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“Unclear” Connections: Grand Jurors Under Fire for Potential Conflicts of Interest

Since the now infamous grand jury report, “Unsportsmanlike Conduct on the Santa Clara City Council,” was leaked to the press last week, some are saying that members of the grand jury have political and business connections to Lisa Gillmor, and thus a conflict of interest in participating in a grand jury report that could benefit Gillmor’s campaign and those of her political allies.

The list of who is on the current Civil Grand Jury is a public record and is displayed on the Santa Clara County Superior Court’s website. (Or you can find it here: Civil Grand Jury List 2022)

The final version of the report notes that two grand jury members recused themselves, but doesn’t say who they were, why or when they recused themselves.

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“It’s unclear if any member of the grand jury has any financial connections to Mayor Gillmor,” District Attorney’s Office Communications Director Sean Webby told The Weekly in an email.

“That allegation has been raised by the 49ers without any details,” Webby said in the email. “Grand jurors are required to recuse themselves from any investigation if they have a conflict of interest, and as the public report states, two of the jurors did recuse themselves. The presiding judge and attorney from County Counsel work closely with grand jurors to make sure those with a conflict of interest recuse themselves from an investigation.”

Given the controversy stirred up by the grand jury’s report, it’s fair to wonder what jurors were asked about their knowledge of the targets of the investigation, the witnesses that were called, or those who stand to benefit from this report. At this point, no one is saying.

This isn’t the first Santa Clara County grand jury that has been questioned about bias and conflicts of interest.

For example, during the 2016 Santa Clara election there was a similar “October surprise” grand jury report alleging the City was not being properly reimbursed for Levi’s Stadium public safety expenses. The foreman of that grand jury supplied campaign services to City Council candidate Tino Silva. Silva was also a Parks and Recreation Commissioner and Director of the Santa Clara Youth Soccer League where Gillmor’s husband is a coach and director.

Gillmor herself came under fire in 1991 as a member of a grand jury that published a highly critical assessment of the County Department of Corrections’ management of the jails; described by its critics as “thin and poorly substantiated.” One of the reasons for the criticism was that Gillmor donated $1,000 to a failed attempt to prevent creating the County Department of Corrections. (Mercury News, June 26, 1991 – JAIL_BOSS_ATTACKS_REPORT_HALL_ASKS_AUDIT_OF__Mercury_News_The_San_Jose_CA___June_26_1991__p1B)

Webby also said that the timing of the report’s release was solely determined by the grand jury, as were the witnesses called to testify. However, both San José Spotlight and San José Inside have reported that the conduct of this grand jury was anomalous, both with respect to the very few witnesses called — typically grand juries call tens of witnesses, not just 10 — and the release of the report so early in the grand jury’s calendar — typically, reports are released in a group in the last two months of the grand jury’s term.

Four Grand Jury Members Raise Questions Yet Only Two Recusals

The Weekly has found a notable web of interconnections among four grand jury members who seem to have some connection with Santa Clara politics, Lisa Gillmor, her allies, her real estate company or past litigation with the City and the 49ers. While none of these connections alone demonstrate bias, legal experts say that these people wouldn’t be chosen for the jury in a trial about the report’s allegations.

Grand juror Shirley Modric lives across the street from former Council Member Teresa O’Neill, a reliable Gillmor ally and part of Santa Clara’s old guard. O’Neill’s father and Gillmor’s father (former mayor Gary Gillmor) were close friends. In 2020, O’Neill lost her bid for a third term to Council Member Kevin Park. Modrić’s husband was employed at Avago at the same time as Raj Chahal’s opponent in the District 2 election, Larry McColloch, though it is unclear if the two knew one another.

Modric has also been active in Saint Justin’s Church and school, where O’Neill and former City Attorney Brian Doyle are members and very active. O’Neill and Doyle are close friends and had often discussed City business, as she told the Mercury News in 2017 (INTERNAL_AFFAIRS__Mercury_News_The_San_Jose_CA___January_15_2017__p1B) when Doyle was appointed city attorney in Santa Clara, at her recommendation.

