserving agriculture, it was a land-grab led by extremist environmental groups carefully designed to steal property by making land-use regulations so ridiculously stringent that it turned common-sense uses into illegal activities.
Measure A proponents spent more than $1 million trying to make it tougher for farmers and ranchers to exist in our county, but voters, thankfully, still value private property rights, common sense and the local agriculture industry enough to turn back the
big-money, Palo Alto-based charlatans.
Santa Clara County’s General Plan is a solid planning document, and county supervisors respect its intent and vision. Urban voters, though unlikely allies of farmers, made a discerning judgment in canning Measure A. Now the farmers can go back to work.
The second bright spot: the new and improved Gilroy Unified School District Board of Trustees. With the addition of Denise Apuzzo and Francisco Dominguez, and the election of incumbents Javier Aguirre and Tom Bundros, this board is now a powerful and representative group for the community.
With its combination of experience, dedication and community involvement, there is an opportunity to shift the culture not only within the school district but also within the city. There are twin priorities for this Board:
– Improving academic rigor and achievement across the board.
– Changing the dynamics of power so that building school facilities becomes a top priority for the city and, by extension, developers.
Both tasks will require persistence, guts and straight talk with residents. Gilroy deserves great schools and demands great schools. Now’s the time.
