NEWS ARCHIVE 2
T.A.S.C.
Trust & Accountability
in San Carlos
The people do not yield their sovereignty to the bodies that serve them. The people insist on remaining informed to retain control over the legislative bodies they have created.
THE BROWN ACT
Here you will find past articles published in TASC. The articles are in chronological order, from the oldest to the most recent. Articles in this archive will only appear with the title, the date of publication, and the first paragraph, unless it has been revived due to timely relevance. You may request the full version of any previously published TASC article by completing the Article Request Form below. Be sure to include the following information when requesting an article: your name, email address (*articles sent by email are as a MS Word document attachment unless other request made), and the title(s) and publication date(s) (listed on the same line as the title) of the article. In particular, this page features articles from TASC's first six months, September 2004 through February 2005. For more recent articles, you will find them on the News Archive 1 page.
On the Navigation Site to the left, in the light blue box, you will find a listing of all of TASC's past articles found on this page. Individual links will take you directly to a selected article. For your ease, once you are finished with an article you can click on the Back to Top link and return to the top of this page.
As always, we welcome your input regarding any TASC articles.
As we near the end of this election cycle, for a perspective on what we refer to as the "City Machine," be sure to read the December 2004 article, Two Councilors and the Political Machine, found herein in its entirety. With South County Fire Authority negotiations in the spotlight, read The Most Important Thing....
Articles beginning September 2004:
Contracting in the City 
by Clint Miller 9/13/04
by Clint Miller 9/13/04As previously expected, City Hall's contracting practices were not affected in the least by the Grand Jury’s scathing report and the District Attorney’s pass on prosecution. The White Oaks Flood Control Project and the El Camino Median Revision were both adopted at the last C.C. meeting. Combined, these projects total nearly $300K and Mokhtari Engineering automatically got both construction management contracts. City Engineer, Parviz Mokhtari’s firm will be paid approximately $13K for the work his firm does. As always, it is business as usual in San Carlos.
The Best of Intentions Don’t Justify the Means…
by CeCe Wilkerson 9/13/04The people do not yield their sovereignty to the bodies that serve them. The people insist on remaining informed to retain control over the legislative bodies they have created.
(The Brown Act)
I cannot make it to Hot Harvest Nights on Thursdays very often. Because of my schedule, I have only made a quick trip to the outdoor market a couple times – to grab some kettle corn for the family. It looks like a wonderful event and I hope one day to stroll Laurel Street and enjoy the faire at a more leisurely pace. On that day, I would like to wander over to the recently established “Meet the City Council” booth. I think it is a good thing for the Council to get out more. To find out what the people of San Carlos think and feel. However, as wonderful as the booth may be, I have a problem with its origination.
Retail Revision Sought:9/13/04
9/13/04At a yet to be determine date the City Council will hold a discussion reviewing the definition of "retail" as it pertains to the granting of business licenses in our downtown retail core. Standard retailing is defined as a business that devotes 70% of its floor space to the sale of manufactured goods. EDAC would like retailing redefined so as to permit any type of business that would create foot traffic. It was argued that hair, nails, tanning and tattoo salons all create additional foot traffic which might result in additional sales at adjacent businesses. Block Buster Video was allowed onto Laurel Street following this thinking. Many have objected to the aggressive visual impact that this particular store has imposed at the intersection of Cherry and Laurel Streets. It seems that the City will do anything to increase sales tax revenues. The proposed change will have a significant impact on the look and feel of stores on both Laurel Street and San Carlos Ave. and this discussion should be closely watched by the public.
Show Us the Money... by Clint Miller9/24/04
by Clint Miller9/24/04Four hundred and sixty three thousand dollars is more than pocket change. From the beginning, the City’s rationale for converting public employees to contract employees has consistently been that it saves money, but some have questioned if this alleged saving is real. It is argued that because medical, dental and retirement benefits are not paid to a contractor the City gets its services at a cheaper rate. Sounds good in theory but the experiences of most private sector businesses during the ‘90s, when contracting was at its peak, is that contractors are more expensive.
Parviz Mokhtari: An Affair to Remember
(Part 1 of a 3-Part Series)by CeCe Wilkerson9/24/04
by CeCe Wilkerson9/24/04The issue of the Industrial Road project, with its intense scrutiny and public outcry, caused concerned citizens to express interest in the roots of the problem, how it all began. In particular, people have wondered about the notion of ethical problems within our City. This series of articles attempts to provide significant details and answer questions about what has come to be known as The Mokhtari Affair.