The grand jury report is very laudatory of Doyle, who has threatened to sue Santa Clara for wrongful termination and has filed an FPPC complaint against Council Member Park. Doyle was fired after evidence came to light that he concealed a settlement offer that would have saved Santa Clara millions of dollars following the City’s loss in the voting rights lawsuit that he encouraged the City to litigate and appeal.

Grand juror Barbara Specter, a former Los Gatos Vice mayor, was an attorney with Hoge Fenton in 2009 and 2010 when the law firm represented Cedar Fair to the Santa Clara City Council in a lawsuit against the City and the 49ers over the land that Levi’s Stadium was built on — a Great America overflow parking lot. Cedar Fair lost the suit.

Grand juror Karyn Sinunu-Towery is a former Santa Clara county prosecutor who unsuccessfully ran for district attorney in 2006. She is married to Judge James Towery, who also was employed by Hoge Fenton in 2010 during the Cedar Fair litigation and was also a shareholder in the law firm. Sinunu-Towery worked with DA Jeff Rosen and endorsed his campaigns for election and re-election. Judge Towery was also DA Jeff Rosen’s attorney in a 2010 action about Rosen’s campaign statement. (2010-1-CV-166708).

Finally, grand juror Paul Raineri’s close relative, Lori Raineri, is the president of Government Financial Strategies, Santa Clara Unified School District’s longtime consultant on bond issues and debt financing. O’Neill served two terms on the Santa Clara Unified School District board of trustees (1998-2006) She was on the school board when the district created the Santa Clara Teacher Housing Foundation, which since its inception, has hired Gillmor’s real estate subsidiary Public Property Advisors (PPA) to manage its teacher housing development Casa del Maestro.

Lori Raineri gives regular presentations to the SCUSD board on Casa del Maestro teacher housing development debt refinancing and restructuring results, with information “provided by the property manager” — i.e., Gillmor’s company. Both companies work with many school districts and likely have regular contacts. Raineri’s father, Philip Raineri, was on the Santa Clara planning commission (1983-1994) at the same time Gillmor was on the parks commission. (1982-1992).

Longtime Gillmor cheerleader James Rowen — he went to high school with her and, by his own account, speaks with her frequently — claims credit for interesting the grand jury in this investigation.

Empty bragging or not, it’s clear that Gillmor knew a lot about this investigation because she in recent months suggested that there should be grand jury investigations of her Santa Clara City Council colleagues and the city attorney. This follows the same playbook as the 2016 grand jury report attacking her political opponents.

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39 Comments
  1. Davy L 2 years ago
    Reply

    Carolyn,
    Excellent reporting! Readers like me really appreciate your time and effort to uncover the real story behind this report. Thanks again!

  2. Buchser Alumni 2 years ago
    Reply

    Carolyn,

    I hope that you have some actual knowledge of personal connections on the part of the two grand jury members you have named and insinuated did not perform their duties on the grand jury ethically. After all to print the name of someone and cast aspersions on their moral character and judgement simply because of who lives across the street from them or the fact that they attend a prominent Catholic church in our city seems very unfair unless you have concrete reason to do this.

    But if there are personal connections at play here then they should be looked into.

    What also should be looked into is why the Forty Niners Five have been having frequent and regular meetings with the Forty Niners in private? Why do they consistently go through the trouble of having back to back meetings with the Forty Niners in groups of two and three to evade the requirement that meetings with four or more be private? Why is it necessary to not only shield these frequent meetings from the public record but also not even include the two other stadium commissioners or appointed city staff?

    I do not believe I have ever seen you question this or attempt to get an answer though you and the Silicon Valley Voice very clearly are able to ask questions and get answers from all five of these city councilpeople for stories that promote them or the Forty Niners.

    Whether or not the grand jury has members who wanted to bring these issues to the public attention the issues were already in the public attention. You can cast aspersions upon the grand jury all you like and maybe some of them should be cast but the grand jury did not invent the fact that these five councilpeople have been going to a lot of time and trouble to meet with the Forty Niners in troublingly private manner and that our concern is compounded by the public fact that the Forty Niners have spent millions of dollars on keeping them in office or getting them there in the first place. Or in the case of Becker to win him a promotion.

