Have you ever experienced being fooled? You know, someone tells you a story that turns out to be untrue or about a plan that turns out to be nonexistent. Of course, you have. And it happens in Santa Clara regularly.
Similarly, you may have considered someone to be your friend until you find out … they are not.
Santa Clara has been told many things by Mayor Lisa Gillmor, and there are perhaps even more things she didn’t tell you.
Face it, folks, we have been hosed.
Millions of dollars have been wasted, spent on pointless lawsuits and legal fights, and all at the expense of Santa Clara residents.
One of the biggest money machines for the Santa Clara community is Levi’s Stadium. At least, it should be.
But due to a fight with the city’s business partner that started years ago, Levi’s is one of the most under-utilized money-making stadiums in the country.
Is that because of the big bad 49ers? No … it’s not.
By contract, Santa Clara has total use and control of the stadium six months a year. The 49ers have the other six months during the football season.
The 49ers make hundreds of millions during their six months. Santa Clara makes pennies by comparison.
This is all due to this one simple fact. For reasons that we can only guess at, the champion of building Levi’s, Mayor Gillmor, did an about face and became the stadium’s loudest enemy. She has ridden that horse for over a decade … all to the detriment of residents.
By contract, the 49ers are here to stay. Yet our mayor continues to ignore that fact and the millions that could, and should, be coming to our city and, in turn, to serve our residents.
She even inserted a stipulation into last year’s infrastructure bond that prohibited city money from being used for additions, repairs and replacement on properties in, around or near the stadium. That includes the dilapidated convention center.
That clause was not for residents; it was to promote the mayor’s stadium-wrecking program. With the world coming to Santa Clara this summer, any mayor would want their city to look its best. Except Mayor Gillmor.
Mayor Gillmor’s personal vendetta against the stadium and the 49ers is costing residents millions of dollars.
Her disdain was played out at the recent Super Bowl right here in Santa Clara. No parties, no parades, no promotion, no receptions — so many wasted public opportunities.
This is your mayor.
Citizens of Santa Clara are paying for this with the millions that are being lost to the city’s bottom line and being the butt of jokes with the punch line, “Do you know the way to San José?” Santa Clara should have the stadium booked every week during our six months of ownership. Santa Clara deserves leadership that promotes our biggest and most impressive resident-owned asset.
Previous Milestones:
Milestones – Take the Win While You Can – Opinion
Milestones – What Are We Thinking? – Opinion
Milestones – What Super Bowl? – Opinion
I totally agree. We are wasting one of the biggest and best resources our city has to offer. This is a city resource for the betterment of our community not for the destructive pursuit of power that emanates from some of our elected officials. Clean up the city and start at the top.
Mayor Lisa Gillmor is driven by hate of those she does not agree with or those that will not bow at her every command.
Her hate for the 49ers damages so much, however the 49ers themselves had every opportunity to send Gillmor packing but never did and always are back to the drawing board cause Gillmor “Outplayed” them.
Her hate for Councilmembers Kevin Park, Suds Jain and Raj Chahal is apparent in every meeting. You can see it with Kevin Park’s divorce, the Robert Haugh hit pieces and the failed Suds Jain recall. She drives this hate and vendetta against free thinkers. Gillmor can’t control them, and those she can’t control she eliminates.
The clause in the infrastructure bond that prohibits city money from being used for repairs, maintenance etc on or around the stadium was by design. It was to prevent upgrades and fixes to the entertainment district. Gillmor is purposely killing this district and one can’t help wondering if she was associated with the demise and eventual death of Great America. Gillmor feels it is her birthright to dictate what happens out near the stadium. The clause in question will show up down the road as a Gillmor crusade and blame game. She will use this as a “look at what the current council did, they couldn’t fix the stadium or the convention center”. Just like the swim center she ignored to fix for twenty some years on the council to then be some sort of savior with the bond measure while vilifying recent councilmembers for the lack of a new swim center. Gillmor only is good at the blame game, and she will keep this clause in her back pocket to weaponize when convenient. When we all recently found out all the maintenance needed at the stadium which is a city of Santa Clara asset and facility, Gillmor a property manager herself is turning her slumlord ways into how the City of Santa Clara looks. Just look at the conditions of her properties and now the city. That is leadership you can’t buy or vote for but are forced to live with because it is their birthright.
Many can start wondering what little games Gillmor has in mind for the World Cup games and what crap she and Kathy Watanabe will start once Election season really heats up just in time for those big games.
Gillmor’s hate, vendettas and questionable mental behavior has cost the residents of the city so much money that it is hilarious and hypocritical when she talks about wasting money and political retaliation. This is the City of St. Gillmor which her devout following consider her the most innocent and law abiding Mayor the city has ever had.
Until you can prove in the minds of those followers Gillmor is bad, they will continue to be like tainted fruit and spoil all the good future leaders by their corrupted word of mouth around town.