On August 31,2001, Parviz Mokhtari officially retired with full benefits from his position with the City of San Carlos. The next day, September 1, 2001, after months of negotiating an employment package, Mr. Mokhtari, through his company Mokhtari Engineering, Inc., returned as our Director of Public Works/City Engineer. Some heads turned at the awarding of this lucrative contract. Questions were raised. How can an employee, while working for the City, negotiate a contract for financial gain? How can we contract with a company without at least visiting the competition to make sure that when we spend taxpayers’ money we are getting the best value for our dollar? As State Senator Jackie Speier pointed out in a November 5, 2003, San Francisco Chronicle article, situations like this are “rife with cronyism…they retire on Friday, they come back on Monday, and, guess what? Their salary increases by 50%.”
What’s In a Name? T.A.S.C.9/24/04
9/24/04As many of you know, we have been searching for a new name for the Nitpicker. Well, we have found it. The publication, which will still continue to be updated before each Council meeting, has been renamed T.A.S.C., an acronym for Trust & Accountability in San Carlos. Another facet of the name that intrigued us was the notion of “taking one to task,” holding people accountable for their actions. Not only has the name changed, but we have created this new web site and reformatted the hardcopy newsletter, making it a bit more formal. This site and the hardcopy (which can be found about town or can be sent to you upon request) have been created to compliment each other. However, the site is more interactive, allowing people to more easily become involved in and provide their input on local governmental activities. We encourage you to visit our Contact Us page and send us your feedback; feel free to use the Delegate Submission box when corresponding.
The Most Important Thing…by CeCe Wilkerson 9/29/04
by CeCe Wilkerson 9/29/04 One can’t help but be aware of the current tempest to hit City Hall, the King-Collier situation. No one who has heard me speak or who has read my articles would be surprised to learn that I am greatly disappointed at yet another instance of apparent inappropriate conduct on the part of our local officials. Considering the massive front-page media attention, several people have asked if I would write about it. I would be remiss if I didn’t address this latest issue. However, while I am certainly distressed at this latest fiasco, first and foremost on my list for cause of concern is not, as one might expect from me, the ethical issue of government’s accountability to the people. Instead, what troubles me the most is a specific facet of this situation: the fact that the money allegedly being misappropriated was to come from our fire department.
Yes, misappropriation of funds from any department wherein taxpayers are concerned is criminal. But considering the reason Peg Collier was associated with South County Fire in the first place, to manage the Measure I campaign while firefighter layoffs loomed, makes this situation much more egregious. What we are talking about here, if this investigation by the DA proves out, is an attempt to wrongfully take money from the very public agency they were purportedly attempting to help. The need for money was so great, the fire department so financially strapped, according to these people in question, that a campaign to raise funds was organized. If the Fire Department’s need was so great and funds so lacking, how can an attempt to take their money, to make them pay for the campaign, be at all justifiable? And whether or not an individual was for or against the Measure that ultimately failed, there was and is no denying that they certainly didn’t have money to just bandy about, let alone more than $13,000. Ultimately, of course, the money for the fire department comes from taxpayers.
Like many of you, I too am getting most of my information from the press. To the reasonable person, it seems unlikely that Collier could have worked 80 hours (at $185/hour) calling around to find the firefighters jobs and yet no one who was in need of such help has ever heard her name – not several of the local fire stations who hired the laid-off firemen; not the head of a local firefighter’s union; not the affected firemen themselves – according to the press (San Mateo County Times, 9/29/04). Further, it would be expected that if arrangements were made for the agency to spend thousands of dollars on head-hunting there would be documentation. Yet, according to reports (The Daily Journal, 9/28/04), the investigation has not yielded such documentation – and other members of the governing body who would have participated in any arrangement claim they knew of no agreement. Ultimately, it has been written that Collier herself has admitted that she did not work on behalf of the laid-off firefighters (The Daily Journal, 9/28/04).
So, more and more the investigation seems to be pointing to something grossly inappropriate. If true, it cannot be excused away by the same old refrain: in the best interests of the city. If there truly were no services performed for these laid-off firefighters, if the bill truly was just a means of covering the monies owed for the private campaign, then it can in no way be construed as “well-meaning,” as Mr. Eaton is quoted as describing the arrangement in the San Mateo County Times (9/25).
It is all very disturbing and disheartening. We can only hope that our DA gets expediently to the bottom of this. If the DA determines without doubt that it was completely innocent, then we will soon hear and we can breathe a sigh of relief. But if he finds that there is substance to the mounting inconsistencies and growing appearance of wrongdoing, then let us hope that he sends a strong message and prosecutes to the fullest extent of the law. The message must be sent so that officials recognize that we will not allow taxpayer money to be misappropriated in such a way. But truly, the most important thing is that we cannot allow those agencies that work so diligently for our safety to be abused in such a way.
