Saturday, May 26, 2007

"Politicize the debate"

At the May 15 City Council meeting, NotWithMyMoney.org requested that the Council pledge to allow the citizens of Santa Clara to vote on any stadium proposal that would require spending public money. Besides putting off a "yes" or "no" answer, certain Councilmembers also denigrated the citizens who spoke in favor of a vote.

Councilmember Caserta said,
"I just think this is political theater."

Mayor Mahan said
she fears that an election could improperly politicize the debate over a stadium.

Hello? Ms. Pot? There is a Mr. Kettle here to see you. Shall I tell him you'll call him black?

Santa Clara residents received a 4-page color pamphlet from the 49ers a few weeks ago. It was distributed as an ad insert in the Santa Clara Weekly newspaper. This paper is delivered unsolicited. The pamphlet looks remarkably like an election flyer. There is a "candidate football player holding cute baby" picture. There is a "candidate football player helping out in the community" picture. There is just about every election pamphlet device except promises of a chicken in every pot.

Here is a sample of election pamphlets:



Look pretty similar, don't they?

So let's see, carpet bombing the city with slick campaign literature. Doing so in May, many many months before the election. An exercise for the reader would be to find out how much money does it take to accomplish this mission.

"Political theater" indeed.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Speaking about politicizing the debate... in the same meeting, council member Kevin Moore wondered aloud if the petitioners would pay for such a special election.

If everyone asking for some action by the city were to pay for it themselves, then what of the York's request? Let's leave aside comparisons of a $100k election in a democratic form of government vs a $200M subsidy to the rich and wealthy.

Moore's double standard was just astounding.

Anonymous said...

aye, $100K to let the people have their say, vs. $200M subsidy for billionaires. who does this moore guy think he represents anyway? the people, or the niners?

anybody remember the tom paxton song,

I am changing my name to Chrysler
I am going down to Washington D.C.
I will tell some power broker
What they did for Iacocca
Will be perfectly acceptable to me
I am changing my name to Chrysler
I am headed for that great receiving line
So when they hand a million grand out
I'll be standing with my hand out
Yes sire I'll get mine

http://www.arlo.net/resources/lyrics/chrysler.shtml