    You are reporting on who lives across the street from a grand jury member who has raised glaring questions from public facts but have you asked any of these councilpeople for an explanation of why they must meet almost weekly with the Forty Niners in private and without other city officials or staff who do not have questions of partisanship for the Forty Niners hanging over them?

    Whose “voice” is the Silicon Valley Voice? The voice of the people of Santa Clara or the Valley or the voice of the Forty Niners?

    It seems to be the latter since you try to paint an effort to get more compensation from the Forty Niners for public safety expenses as dirty politics. Why would you advocate for the interest of a private NFL franchise corporation rather than the city of Santa Clara?

    And why would you try to paint an effort to highlight problems in Santa Clara County jails as if that was dirty politics? Any resident of the county knows how terribly run the sheriff’s office and the county jails have been run. The current sheriff was an assistant sheriff in 1991 and was a watch commander in the jails. She is know on trial for corruption and her administration has been plagued with high profile cases of neglect and abuse in our jails.

    Regardless of what the motivations or biases of the grand jury may or may not be the facts that they reported on are real as are many of the concerns they raise. Not all of them are worth pursuing such as the gifts of game passes to Chahal and Hardy but most of the rest of the concerns are real and need to be addressed. Most if not all of their recommendations are sound and in the public interest to see implemented or at least seriously considered.

    I hope that you do not let what seems to be an unwavering opposition to whatever Lisa Gillmor may be for blind you to real and substantial concerns that affect the finances and ethical administration of our city.

    • Davy L 2 years ago
      Reply

      The Mercury News also mentioned that two members of the jury were removed due to conflicts of interest. I believe our Council Members were meeting with the 49ers to help resolve the pending lawsuits. To that end, they were successful. The lawsuits were settled. It seems to me, you are guilty of being a “lap dog” for Lisa Gillmor and company. You need to stop accusing everyone you disagree with as being compensated by the 49ers. As far as the grand jury report, most concerns are “fake” and of no consequence and should be rejected and ignored.

      • Buchser Alum 2 years ago
        Reply

        Davy,

        You wrote: “The Mercury News also mentioned that two members of the jury were removed due to conflicts of interest.”

        No the Mercury News mentioned that Rahul Chandhok of the Forty Niners made that claim. The reality is that two jurors recused themselves.

        —–

        You wrote: “I believe our Council Members were meeting with the 49ers to help resolve the pending lawsuits.”

        If they were doing this and being competent and honorable then they would have had the city attorney or interim city attorney along with them at least.

        —–

        You wrote: “The lawsuits were settled. It seems to me, you are guilty of being a “lap dog” for Lisa Gillmor and company. ”

        I am not and have written about various things I disagree with Gillmor on here and elsewhere. I have never even been very complimentary about her here or elsewhere. You are projecting because it is you who is never critical about the people you politically support. And it is you who only ever says positive things about those you politically support. And it is you who also only ever says negative things about those who you are politically opposed to.

        —–

        You wrote: “You need to stop accusing everyone you disagree with as being compensated by the 49ers.”

        I do not need to stop doing that because I have not been doing that.

        —–

        You wrote: “As far as the grand jury report, most concerns are “fake” and of no consequence and should be rejected and ignored.”

        You may wish that to be the case but unfortunately there is a lot in the report that is true and truly troubling.

        You disagree of course and you have a right to your opinion. I think anyone who reads your comments can see clearly what the value of your opinion is.

        • Davy L 2 years ago
          Reply

          This election will be over soon. Our voters will make their decision. And should Becker become our Mayor, all your shouting and moaning and groaning will come to an end. And all your frivolous comments shall be totally ignored by everyone.

          • Buchser Alum 2 years ago

            Davy,

            Please feel free to completely ignore all of my comments since you already ignore all the points I raise and ignore all my corrections of you.

          • Dvay L 2 years ago

            Ok. No problem. You’re easy to ignore.

          • Buchser Alum 2 years ago

            Davy,

            It seems that it is literally impossible for you to ignore any comment of mine.

