Milestones: The Stadium is Staying – Opinion

Face it, folks, Levi’s Stadium is staying. While COVID and government policy have closed the stadium down for now, leaving the 49ers without a home, there will be a brighter future.

And, looking on the bright side, the 49ers beat the Rams Sunday to move their record to 5 wins and 6 losses. The real loss has come from the magnitude of player injuries that has essentially changed the 49ers team from superstar leaders to third assistant, fill in, make it happen substitutes and backup players; all with a lot of heart and desire to meet the challenge.

Perhaps you recall Santa Clara’s former City Council had passed a number of anti-stadium mandates going so far as voting the 49ers out, and the City Council in, as stadium managers. They were about as equipped to manage the stadium as they were to build rocket ships to Saturn.

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Frankly, the residents of Santa Clara had enough. Even hard-core anti-stadium citizens got tired of the old Council’s foolish follies. When it comes to wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars, and bloating City debt, voters made the most sensible and obvious choices.

While Lisa Gillmor remains Mayor, she is now absent her 4 to 2 majority. The seventh Council Member Patty Mahan had resigned and during the election worked with an independent expenditure committee to replace the Mayor’s hand-picked candidates.

The Mayor now faces a new majority of Suds Jain, Kevin Park, Anthony Becker, along with two current Council Members, Raj Chahal and Karen Hardy.

This is good news for the 49ers and excellent news for Santa Clara. The 49ers will have five reasonable representatives on Council that will at least listen to them. The new Council Members may not agree with the 49ers and there can at least be dialog. Most importantly, the community will have five fiscally sound thinking representatives to stop the fiscal bleeding.

The Mayor’s dream of becoming the leading legend of Levi’s Stadium is toast.

It is significant that Santa Clara has for the first time in history a Council with a majority of members that represent the diversity and complexity of the community.

During all the issues prior, and up to the election, the fear-mongering over the 49ers’ participation was castigated by the opposition. Obviously, it didn’t work. As residents mulled over the issues, it was apparent the 49ers had done more for Santa Clara than the Mayor and her Council cohorts. When you think of the millions the 49ers have invested in so many school programs, the community, and Santa Clara non-profits, the scales weighed mightily in the 49ers’ favor.

Folks, it would be fair and fortuitous to face the fact that future frills and thrills will come from the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.

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View Comments (5)

    • This election is all over, Nancy. Just accept it. Your side lost. A simple remedy for whatever else that ails you is to start eating up and digesting your own words. Bon Appetite!

  • Those who watched the council meeting last night finally got to see the ridiculousness of the new majority. What an embarrassment for Santa Clara! Have fun Jed! You helped to elect a bunch of buffoons.

    • John I completely disagree. I think the newly elected council members were trying to follow through on their campaign promises. The same promises the voters elected them on. City Attorney Doyle looked like the buffoon.