Developer and unions big money slant _Sunnyvale City Council Election 2013

Open Letter from City of Sunnyvale Council Candidate Steve Hoffman:

Jeni, as you can see from the expensive glossy campaign mailers you are receiving in the mail, Sunnyvale’s Unions and out-of-town Developers are funding the election campaigns of their slate of Pro-Unions and Pro-Developer candidates (Griffith, Glenn, and Gustav – the 3 G’s).  

After elected, these candidates will vote on matters that will benefit their donors, as neither see any conflict of interest with this.  Every election, the same thing happens.  The Unions and Developers fund the candidate that will later support their financial interests – just like in Washington DC. 

Following are just a few examples of how this is costing you, and how low it has brought our City: ( click here for more info)

1. $250,000/yr is the average full compensation for public safety officers in Sunnyvale (according to Sunnyvale’s Finance Director Grace Leung).  This is the highest in the entire Bay Area and $50,000 higher than the second highest city (click here for more info).
2. Developers are regularly getting permits to build building that deviate from City codes and exceed the City’s General Plan for growth.  All this, without regard to neighbors’ concerns:  Forever, residents of the Pine/Beechnut area of the S.N.A.I.L. neighborhood will live under the shadow of the monstrous pair of five-story office buildings approved by Gustav Larsson and Glenn Hendricks as Planning Commissioners, and by Jim Griffith as a Council Member (click here for more info).
3. On 4/30/13 Sunnyvale’s city council effectively granted $1.5 million to the garbage company.  The City had no legal obligation to do so, and it got NOTHING in return. Several Council members took donations from the owner of the garbage company.  On July 1st, you got a garbage rate increase.  Almost 50% of the increase is to pay for this $1.5 million grant according to Sunnyvale’s Finance Director Grace Leung (click here for more info).
4. Priceless City lands are being sold (i.e. Raynor Park Activity Center, Murphy Park), while other lands are proposed to be sold (i.e. Civic Center); Playgrounds are been demolished (i.e. CMS), and the City Council refuses to consider purchasing new parklands when opportunities arise ( click here for more info).
5. Sunnyvale Burglaries have increased at a rate 50% higher than the entire Bay Area rate of increase according to the Mercury News (2011 to 2012).  Sunnyvale’s Police Force is smaller than it was 10 years ago because we cannot afford more police officers.  Today we pay almost twice as much for significantly less officers (14%) than we had 10 years ago, while our population has dramatically increased (18%).
6. Council Member Chris Moylan publicly claims that Tap Merrick, Andy Frazer and myself are “part of Council Member Dave Whittum’s hostile takeover of the city council” !?!?!
7. Sunnyvale Vice Mayor Jim Griffith is accused of identify theft (click here for more info).
8. Candidates Glenn and Gustav see no conflict of interest in taking $3,000 dollars each in campaign donations from Developer John Vidovich who is proposing a 10 story multi building very high density complex on Sunnyvale’s most congested intersection (Fremont/Wolfe/El Camino).  All this without regard to outraged residents, Schools been over capacity, traffic jams, scarce water supply, sewage at capacity, and shortages in police patrol officers (click here for more info).
9. John Vidovich plans to make a similar very high density development on Mary and Fremont.
10. Griffith, Glenn and Gustav’s (the 3 G’s) campaign yard signs are placed on John Vidovich’s commercial property with his personal permission.

In light of all the money and support the 3 G’s (Glen, Gustav, and Griffith) receive from Developers and Unions and their track record, we CANNOT trust them to represent us the residents.

With all the so called “experience” the 3 G’s claim, they simply do not understand the Legislative Process, in that it is the responsibility of elected council members to represent only the best interest of the Residents.  Not the Developers and not the Unions, but only the Residents.

Candidates Tap Merrick, Andy Frazer and myself understand this.  So do Council Members Dave Whittum and Pat Meyering.  So voting for Tap, Andy and myself will assure that Sunnyvale Residents get the council they deserve.  A council composed of people of integrity and ethics.  A council that has a majority whom do not accept money from those that do business with the City.  A Council that knows that it is unethical to vote on matters that benefits its donors.

So please forward this e-mail to everyone you know that can help.  Plus, tell your neighbors in person about the corruptive influence of money in Sunnyvale politics.  Except for the scale, there is no difference between what is currently going on in Washington DC and Sunnyvale; and we all know what is going on in Washington DC.  We do not need to accept this in Sunnyvale .  We CAN change the future.

All we need to do is vote for candidates that have the foresight to see a real better future – just like the founding fathers of America.  Thank you.

Steve Hoffman
Candidate for Sunnyvale City Council Seat 2
www.SteveHoffman.org
+1 408-730-1111 x812
(408)981-7290 (cell)

Please VOTE for the Sunnyvale residents and leaders who have been advocating on your behalf:  

• Seat 1: Andy Frazer 
• Seat 2: Steve Hoffman 
• Seat 3: Tap Merrick  for Sunnyvale City Council 2013 Election!