            I encourage you to do better in that regard.

          • Davy L 2 years ago

            Well, Nuts to you.

  3. Observation 2 years ago
    Reply

    This is disgusting yellow journalism at its best. Full of innuendo and hearsay but no supporting facts. Chandhok and the 49ers have their fingerprints all over this. To the reporter, how dare you publicly publish the names and addresses of jury members, and where their house of worship is. Truly a despicable low. To the reporter, why don’t you do some investigative reporting instead of taking the pablum the 49ers are giving and directing SVV and San Jose Spotlight to put what they say out as fact. You and the 49ers are very close to jury tampering, if it hasn’t actually already been violated, that is. I was at the kickoff for the recall drive of Kevin Park today, and there was a very good turnout. The good people of Santa Clara have seen enough and have finally gotten to the point where they’ve had enough with the current fools on the council and their incestuous relationship with their puppet Masters, the 49ers. I have no doubt the grand jury report was leaked early either by the 49ers, one of the 49er 5, and/or SVV or the San Jose Spotlight, or to a third party. All of these parties had strong motivations of their own to do so and leak it early. It’s a telling sign that one of the aforementioned parties did it, because the faux outrage about the early leak just stopped, probably once they found out one of their own was the actual leaker. If I had to bet who it was Anthony Becker or one of his entourage would be at the top of the list.

    Please respect the sanctity of the grand jury and leave the jury members alone. No more stalking of the grand jury members and releasing very personal information about them and their families and neighbors. It sure is disturbing when the 49ers have paid high price attorneys and high-priced private investigators to invade the privacy and harass those citizens of Santa Clara that they see as being in their way, and the SVV who are a mouthpiece for the immoral and unethical ownership and leadership of the 49ers front office.

    • Davy L 2 years ago
      Reply

      It appears to me, you are the person making unfounded accusations. The names of jury members are public information. No crime is being committed. However, you are making false claims that “the 49ers giving and directing SVV and the San Jose Spotlight to put what they say out as fact”. You have proof or evidence? There is an election coming up that will verify how the “good people of Santa Clara” shall vote. Ok, you side with Lisa Gillmor and her cronies. I shall be choosing Becker, Kevin Park, and their entourage. The ballots are due out next week. Let’s let our voters make their choice.

  4. Jim 2 years ago
    Reply

    49’ers Gang of 5 recieved $3Million for election campaign donations and this Silicon Valley Voice that is on 49’ers payroll, naturally forgot to mention that in this article. Good investment for Jed York to buy these local politicians and local media for couple couple million where he is able to cheat the citizens for tens of millions of dollars.

    • Davy L 2 years ago
      Reply

      Well, like everyone else, I’ve seen the results of their $3 Million donation. It consisted of three or four junk mailers which I promptly deposited into the trash can. It was a bad investment. They could have saved their money. However, I’m voting against Gillmor, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the 49ers. I simply believe that she done a very poor job as our Mayor, and needs to be replace. So, I am voting for Becker, since that is the only other choice. I also believe your claim that the Silicon Valley Voice is on the 49ers payroll is also not true. Just because you disagree with them, is no reason for you to make up such nonsense.

      • Buchser Alum 2 years ago
        Reply

        Davy,

        Very strange that you would try to pretend that millions of dollars just result in some junk mail pamphlets.

        The Forty Niners are spending millions on Becker and Chahal and Hardy by buying a ton of expensive television ads and taking out Google ads to promote attack websites whenever someone searches for the candidates their chosen are running against and hired canvassers to distribute their pamphlets and knock on doors and Facebook ads and much more.

        We have never in the history of our city ever seen such a massive amount of money spent on a mayor’s race. When Anthony Becker ran for mayor in 2018 he criticized Gillmor for having raised $36,600 for her campaign and insinuated that “massive amount of money spent by independent expenditures” for Gillmor.

        Oh how people change. Becker is now the king of “independent” expenditures made for him and special interests spending a fortune for him. Over $1,000,000 for make him mayor of Santa Clara and still counting.

        Why is it worth over $1,000,000 for the Forty Niners to have Becker as the mayor of Santa Clara? What return are they expecting for their investment in him?

