Influence of Developers and Special Interests-SUNNYVALE City Council Election 2018-WHO TO VOTE FOR?

Courtesy Holly Lofgren

SUNNYVALE CITY COUNCIL

There is no doubt, Sunnyvale has been tremendously influenced by developers and special interests. It is VERY IMPORTANT to elect grassroots candidates who will listen and work for residents. All three recommended candidates have been long time residents of Sunnyvale and have extensive experience serving in different capacities and are supported by individuals who overwhelmingly live in Sunnyvale.

For information regarding campaign spending, please see these informative links:
Part 4 Follow The Money (10/30/18)

http://www.sunnyvalepubliclandsact.com

1. Video: Part 4: Follow The Money video plus Eric Krock’s related comments (duration: 5 min 30 sec)
2. Presentation: Part 4 – Follow The Money slides (PDF)
3. Funding Summary: 2018 Council Election Funding summary sheet (PDF)  (PNG)
4. Score Card: 2018 Council Candidate Score Card (PDF)  (PNG)

For information regarding the candidates qualifications, positions and activities, please see these websites of the Sunnyvale City Council Candidates I endorse:

• Seat 1: Henry Alexander III: https://henryforsunnyvale.com/
• Seat 2: Josh Grossman: https://www.josh4council.com/
• Seat 3: John Cordes: http://www.john4sunnyvale.org/

Additionally, the Sunnyvale Sun published an Op Ed from both myself and Andy Frazer outlining why candidate Mason Fong is unsuitable for this public office, dated October 26, 2018.

Opinion Letters to the Mercury News_Mason Fong sent out campaign fliers with false endorsements

 

Holly Lofgren
Sunnyvale resident

What VOTERS should know about Campaign Funded Candidates in Sunnyvale

Why would Corporations and Developers, who live outside of outside of the City of  Sunnyvale, fund certain Candidates for the City Council Election 2018? Why so much Campaign Funding? Do large contributions make for a better Candidate?

This does not mean that the highest funded candidates are the best choices . . . the generous campaign donors ultimately desire a City Council and Members who will vote favorably to approve their developments and projects. This is not always in the interest in the quality of living for Sunnyvale Residents.

2018 City of Sunnyvale Council Candidate and Election Funding Sources

2018 City of Sunnyvale City Council Election Candidate Council Scorecard

Overwhelming Funding is NOT EQUAL to a BETTER CANDIDATE. Talk with the Candidates, visit their websites and remember you are the one who elects the Sunnyvale City Council.

Remember to VOTE ON Nov. 6th !!

SEAT 2 VOTE JOSH GROSSMAN for Sunnyvale City Council

PLEASE make your voice heard and VOTE for JOSH GROSSMAN on Nov. 6th.

Josh Grossman is a Technology Executive and Attorney looking for Innovative solutions for tough problems such as Sunnyvale traffic, balanced growth, reducing Airplane noise, and protecting mobile home parks. Most importantly, Josh has not accepted donations from Political Action Committee PACs or Developers. Why is this important? PACs are political committees organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates. Most PACs represent business, labor or ideological interests. Josh promises to make independent decisions on behalf of, and for Sunnyvale Residents.

VISIT:  https://www.josh4council.com/

Council Must Be Barred from Voting on Their Donors’ Proposals

Courtesy Pat Meyering, Sunnyvale City Councilmember

On Tuesday, October 14, 2014, at 7:00 p.m., the city council considers a request by a real estate developer for special rezoning to build very high density, 89-foot tall office towers in two square blocks along N. Wolfe Road, and Arques Ave., 500 feet away from Sunnyvale residences.

The towers will contain ¾ of a million square feet of office space, triple what the current building limit allows.  A City-owned street is being abandoned and the land given to the developer to provide more area to build on.  Nearly 100 million pounds of concrete will be poured, including to build 2541 parking spaces.   160 ‘Heritage Trees’ will be cut down, making a mockery of Sunnyvale’s Urban Forest Plan.

Open Letter from Candidate Steve Hoffman Sunnyvale City Council Seat #2

Open Letter from Candidate Steve Hoffman Sunnyvale City Council Seat #2:

Dear Sunnyvale residents – Following are some questions I was asked today by a Sunnyvale resident, together with my answers.  Please forward to your friends and neighbors.

1) What are your thoughts about what to do with Butcher’s Corner?

The new owner of Butcher’s Corner is a developer called John Vidovich.  He does not live in Sunnyvale.  He has spent thousands of dollars to support my opponent Glenn Hendricks ($3,000 so far).  To put this amount in perspective, it is about 50% more than my entire campaign has spent.  This assumes that the time of my supporters (all of whom are resident and not members of any special interest group) is worth nothing, which of course it is not.  Although Mr. Vidovich’s donation to Glenn Hendricks is not illegal in Sunnyvale, if this was a Federal Elections, then it would be illegal. 

Steve Hoffman is the best candidate for Sunnyvale City Council Seat #2

Candidate Steve Hoffman is running for Sunnyvale City Council Seat #2 for the benefit of the residents of Sunnyvale. Sunnyvale does not have Districts; therefore, voters will vote for each seat on the ballot (Seat 1, 2 and 3).

Steve Hoffman is a bright, patient, articulate, knowledgeable, solution-oriented and most importantly – an accessible man who demonstrates ethical behavior with integrity.  In fact, he has been attending the Sunnyvale City Council meetings for years providing public comments and offering brilliant suggestions to benefit the citizens of Sunnyvale.

CLICK HERE to read a wonderful letter from long-time Sunnyvale resident Jean Lee’s “Letter to the Mayor” to understand why Steve Hoffman is recommended as the best candidate to serve and guide Sunnyvale into the future. 

Sunnyvale City Council Oct 15 Candidate Forum now available on-line

The video from Oct 15, 2013 City of Sunnyvale City Council Candidate Forum is now available on-line at:

http://sunnyvaleca.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=1236

Sunnyvale does not have Districts per each Council Seat. Therefore, voters will have the opportunity to vote for each of the three seats City of Sunnyvale Council Election 2013.

Oct. 15th Candidate Debate Forum_City of Sunnyvale Council at City Hall

Tuesday, Oct 15 – 7:00pm: City Council Candidate Forum – Sunnyvale Residents – Please attend the forum to be held at City of Sunnyvale Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave or watch online at  webcast.insunnyvale.com sponsored by the Cupertino-Sunnyvale League of Women Voters. 

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.

Outcries from Sunnyvale residents regarding “stack and pack” developments and “urban canyons”

Deborah Marks compelling presentation during the Aug 13, 2013 City of Sunnyvale Council Meeting highlights  visuals of the recently Sunnyvale approved and built projects coined “stack and pack” high density residential and commercial buildings appearing like “urban canyons.”

Deborah also relays negative comments made by the Palo Alto Daily and the Mountain View Voice with outcries from residents regarding the “black wall” canopy of the towering LinkedIn Building and wants to know when will the urban forest management plan come before the council.

Councilmember Pat Meyering asks City Manager Gary Leubbers how he determined that there would be no visual impacts from the LinkedIn Building to the neighboring homes.

It’s time for a change.