Elected officials and peace officers are sworn to protect and serve their community, country and constitution. However, in Santa Clara, that oath seems to take on a different meaning. Elected officials like Lisa Gillmor and Kathy Watanabe, including Kelly Cox to an extent, don’t seem to believe in serving Santa Clara residents. Instead, they use it as their personal political playground.

Gillmor and especially now that Watanabe is running for Mayor, constantly complain about the 49ers. They claim the 49ers don’t contribute enough to the general fund, don’t pay their bills, and lack transparency. They accuse others of what they are guilty of. Gillmor, Watanabe and Cox’s campaign backers, like Related Company, paid the city nothing for a decade while funding candidates. Meanwhile, the police union drains city revenue through privileged packages approved by Gillmor, Watanabe and Cox without question. Despite their own issues, the 49ers provide revenue to the city. It may be peanuts, but it’s something compared with those who spend taxpayers’ money fighting the 49ers or council members opposing the Gillmor Machine agenda.

To be clear, I am not saying all cops in Santa Clara are bad. We have good cops, but the system is bad. I support having police protect and serve our community. However, the police union heavily influences city policy like the 49ers. While police salaries strain the city’s budget, Gillmor, Watanabe and Cox approve raises that can translate into political dollars for the union’s war chest during City Council elections.

Gillmor, Watanabe, Cox aligned candidates like Yvonne Inciarte are backed by a police union expecting salary demands to be approved. POA or Related funding may not be as obvious as 49ers’ involvement, but you cannot call one out and ignore the other. That’s hypocrisy.

When you vote, who is really serving you?

-Roger Kint