South San Francisco, CA December 9, 2020 by Cynthia Marcopulos, SSF Resident
Please note – this letter to the editor is in response to December 8 Letter to Editor by John Baker HERE
Dear Editor,
I agree, Mr. Baker, that from the Federal Government right down to the local levels, we should not have career politicians, but I must disagree that a potential candidate be disregarded because they may want to serve by running for the seat they’re appointed to if they are the most qualified.
I believe our City Council members, who have served our community so very well, representing the majority of our residents who moved here for a quality of life, not to be warehoused or over-built like San Francisco, believe we have the best Council members and do support them, as they have supported the residents all these years with their service.
This past election, where a virtual unknown unseated an incumbent by a mere 50 votes (which is not a mandate of the voters and I contend should have been a recount), shows beyond a doubt how outside organizations and people who are not members of our community, along with the big money financing this campaign with its flashy colorful flyers being delivered at least weekly to households, only demonstrates how these outside influences will forever change our city to push for their self-serving agenda.
Why is South City so eager to destroy our quality of life, the reason we moved here, by overbuilding almost every single area of the city and jamming more people in our city where our infrastructure cannot support it (sewage, roads, utility services and water)?
I urge the City Council to appoint the best candidate that represents our community, not what is forced down our throats by the State mandates of such career politicians as Scott Weiner and the like.
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Please note, an update to our website resulted in a glitch that is not allowing public comments to be viewed. We are working on this and appreciate your patience. Thank you.
-Kamala Silva Wolfe, Founder/ Editor
COMMENTS:
The comment above does not take into account that J Coleman did not win by 50 votes— but by 299 votes.
That said, the council served their interests well, not the community’s in their long tenures. local government is the first line of defense for communities and SSF ‘s council repeatedly misled (I’m being kind) the community in several ways.
They lacked transparency when the people vociferously expressed their wishes to scale back a project so as not to pressure local services and cause traffic gridlock on what is left of our open spaces, taxing local services, garbage, sewer; raising the cost of living with a sales tax that posed hardship on working families. Clearly they were catering to special groups, and interests, not the community that voted them in as incumbents.
Absent were accolades from the community expressed or allowed on the reorganization and transition night. They controlled the flow of information, feeling entitled to deny the public’s right to vent to their local “representatives”, which is a free speech right. There should be term limits.
So, pardon me, their stay like your elderly uncle, have over stayed their welcome. Enough !
*** Kamala, the comments are still not showing on the pages. Thank you for ESC.
-Your Neighbor:
You are complaining about overbuilding, but the current Council encouraged that. I went to meetings of our residents who were very outspoken in their opposition to these high rises, but the high rises were built anyway. The retiring Council members did good work for our community, but it is time for new ideas. By the way, if you are referring to young James Coleman, you should be proud that a young man of this city and these local schools is passionate about serving on our Council. There were no outside groups helping him get elected. He got endorsements from the Peninsula Young Democrats, but we old time (48 years) residents supported him and made calls for him and distributed flyers for him, and donated money to his campaign along with so many of our residents who had never been contacted by any person running for Council. I certainly didn’t move here for any quality of life – in those days the houses were affordable – that’s about it. As for quality of life, we need to ask those marginalized in our community about their quality of life.
-Dolores Piper
The comment above does not take into account that J Coleman did not win by 50 votes— but by 299 votes.
That said, the council served their interests well, not the community’s in their long tenures. local government is the first line of defense for communities and SSF ‘s council repeatedly misled (I’m being kind) the community in several ways.
They lacked transparency when the people vociferously expressed their wishes to scale back a project so as not to pressure local services and cause traffic gridlock on what is left of our open spaces, taxing local services, garbage, sewer; raising the cost of living with a sales tax that posed hardship on working families. Clearly they were catering to special groups, and interests, not the community that voted them in as incumbents.
Absent were accolades from the community expressed or allowed on the reorganization and transition night. They controlled the flow of information, feeling entitled to deny the public’s right to vent to their local “representatives”, which is a free speech right. There should be term limits.
So, pardon me, their stay like your elderly uncle, have over stayed their welcome. Enough !
*** Kamala, the comments are still not showing on the pages. Thank you for ESC.
You are complaining about overbuilding, but the current Council encouraged that. I went to meetings of our residents who were very outspoken in their opposition to these high rises, but the high rises were built anyway. The retiring Council members did good work for our community, but it is time for new ideas. By the way, if you are referring to young James Coleman, you should be proud that a young man of this city and these local schools is passionate about serving on our Council. There were no outside groups helping him get elected. He got endorsements from the Peninsula Young Democrats, but we old time (48 years) residents supported him and made calls for him and distributed flyers for him, and donated money to his campaign along with so many of our residents who had never been contacted by any person running for Council. I certainly didn’t move here for any quality of life – in those days the houses were affordable – that’s about it. As for quality of life, we need to ask those marginalized in our community about their quality of life.