        “Cash 💰 is Queen 👑 , my opponent has raised $36,600 all from special interests including developers, lobbyists, and construction firms. My campaign has raised $9,400 all from Santa Clara residents all grassroots. Is special interests good for Santa Clara..funding a candidate north of $36,000! That is someone’s salary, that kinda of money can help struggling families, not to mention the massive amount of money spent by independent expenditures”

        https://twitter.com/AnthonyJBecker/status/1058145572882771968

        • Davy L 2 years ago
          Reply

          I expect the money spent is not so much for Becker, but for removing Lisa Gillmor. Well, no one’s knock on my door, and I have not seen any TV ads or Google ads. Sorry, I am not pretending. I’ve only received their mailers. Because of this I personally feel no effect of all this millions and millions of dollars you are speaking of. I view this election as a slow changing of the “guard”. The old “guard” is slowly departing, and a new “line-up” is taking over. It’s a reflection of this new generation of voters. Our City’s population is changing and increasing. There are many more “new” and “younger” voters. I feel that I am part of this group. Together these new voters shall determine the upcoming future and direction of our City.

          • Buchser Alum 2 years ago

            Many new and younger voters along with older people who have voted many times are against Becker because his votes seem bought and paid for by the Forty Niners.

            Many Santa Clarans do not want a future in which our city is a Forty Niners company town.

            You pretend that millions of dollars in campaign spending results in nothing more than some paper pamphlets. Everyone else sees all the expensive advertisements. Just like you pretend that Becker’s behavior has not been problematic. But everyone else sees him meeting with the Forty Niners in private more than he meets with the council and votes the Forty Niners way whenever he can and gets over a million dollars spent on his campaign for mayor by the Forty Niners.

            My what a coincidence.

          • Davy L 2 years ago

            I’m sorry, but “everyone else” is just you. I don’t pretend. I’ve only seen the paper pamphlets. As for Santa Clara becoming a 49ers town, you’re joking. Yes, the 49ers are a 5 billion dollar outfit, but INTEL, ORACLE, NVIDIA are Santa Clara companies each valued at well over 100 billion dollars. Comparing them with the 49ers, would be like comparing an elephant to a mouse. This election will be Lisa’s grand departure. Two years from now, Watanabe shall be booted, and the series will be over. The final score will be 7 to 0. A glorious day will bloom for Santa Clara. However, “there is no joy in Mudville” – mighty Gillmor has struck out.

  5. Observation 2 years ago
    Reply

    David “L”, With the internet, anybody’s address can be found. That is a huge difference from the 49ers, a team worth $5 billion dollars, uses their immense resources to flood the internet with the names, addresses, and churches that the grand jury members and their families attend, and make them targets. This is pure intimidation by the 49ers of the grand jury members, and it is called jury tampering, a very serious crime. If you’ve noticed, the 49ers have been very mum about furthering these accusations, and after labeling the grand jury a kangaroo court, Chandhok knows he went too far, and the 49ers legal team pulled him back before he did more damage. I’m certainly looking forward to an investigation revealing who leaked the report early. Hopefully we will find out before the election, but with the 49er 5, I seriously doubt it.

    • Davy L 2 years ago
      Reply

      First, I would like to correct you. My name is not “David”, it is “Davy”. You need not worry. If the 49ers committed a “very serious crime” as you’ve stated, I’m certain Gillmor and associates will see that they are properly punished. However, I don’t think that’s the case. This election will be over soon, and then all this noise and chatter will quickly die out.

      • Observation 2 years ago
        Reply

        Because Mayor Gillmor has such pull with the District Attorney’s office, too.

        • Davy L 2 years ago
          Reply

          You’re right. She has no pull that’s why it shall be totally ignored by the District Attorney’s office.

  6. Hmmmm 2 years ago
    Reply

    Will you please identify any inaccurate parts of the Grand Jury report? Will you please identify which of the recommendations, which promote transparency and ethical conduct, that you disagree with?

    • Buchser Alum 2 years ago
      Reply

      Hmmmm,

      These are the important questions to ask and discuss. If not instead of the ones that Carolyn focuses on then at least in addition to.

