GILROY
– Bruce Morasca is a union member and he appreciates the
endorsement he received from the South Bay Labor Council AFL-CIO.
But he doesn’t want to be pigeonholed as a die-hard union guy.
GILROY – Bruce Morasca is a union member and he appreciates the endorsement he received from the South Bay Labor Council AFL-CIO. But he doesn’t want to be pigeonholed as a die-hard union guy.
Morasca, a 28-year resident of Gilroy, would much prefer the label of “agricultural guy,” or even a moniker like “average guy.”
“I think the average person in Gilroy needs representation,” Morasca said. “On the Council, there’s basically just the same old people up there. I think I have a fresh outlook on what the Council should do.”
Morasca, 50, is running in his first election. If elected, the Albertsons grocery clerk will work to preserve agricultural and open space in and around Gilroy by joining the Open Space Authority – an agency that charges cities to preserve and maintain open space within Santa Clara County. Some of the money paid into the authority comes back to cities to use for projects like park construction.
“I’m not a no-growther, but I’m one that wants to infill (build homes on lots that are not at the outskirts of city boundaries),” Morasca said. “It’s very important for Gilroy to continue its heritage. I want to see that agriculture out there. I don’t want to lose that.”
If elected, Morasca will make downtown redevelopment, public safety and economic development his top agenda priorities.
Morasca sees the proposed art and culture center at Seventh and Eigleberry streets as a major stimulus for downtown revitalization. He would advocate for 1 percent of the general fund to go toward the arts in general and wants to see the hotel tax raised so the increased portion can be earmarked for developing the arts center. The hotel tax is currently 9 percent of a total room charge.
“This is going to need a lot of funding so I’d like to see us get partnerships from major corporations,” Morasca said.
The longtime Gilroy Unified School District and St. Mary Parish volunteer is taking a more cautious look at the train museum proposed for downtown, but if Union Pacific donates a portion of its 12-acre site off Railroad and Alexander streets toward the project, Morasca would likely jump on board.
“Those would be the two main components (of downtown redevelopment),” Morasca said.
As for public safety, Morasca says he is concerned about fire response times, especially in the northwest quadrant of the city. He says the fire master plan needs to be revisited with an intent to add firemen.
“One of my major issues if I get on Council would be to hire at least one or two more firemen,” Morasca said.
Morasca also seeks a balanced growth plan that would allow for growth if it can be supported with city services such as police and fire.
“If we don’t have enough police and fire, we’re not going to have growth because industry is not going to come to our town,” Morasca said. “They’re going to say, ‘This is a crime ridden town.’ ”
Building a $26 million police station is the wrong way to go about providing public safety, Morasca says. He said if he is elected he will look into the potential for building several precincts in Gilroy rather than one central station.
Morasca believes the precinct format would save the city enough money to hire more public safety personnel.
“A Taj Majal we don’t need. We do need precincts,” Morasca said.
The type of economic growth Morasca wants to see is in the form of clean industry.
“Our community deserves better paying jobs than just retail,” Morasca said. “The Silicon Valley industries, I’d like them to come down here.”
Morasca would support economic incentives to bring those new jobs here, but he says whatever deals are reached must promise the city things like a certain percentage of new jobs. And those promises must be in writing.
“I’m not against incentives. In fact, I welcome them. I just want a little guarantee tacked onto them,” Morasca said.
Morasca does not welcome a move by Wal-Mart from its Arroyo Circle location into the Pacheco Pass shopping center at U.S. 101 and Highway 152. As a supermarket employee and longtime Gilroyan, Morasca worries that Wal-Mart’s plan to open a grocery store at the new location will spell sure trouble for local outfits.
He recalls Wal-Mart’s impact when he worked, for 19 years, at the Lucky/Albertsons store on Gilroy’s east side. Morasca says PW moved into a Tenth Street location, but Lucky/Albertsons still thrived. Then when Wal-Mart moved in, K-Mart and Longs Drug Store eventually relocated, hitting Lucky/Albertsons hard and forcing the supermarket to move to Morgan Hill.
“How can we redevelop downtown when we have a Super Wal-Mart. How are you going to get people away from Wal-Mart to shop downtown?” Morasca said. “I will stand up and tell them in my voice and the voice of the working people and the business community that Super Wal-Mart needs to not happen.”
