Facts >> We the People
We are the people who have
had to endure lost jobs due to companies relocating to
other cities, for example, Lam Research relocating 350
jobs to Livermore. We
are the people who have to repair our cars when they hit
one of Fremont’s famous potholes created by underfunded
street maintenance. We are the people who watch our
children’s schools suffer every year from underfunding. We
are the people who have to suffer if our family members are
not responded to on time in an emergency situation due to
cuts in fire and police services.
We are the people...
All of these problems are
prevalent here in Fremont and are, in part, attributable
to city officials allowing large developments to be
cemented in place without making the developers
adequately fund all requirements to support these
developments into the future. And this trend is
continuing...
The one question that
voters should ask themselves this election: Are the
candidates listening to “we the people” or to those who
donate large sums of money?
If you look at the
financial records of current council members and those
currently running for office, many have taken money,
lots of money, from either developers or the Pattersons
who want to develop in Fremont. We want the City Council to make the right decision for the community, not based on hefty campaign contributions that council members have received from the Pattersons. Campaign contribution limit was raised to $520 per person in 2010.
We need strong, objective
leadership for such proposals—the impacts on us are just
too great. Housing developments are a quick fix—they
give Fremont money up front. But over time, Fremont will
lose money on these developments—long after the
developers have driven back to the Peninsula.
The Patterson Ranch
proposed development is simply too large. It, along with
the Tupelo development, would create
over 9,000 car trips a day, create additional stress on
our already overcrowded schools and essential services,
and puts development directly in front
of Coyote Hills Regional Park.
There are only two
city council candidates – Vinnie Bacon and Kathy McDonald – who
are shining a light on
this conflict of interest and have said that they will not
receive donations from developers. They are not only
concerned with the impact of developing in front of this
very special park, but also concerned with the
development’s huge impact on our health, our children, our traffic,
our police and fire services, and our quality of life.
They have
our vote and endorsement for November 2010. Please consider the value of uniting and casting your votes for Vinnie and Kathy, who will strive to make our city government more transparent, fair, and visionary for all residents, without the undue influence of special interests.
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