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By Roz Rogoff

About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online "newspaper" titled "The San Ramon Observer." I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and...  (More)

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Calling More Candidates

Uploaded: Aug 11, 2011
After Bill Clarkson called me to discuss his candidacy for Mayor, I thought I should give Carol Rowley equal time. So I called her Tuesday afternoon and went over to her house for an interview on Wednesday night.

I asked her the same question I asked Bill, does the City or the School District have a more negative image. Carol didn't answer directly but said she looks at it in an analytical way. "We have to go out to the citizens more," she said referring to the neighborhood Town Hall Meetings the City Council has been holding. In fact she sponsored robo-calls to notify nearby residents about the meetings.

I told Carol that one of our blog regulars, Ms. Bunny, found the robo-calls very annoying. Carol said that was nice to know, but she added that others have thanked her for them.

I asked her how she felt about the way the environmentalists were treated at the Public Hearings on the General Plan 2030. She said she wasn't in charge of those meetings. "When I'm in charge, you listen to the person and treat them in a respectful way." She mentioned that she has talked to Ron Brown of Save Mount Diablo and initiated reviving the Open Space Committee. "We want everyone to come and share," she said. Those meetings will be open to the public.

I asked her whether she thought the Councilmembers should have term limits. Rowley is against them. "It's good to have people with long term history," she said. She enumerated recent changes in City Staff, "We have a balanced budget, a brand new City Manager, and City Attorney. I would bring stability," she said.

Former Mayor Curt Kinney feels the same way. I asked him who he thought should be Mayor and he said Carol because "She has the experience." Kinney thinks Bill Clarkson is a nice guy but feels it's necessary to have Council experience to be Mayor.

Why did I ask Kinney this? Because he pulled papers on Tuesday. I phoned him on Wednesday to find out if he's planning to run for Council or Mayor. It's City Council. I asked why he's running now. Could it be because Abram Wilson submitted his papers to run?

Kinney ran against Wilson in the City's first Mayoral election in 2003. In fact Kinney was Wilson's only opponent for Mayor. I asked Kinney why he's running against Abram, and Kinney said it's because Abram isn't a true conservative and cited Herb Moniz's high salary as one reason he feels that way.

I asked Kinney how he felt about the other potential candidates for City Council, Scott Perkins and Phil O'Loane. Kinney said Perkins "takes the wrong side," but didn't elaborate which side is wrong. Kinney didn't remember Phil O'Loane. I reminded him that O'Loane ran for Ron Raab's two year term in 2001. Kinney remembered Phil from that.

So the election is shaping up. Carol told me she will file her papers for Mayor on Friday. August 12th is the last day she and Scott Perkins can file. If Carol, doesn't file for City Council by Friday, the filing period will be extended to August 17th. The filing period for Mayor will not be extended because Abram termed out and cannot file as the incumbent.

City Clerk, Pat Edwards, urges anyone interested in running for City Council to pick up the papers by Friday, because the Clerk's Office will be closed over the weekend. This will give prospective candidates extra time to complete the paperwork.
Community.
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Comments

Posted by Resident, a resident of San Ramon,
on Aug 12, 2011 at 12:54 pm

The Patch is reporting today that Kinney is not running after all. I agree with him that Wilson should not run. It would be better for the city to have at least 1 new person on council next year. Wilson can take a breather and run for County Supervisor next year.


Posted by James von Halle, a resident of San Ramon,
on Aug 12, 2011 at 2:29 pm

Wilson is the Harold Stassen of Contra Costa County politics. He may be the darling of the San Ramon liberals but he can't cut it county wide.Run and lose..run and lose, etc. ad nauseum.


Posted by Roz Rogoff, the San Ramon Observer,
on Aug 12, 2011 at 2:42 pm

Roz Rogoff is a registered user.

Resident,

I read in the article that Jeanne (nice lady) talked Curt out of running. I wonder if my telling Carol Rowley Wednesday night that Curt was planning to run had anything to do with someone phoning Jeanne to talk him out of it.

