The will of the people

The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object.

Thomas Jefferson

Tonight at the Santa Clara City Council Meeting, two founders of the stadium opposition group Not With My Money will present their petition for the City Council to agree to take any stadium plan to the voters of Santa Clara for the voters' approval.

You don't have to agree with their position on the proposal to agree that the Council should seek the approval of the public before committing itself to an enormous public works project.

Depending on the financing options, the Council may be required to seek a public vote, but the standard should not be “what do we HAVE to do.” Instead, for a city that prides itself on its ethics program, the standard should be “what is the RIGHT thing to do?”

And the right thing is to ensure that any proposal of this size has the support of the residents.

Back in 1984 when the City Council was tackling the Great America deal, they made their approval of the deal conditional upon a vote of the people.

The current City Council should follow that precedent and agree to make the approval of any proposal subject to a vote of the people.

So, if you believe that the will of the people should be the foundation of Santa Clara’s government, attend the City Council Meeting at 7pm tonight and let the Council know.