Parviz Mokhtari: An Affair to Remember
(Part 2 of a 3-part Series)by CeCe Wilkerson10/8/04
by CeCe Wilkerson10/8/04No public official at any level of state or local government shall make, participate in making or in any way attempt to use his official position to influence a governmental decision in which he knows or has reason to know he has a financial interest.
THE POLITICAL REFORM ACT
Numerous San Carlos residents attended the May 12, 2003, City Council meeting. Of interest on the agenda was the awarding of construction management services on the Industrial Road project to Mokhtari Engineering, Inc. Of the more than fifty people in attendance on this matter, not one spoke in favor of awarding the contract to Mokhtari. Rather, citing conflict of interest, speaker after speaker rose to denounce the apparent display of favoritism. To those in attendance, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. Council went into the chambers that night knowing exactly how they planned to vote, despite the public’s well-spoken and informed participation. Council made the hollow-sounding claim with which we are all too familiar at this point: we know what is in the best interest of the city. They went forward with their predetermined decision: giving the contract to Mokhtari Engineering.
Editor’s Form 700by Clint Miller10/8/04
by Clint Miller10/8/04Last spring, in an issue of the old Nitpicker News, my interests and concerns with regard to local government was briefly touched upon. All public officials are required by the Fair Political Practices Commission to file a Form 700 disclosing any and all interests that may influence decisions they make and to alert the public to possible conflicts. As co-editor to the new TASC, my Form 700 would contain the following editorial bias disclosures:
My interest in local politics can be traced to the fall election of 2000. I attended all of the candidate night gatherings and was appalled by what the incumbents were claiming. To paraphrase, “We built the Grade Separation, we built the Elms and we built the Library…we are experienced and we know what this town needs.” Implied here is that they are not interested in what the people who make this town their home might want. City government should be responsive to the wishes of residents and the public’s business should be conducted in a fair, open, honest and ethical manner. The Mokhtari Affair in particular and other questionable practices at City Hall demonstrate that this quaint notion is not shared by those employed at 600 Elm Street. Business as usual, City Hall style is not good for our community and it is corrosive to the public trust. The root of the problem can be traced to an entrenched City Council – most of whom have been in office or held seats on Boards or Commissions for 20 years or more. Only when new blood with new ideas and with an appreciation for ethical behavior is elected to the Council will City staff become responsive to our community. These then are my biases.
Parviz Mokhtari: An Affair to Remember
Part 3 of a 3-Part Seriesby CeCe Wilkerson 10/23/04
by CeCe Wilkerson 10/23/04Ethics: A system of moral principles; the branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.
Webster’s definition
The most important thing anyone in local government can do is instill a level of confidence with the public. Situations that appear to be a conflict don’t work to that common goal. The city officials have to look at the fact that just because it passes the letter of the law, does it pass the spirit of the law?
Judy Nadler, former mayor of Santa Clara and a senior fellow in government ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University (San Mateo County Times; "Experts in ethics excoriate San Carlos," October 9,2003).
The Grand Jury concludes that the City’s failure to use a fair competitive process and the City’s use of independent contractors for employee positions are not only deceptive, but have the appearance of impropriety, regardless of whether or not these actions may be legally valid. These actions have seriously undermined the trust in the City.
Grand Jury Report, 2003-2004 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury
As mentioned in part one of this series, these articles were written to provide information with respect to the evolution of what has been deemed The Mokhtari Affair. With limited time and space, I have presented only several of the significant facts. I have attempted to shine a light on contracting practices that have been severely criticized and which have resulted in an increasing sense of distrust with how our local government is being administered. We have seen Mr. Mokhtari’s retirement one day and his return the very next day as a contract employee – with a dramatic increase in income; we have seen him handed the lucrative Downtown Beautification project without the protection of a competitive bid process; and we have seen the awarding of the Industrial Road contract under highly dubious (at best) circumstances, wherein the Press and Grand Jury revealed and expressed concerns about a system fraught with problems and conflicts of interest. This last article in the series looks at the deterioration of public trust that resulted from these practices and about which the City was warned by various experts, specifically those professionals sitting on the Grand Jury and several prominent ethicists.
TASC’s first official endorsementby CeCe Wilkerson 10/23/04
by CeCe Wilkerson 10/23/04In this issue of TASC I was originally supposed to fill this space with my “Form 700.” However, with the election less than two weeks away, my focus drifted to another topic. In reading through my voter’s guide (as I am sure you are all feverishly doing right now) I noticed Proposition 59, specifically entitled: Public Records, Open Meetings. Legislative Constitutional Amendment. If anything screams out for an endorsement by TASC, it is this Proposition.
