Hi Guys,

   I received the following from Greg Carr, who used to be mayor of San Ramon.

To the Voters and Residents of San Ramon:

Clarkson should let go of his grasp on City politics--7 years is enough. Whereas he is generally a likeable and respectful person, and I personally like him, he has a perpetual conflict of interest with his real estate business. Why? It is simple. The approval and building of more homes creates more opportunity to buy and sell them--that is a conflict of interest on the perpetually most pressing issue of the day in San Ramon: over development.

Clarkson has also created a cabal of like-minded cronies and wannabes in the City. You can see some of them hovering around him at his monthly mayor's breakfast, some with name tags showing that they are on this or that committee or commission--I find that humorous. Clarkson meets regularly with some of them, like Rick Marks (Planning Comm.), Gary Alpert (Planning Comm.), and Ken Mintz (School Board), to discuss who knows what. It is most likely not the weather. They can be seen meeting in different public locations around town. That has to end, even if for the reason that it just looks bad.

That is why we need a new mayor--Sanat Sethy. Yes, he has no City experience and can be difficult to understand some times, but his heart is in the right place--and he has no conflicts of interest. He is a likeable and respectful guy, with the drive to take on the likes of those in Sacramento and elsewhere who are telling us how we must develop our City. He came here from India many years ago to start a new life, just like most of our ancestors did. To do so was a one-way trip for him, because Indians lose their citizenship in India if they take up citizenship in the USA--no dual citizenship for them. So, when you think about Sanat as the mayor and you question his qualifications, remember that the first City Councils in San Ramon had no political experience, as did most of the signers of the Constitution those many years ago. They all did just fine. And, wow, stop and think that they did not go to "Leadership San Ramon" and other such cabal traps for the unsuspecting on how to learn to govern.

As for City Council member candidates, Sridar Verose seems to have target fixation on getting cricket fields in San Ramon. That's nice. He is proud that he is supported by Clarkson, O'Loane, and Perkins, who were instrumental in getting him on the Parks and Recreation Commission, where he can wield influence for more cricket fields. Being supported by a current majority of the City Council does not speak well for his potential for independence of thought and action in the future. Should he get elected, there will be four out of five City Council members in semi-lock step. I can only see him making many decisions based on the views of those to whom he is beholding.

Sabina Zafar should be elected to the City Council. She will not be a "tool" of the cabal. She will take independent actions based on what is best for the residents and small businesses, not for big money interests and developers. And, she is an intelligent, respectful, and educated woman and single working mother with two older, young-adult children--we need that perspective on the City Council.

Dave Hudson would do well to become emeritus. He has a wealth of experience and contacts in the Bay Area that could still serve the City well in helping to open doors for others newly elected to the City Council. But, 21 Years on the City Council is enough and he should promote and support younger people to get engaged in the City's governance.

Finally--we need women on the City Council. It has troubled me for some time that we have had 5 middle-aged white guys on the City Council. Being an old white guy, I can comment on that situation without reservation. When half of the city is women, and half of the City is from Asia, I think we need more well-rounded representation on the City Council. Frankly, we also need to have election to the City Council based on districts--that would change City Council representation and the balance of political power among the residents overnight. We might also consider increasing the number of City Council members to 7, thereby ensuring a more spectral and localized representation. But, those two issues are for another day.

I think back to when I was on the City Council in the early 1990's--Mary Lou Oliver and Pat Boom were on that City Council. Whereas I did not always agree with them, I did respect them then and I still do, and I personally like them. They are good people who care greatly for San Ramon. They brought a less-testosterone atmosphere to the City Council and represented a balance of backgrounds and viewpoints that we currently do not have.

Think about what you want San Ramon to be in both the near and distant future. Then vote accordingly, but vote!

After you vote, go to City Council meetings and Planning Commission meetings and see how your elected representatives, their appointees, and City staff are acting and what decisions they are making on your behalf. Make sure they are representing you. If they are not, let them know your displeasure in a direct, yet respectful and persistent, manner. If they don't listen to you, vote them out of office and find others who will listen to you. Never forget that they all work for you, not for special and moneyed interests or for themselves.

Greg Carr
Ex-Mayor and Council Member
City of San Ramon