      When people totally disregard valid points made and focus only upon invalidating everything and trying to pretend the entire thing is illegitimate that reminds me of Trump and his election lies.

    • Davy L 2 years ago
      Reply

      Hmmmm,
      Please note: Instead of answering your questions, “Buchser Alum” decides to bring Trump into the picture.

  7. SCFirst 2 years ago
    Reply

    Davy L – I believe every dollar spent on getting rid of the Gillmor Gang is a dollar worth spent. I’m not interested in Football and voted against Measure J but this Family has ‘owned’ Santa Clara too long. Maybe they can move to Washington State, NY or Bakersfield where some of their former Measure J people have moved to. Let us not forget that they helped bring the niners here and that family is only make a bad deal worse. I commend the council people Becker, Hardy, Raj, Suds and Park for working on make a wrong better. The worst contract ever written – and Iron Clad Deal. Pass me the bucket while I throw up.

    • Davy L 2 years ago
      Reply

      Very well spoken. I agree with you 100%. Thanks for your input.

  8. Buchser Alum 2 years ago
    Reply

    SCFirst,

    Gillmor worked for the passage of Measure J less prominently than Patty Mahan and Jamie Matthews and John McLemore.

    Anthony Becker has been endorsed and helped and guided by Mahan and McLemore since back in 2018 in his first failed bid to become mayor. Both have been very happy to be part of PAC’s funded by Forty Niners money which has also been a cushy landing spot for Mike Honda.

    The influence of Lisa and Gary Gillmor is similar to that of Patty Mahan and her father before her. It was Mahan and Matthews who brought Gillmor back into the city council when Matthews became mayor.

    You cannot fool longtime Santa Clarans who were around for the Measure J battle by trying to pretend that the stadium and Measure J was Gillmor’s pet project. We all remember Mahan and Matthews and McLemore all over the television and other advertisements. It was a unified effort that all the pro development figures in Santa Clara.

    Most prominently Mahan and Matthews, two of the earliest mentors and supporters of Anthony Becker.

    The Gillmors have never been big enough to “own” Santa Clara. But the Forty Niners have been owning Santa Clara politics for at least the next two years. Elect Becker and you are doing exactly what they paid for.

    • Davy L 2 years ago
      Reply

      I believe this is a lie associating Mahan and McLemore with Becker. I doubt they have any connection with Becker, and only offer their endorsements in 2018 just to spite Lisa Gillmor. This is the last hooray for Lisa Gillmor. Becker shall be elected, and we can finally wave bye-bye to Lisa.

      • Buchser Alum 2 years ago
        Reply

        Davy,

        You wrote: “I believe this is a lie associating Mahan and McLemore with Becker.”

        You said you did not follow Santa Clara politics until 2020 so you just do not know the history.

        Becker ran for mayor in 2018 with no expereince except having just been appointed to the planning commission. He ran because he was encouraged and endorsed by Mahan and McLemore.

        Here are the two of them at his 2018 campaign kickoff. Zero relevant experience or qualifications but was their handpicked candidate to run against Gillmor.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2eqp9tZTEg

        And for his 2022 mayoral run he is still their boy. Campaign kickoff party at Patty Mahan’s house. With McLemore there. Also Chahal and Hardy and Park.

        And also a professional photographer working for the PAC’s the Forty Niners paid for that are supposed to be independent from the campaigns and candidates.

        A very cozy little party held at Patty Mahan’s house.

        Cue: Davy telling us what he thinks with no facts to back up his opinion. Or maybe he will tell us the election will soon be over like he always does when even he has realized he cannot back up his opinions.

