Tag Archives: Tap Merrick Sunnyvale

Sunnyvale Council_Don’t Sell Raynor Activity Center


Letter to the Sunnyvale Council members_Courtesy Tap Merrick

Dear Sunnyvale Council members,

The City’s planned sale of the Raynor Activity Center (RAC) on Tuesday, November 19th, 2013, is wrong and I urge the Council to reconsider.

First, It is my understanding that this property was originally purchased through a bond offering that came before the voters around 1979.  I believe that this bond offering limited the sale and use of proceeds from any sale to a few specific and limited choices, but did not allow for funding a branch library.  Please identify what those choices are as part of the City’s presentation. Continue reading

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Tap Merrick is the best candidate for Sunnyvale City Council Seat #3


Tap Merrick is running for Sunnyvale City Council Seat #3 for the benefit of the homeowners in Sunnyvale. Sunnyvale does not have Districts, therefore, voters can vote for each seat on the ballot (Seat 1, 2 and 3).

One of the strongest qualifications that Tap Merrick has, above his opponent Jim Griffith,  is a highly skilled financial background.  Tap holds a MSBA in finance and a BA in business administration, cum laude. He also has an extensive educational experience in public finance. Continue reading

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. Continue reading

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


Tuesday, Oct 15 – 7:00pm: City Council Candidate Forum – Sunnyvale ResidentsPlease 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 VotersContinue reading

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. Continue reading

Get involved to interview the next City of Sunnyvale City Manager deadline


CLICK HERE for the application to apply today serve on the interview panel for the next Sunnyvale City Manager December 13, 2013.

The applications are due by 5 p.m. on November 12, 2013.

Since Business and Development Panelist are part of the process, Resident and Neighborhood Association Panelist’s are encouraged to apply.  Continue reading

Sunnyvale Vice Mayor Jim Griffith accused of identify theft


After learning that Sunnyvale Councilmember and Vice Mayor Jim Griffith may be formally charged with committing a crime of identify theft, outraged Sunnyvale residents are calling Griffith a disgraceful politician and have recommended voting him out of office.

Candidate Tap Merrick approached the Sunnyvale City Council on Aug 13, protesting the unethical identity theft of his name and campaign administered and paid for by Councilmember and Vice Mayor Jim Griffith.

Continue reading