Facts >> We the People

We are the people who have had to endure hundreds of wasted hours in traffic. We are the people who have to repair our cars when they hit one of Fremont’s famous potholes created by underfunded roads. We are the people who watch our children’s classes expand every year from underfunded schools. We are the people who have to suffer if our children are not responded on time in an emergency situation due to undermanned 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.

Take the development planned for the Patterson Ranch. From 2004-2006, these five council members—Bob Wasserman, Steve Cho, Bob Wieckowski, Bill Harrison, and Anu Natarajan--have received $53,250 from developers (including the Patterson family and their developer, Richard Frisbie), $27,750 from real estate agents, and $12,500 from home improvement companies. In 2008, the maximum individual campaign contribution was raised to $500. In 2008, incumbent Bob Wieckowski, running for city council, received $9,100 from the Patterson family, 22% his 2008 campaign contributions This information is available at City Hall—ask to see candidates’ Form 460s.

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 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 children, our traffic, our police and fire services, and our quality of life.

They have our vote November 2010.

But we also need to go further: we need to insist, if these council people are going to accept money from developers and those who benefit from development, that they should excuse themselves from voting on crucial issues such as the Patterson Ranch.