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. 

Long-time Sunnyvale Resident voices hope for a city that pays heed to voices of entire community

An Open Letter to Sunnyvale Mayor Anthony Spitaleri

Dear Mr. Mayor:

Yesterday’s mail brought a letter from you promoting your selection of candidates in the upcoming election.  In it you relate how you and your family first settled in Sunnyvale some 47 years ago, at a time when you “couldn’t have asked for a better place to raise a family than in a city which cares about its citizens…”  You then describe how during your service to the city you have “emphasized the importance of collaboration and partnership between Community, Business, and Government…”  You add: “Sunnyvale must continue… with a collaborative and solution-oriented mind set.”  (The italics are mine.)

Mr. Mayor, I remember those days of long ago… and even not so long ago.  As a 54-year resident, I agree that Sunnyvale was a very special place.  The sun shone on a city of hope and optimism: a center of new technology where anything might be possible; a friendly town where the streets were named for flowers and fruits and birds and there was an active, ongoing campaign to add even more park space and trees; and especially, I agree, a town which cared for its citizens and actually listened to them.

Time to preserve neighborhoods in Sunnyvale

Reader Letters Courtesy San Jose Mercury News Oct 4, 2013

I was extremely disappointed in the Mercury News recommendations on the Sunnyvale City Council race (Editorial, Sept. 30). The editorial suggested that several candidates for city council are unacceptable choices because of association with Councilman Pat Meyering. Being sympathetic to Meyering’s views should not be cause for disqualification. Many Sunnyvale residents should be sympathetic to Meyering’s views if they want the character of their neighborhoods to remain intact.

After listening to candidates Steve Hoffman and Andy Frazer address the city council and at a recent candidate’s forum, it’s clear that they have well-reasoned positions and they present them via civil debate. It’s time for council members to put Sunnyvale neighborhoods first, and that concept is front and center in the minds of candidates Hoffman and Frazer. By contrast, the Mercury News’ recommended candidates appear to put development first, with preserving the character of Sunnyvale neighborhoods not at the top of their priority list.

Gary Beaupre Sunnyvale

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.

Video_City of Sunnyvale Council Candidate September Forum

Thank you Michael Goldman, of Cal Pensions in Brief,  who published a page with 9 videos of the City Council Candidates from the Sept 30, 2013 COOL Candidate forum:

1. Seat 1: ANDY FRAZER, Software Engineer and GUSTAV LARSSON, Software Engineer
2. Seat 2: STEVE HOFFMAN, Chief Executive Officer and GLENN HENDRICKS, Senior Engineering Manager and GUSTAVO MAGAÑA, Law School Student
3. JIM GRIFFITH, Engineer/Sunnyvale and Councilmember TAP MERRICK, Investment Adviser Representative

CLICK HERE for the video link.

Nothing “Civil” about Sunnyvale Vice Mayor Jim Griffith stealing identity of Opponent Tap Merrick

Today  Sunnyvale residents received glossy 9×12 fliers in their mailboxes, from the special interest organization  PSOA, with a caustic San Jose Mercury Editorial, authored by Barbara Marshman, attacking three genuinely impassioned, community leaders  –  City of Sunnyvale Council Candidates Andy Frazer, Steve Hoffman and Tap Merrick.

The insane “flip-side” of Barbara’s “civil” party endorsements include the City of Sunnyvale Council Vice Mayor and Candidate, Jim Griffith, who may be formally charged with committing a crime of identify theft of unethical identify theft of his opponents name and point directing of a campaign website.

Sunnyvale Jim Griffith unethical identify theft of his opponents name and campaign website

Community members have cried “we want healthy political competition, not underhanded, unfair, unhealthy behavior to permeate the Sunnyvale political environment.”

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.