Roz


Posted by Resident, a resident of San Ramon,
on Aug 12, 2011 at 3:05 pm

So Mr Kinney doesn't like Wilson, but Ms Kinney can be influenced by him enough to talk Mr Kinney out of running?? Seems unlikely. Is Wilson really running? It's a risky move. If he loses that's the end of politics for him and it ends on a run for a more junior office. I read he did not win San Ramon in his assembly run. He should step away gracefully while he can, unless kamikaze is his middle name


Posted by Roz Rogoff, the San Ramon Observer,
on Aug 12, 2011 at 5:33 pm

Roz Rogoff is a registered user.

Resident,

I don't know if anyone talked to Mrs. Kinney. That's just a speculation of mine. Mrs. Kinney may have talked her husband out of running on her own.

I wish someone could talk Abram out of running but he has filed the paperwork and is qualified to run for City Council.

Carol Rowley filed her papers to run for Mayor this afternoon and Phil O'Loane filed his papers to run for City Council today. The period to file for City Council will be extended to 5 pm on 8/17 now.

A mystery person, who doesn't live or vote in San Ramon, asked for papers to run for Mayor, but since this person isn't a resident or registered voter, the City Clerk did not give this person the papers. The City Clerk would not give me the name or residence of the mystery person either, so if anyone knows please post it here.

Roz


Posted by Paul Mitchell, a resident of another community,
on Aug 13, 2011 at 4:07 am

Roz, I do not live or vote in San Ramon, however, I am not the mystery person. [grin]


Posted by Roz Rogoff, the San Ramon Observer,
on Aug 13, 2011 at 10:57 am

Roz Rogoff is a registered user.

Gee Paul, I didn't think of you, but now that you bring it up you would make a great candidate for Mayor, especially living in Oregon now.

Roz


Posted by Calling It, a resident of San Ramon,
on Aug 14, 2011 at 1:52 am

Abram Wilson can't run again as mayor, a post which has no different power than a council member, because of term limits. Whether you support term limits or not, they're the current law and the people have spoken. Wilson running for city council is just one more arrogant move to ignore the will of the people.

This is the same guy who defended the highest city manager salary in the state. The same guy who's lost twice for Assembly. Who supported Measure W last fall, which was defeated by over 71%. Who ignored a grand jury report castigating the city for paying its 5 member "volunteer" city council $163,000 in various "benefits." Who can't even let members of the public speak at meetings, without throwing in his 25 cents. Who supported moving council meeting public comment periods to the end of meetings to discourage public comment.

San Ramon needs new blood, new voices. It's time for a change.


Posted by kevin, a resident of San Ramon,
on Aug 14, 2011 at 7:08 pm

I was in the city council meeting when they were having hearings on the recently passed 2030 plan. Councilman Perkins, to everyone's surprise, started voicing a non-support of the plan. Mayor Abrams was quick to state their opinions were not suppose to be voiced at the meetings and they would be discussed in private. Councilman Perkins continued to voice his concerns, then the Mayor attempted to shut him down by saying, the conversation was going to cease because he was the presiding authority being "Mayor". Councilman Hudson then stated, "For now".

The point I would make is that I think Mayor Abrams will have a hard time cooperating with the other council members in a more subordinate role. I really don't understand why he wants to put himself in that position. I can only guess that he is afraid to be unemployed when seeking his next position.

After attending almost all of the council meetings over the last year, I think cooperation among the other members and community interface would be helped by new blood.


Posted by Roz Rogoff, the San Ramon Observer,
on Aug 14, 2011 at 8:28 pm

Roz Rogoff is a registered user.

Kevin,

I remember that meeting. I wrote my a commentary on it on March 24, 2011. Here's what I said about Perkins being cut off by Mayor Wilson at the end of that commentary.

"After the Public Hearing was closed Vice Mayor Perkins started to outline his positions on some of the issues. He was cut short by Mayor Wilson who felt it was premature for the Council to take any positions since there is one more Public Hearing. Councilman Jim Livingstone questioned Mayor Wilson for cutting Perkins off. Wilson said he wanted to hear from the residents first, but he was willing to let each Councilmember speak.

Perkins had lost his momentum and Livingstone backed off, so the Public Hearing was continued to the next Council meeting on April 12th."

Here's the link to the story

Web Link

Roz


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