        • Davy L 2 years ago
          Reply

          What the heck. I do not need to back up my opinions. After all, it’s my opinions. As for Mahan and McLemore, I really do not know them. I am in my early 30s, and know little of what happened here 20 years ago. I’ve only been a resident for the past 8 years. However, I am aware of what has been going on the past 2 or 3 years. From my prospective, Lisa Gillmor has been a terrible Mayor. I believe our voters will agree. If you want to listen to a more knowledgeable resident, here more words from SCFirst:

          We read in the “gossip column” they call a “blog” that people accused Suds of releasing the grand jury investigations. We find that a joke. Who gains to benefit from the release of that Grand Jury evidence just a few days before the ballots arrive? We know that answer. Poor Lisa lost her throne and is trying so hard to keep control. We hope she moves away like some of her other team that brought the Niners here, Kolstad, Matthews, Davis, Blair, etc etc. but not before she and her family is investigated. While the fingers are pointed at others maybe we as a City should be looking at little closer at the Gillmor family maybe some restitution needs to be done, how many people have they influenced to sell their homes or land ? How many schools were closed and downtowns were pulled down under the Gillmor advice? How many schools and properties are still paying rent to the Gillmor Family? What shelf companies does the family own? Whats the truth behind Related and the Gillmor family?
          if you have forgotten her involvement please enjoy the videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57F4_X2PIJU and remember the push for Yes on J https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhnNw2u4z8g or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5TfvZyaQy8

          • Buchser Alum 2 years ago

            Davy,

            You wrote: “I do not need to back up my opinions.”

            At least in this matter you act in accordance with your beliefs.

          • Davy L 2 years ago

            Notes from the Mercury News article:
            “Voters should end (the) Gillmor era in Santa Clara. Santa Clara needs a clean break from the divisive politics of Mayor Lisa Gillmor. … Since becoming mayor in 2016, Gillmor has engaged in “my way or the highway” politics that has divided the city, created a dysfunctional council atmosphere, caused constant staff turnover and led to costly lawsuits that contributed to the $27 million budget deficit.”
            They generally dismiss the Grand Jury report, stating the report was incomplete. By interviewing all Council Members and the 49ers, they would have learn that settling the 49ers lawsuit was the right course of action and ended the city’s $2 million-a-year legal expenses.

          • Davy L 2 years ago

            Additional Notes from the Mercury News:
            “Voters shouldn’t forget that it was Gillmor who resisted a 2018 court order that Santa Clara switch from an-at-large voting system to a six district elections … This fool-hardy lawsuit cost the city tax-payers … millions in legal fees, funds that could have reduced the city’s current deficit.”

        • Davy L 2 years ago
          Reply

          Incidentally, the Mercury News has just announced their endorsements for our upcoming elections.
          (1) Becker for Mayor
          (2) Chahal for Council District 2
          (3) Hardy for Council District 3

          • Davy L 2 years ago

            Yeah, I know. “Buchser Alum” and “Idiots” will claim that the 49ers own the Mercury News. Ha! Ha! Ha!

  9. Davy L 2 years ago
    Reply

    Mercury News editorial 10/16/22:
    1. Voters should end Gillmor era in Santa Clara.
    2. Becker has “flaws” but is better choice that Gillmor.
    3. Gillmor’s past actions contributed to $27 million deficit.
    4. 49ers spending troubling, but not conclusive.
    5. Civil Grand Jury report incomplete contains multiple errors.
    6. Grand Jury neglected to interview all parties involved: 49ers, etc.
    7. Settling the 49ers lawsuit was correct course, saving city millions.
    8. Gillmor’s 10pm curfew on stadium events hurt revenues.
    9. Partial elimination of the 10pm curfew restored revenues.
    10. Gillmor resisted six district elections, costing city millions.
    11. Our City Council is more representative of our community.

    “Davy L” past opinions matching Mercury News editorial: “11”
    “Buchser Alum” past opinions matching Mercury News editorial: “0”

    • Davy L 2 years ago
      Reply

      Wow! Two perfect scores! An inexperience new-comer defeats a deep-experience old-timer. Amazing!

    • Davy L 2 years ago
      Reply

      Actually, this was not the case of inexperience over experience; but rather it was simple common sense over nonsense, lies, and twisting of the facts.

      • Davy L 2 years ago
        Reply

        Example of nonsense: Santa Clara is about to become a 49ers company town.
        Example of lies: The Weekly/Voice is funded by the 49ers.
        Example of twisted facts: The Civil Grand Jury report.

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