I voted for Santa Clara Mayor Jamie Matthews. My children don’t play soccer. I don’t live near the stadium. And I have strong feelings about the 49er/soccer park proposal. It’s not a win–win solution. The 49er VIPs win with this proposal. The city gets some money. The kids lose a place to play soccer. It lacks necessary details –– studies, schools where the fields will be located, and a future location of a new soccer park. The amount of money offered for the three fields is embarrassing. Also, the decision on the proposal depends on the Santa Clara Unified School District agreeing to give up three fields to the soccer program at the expense of their own school programs. If a Matthews supporting, non–soccer playing, south–of–the–101 resident can’t support the proposal, it only make sense that the soccer players and parents should storm Santa Clara City Hall today. Let’s come up with a proposal where everyone wins, especially the kids!