Park Facilities Fee Parkedby Clint Miller11/5/04
by Clint Miller11/5/04The Park Facilities Fee was first brought before the Council for discussion in September and then continued until the last meeting when the definition of what constitutes a bedroom was questioned. New construction has been subject to this fee for some time but the new wrinkle was that it would now be imposed on owner-occupied remodels. The consensus of most people was that this new tax on homeowners was a slam-dunk as far as the Council was concerned. Surprisingly, it was resoundingly rejected by the Council – and rightly so.
A Five Story Parking Structure?by Clint Miller11/5/04
by Clint Miller11/5/04Few in San Carlos are aware of the City’s plan to construct a parking structure on the current site of Wheeler Plaza. The structure envisioned will consist of three stories of parking (one underground) with 60 residential condos on two floors above. Where is Wheeler Plaza? It is located between Laurel and Walnut Streets in the block south of San Carlos Avenue. If you shop for meat at Foodville, buy your bread at the Boulanger, or bank at Wells Fargo you probably park under the open sky in Wheeler. The feel and character of our downtown would be enormously changed by a project of this type and scale. The City claims adequate parking is necessary for the long-term viability of the commercial core and that all of the business owners are in agreement with this logic.
SCOOT: What’s Fare for the “Free” Shuttle?by CeCe Wilkerson 11/19/04
by CeCe Wilkerson 11/19/04I should say up front that I like SCOOT. I like that those citizens who are less mobile have an opportunity to get into town. It is nice that kids have a relatively safe alternative to get to and from school. And I like the tangential benefits of relieving traffic in some areas and helping our air quality. And I should also state that I am in that majority that can see supporting SCOOT – and like the majority, my support is to a certain point. It is a shame, however, that the SCOOT Funding Task Force and, ultimately, the City Council did not stick with the recommendation of their experts to try for a significantly lower property tax. In observing the November 8th City Council meeting, besides a general sense of a lack of fairness, I came away with several huge problems with the arguments the Task Force put forth in support of their ballot measure for a higher than recommended property tax, specifically regarding the notion of an education campaign and the ridership fee.
Hybrid or High-handed Form of Government?by Clint Miller11/19/04
by Clint Miller11/19/04It has happened to all of us at one time or another: The garbage disposal in the kitchen plugs and nothing will go down the drain until the plunger is brought into the battle. Ed Carpenter’s informative two part series in the Redwood City Daily News (Nov. 12 and 15, 2004) detailing the latest set of questions to bubble to the surface about City Hall contracting practices has caused a back up of major proportions. Some of the quotes from City officials just do not go through the logic filter. Pardon my use of the plumber’s friend in this family-oriented newsletter, but drastic measures are called for.
King/Collier Fraud Allegations Update 11/19/04
11/19/04For those of you following the allegations of misappropriation of funds by Mayor King and campaign consultant Peg Collier, the Daily Journal reported today (11/19) that the DA has concluded his investigation and will announce next week whether he will press charges. According to the article, Deputy DA Steve Wagstaffe said yesterday about their search of Collier’s computer hard drive that “the information investigators were trying to find was retrieved.”
Two Councilors and the Political Machineby Clint Miller12/04
by Clint Miller12/04At the last City Council meeting Inge Tiegel Doherty and Matt Grocott became the City’s newest Mayor and Vice Mayor, respectively. The ascent of these two new leaders prompts me to take a closer look at their quite different political origins. It is also important to examine how potential councilors are groomed by the City to fill the vacancies that occur on the CC. In the past, the composition of the CC has always been strikingly homogeneous. This lack of independent thought is the direct result of how the City manipulates the slate of candidates that make it onto the ballot.
Unexpected that evening was the nomination of Grocott by Doherty, according to her in the spirit of “cooperation and team work.” Her acceptance remarks about wanting to promote community and build trust during her term are encouraging signs in light of the corrosive and argumentative atmosphere that has evolved in Council chambers. Mayor Doherty’s olive branch gesture comes at a time when the City finds itself at a new and unfamiliar juncture. Citizens question how the City conducts the public’s business, and residents are unsatisfied with the defensive posture and self-serving answers from City Hall. The last three years have seen the City totally unprepared for the questioning that Grocott’s presence on the Council has brought about.
These two are not actually new faces but in relation to the other three Councilors they are definitely new kids on the block. Both became Councilors in the fall of 2000. A surprise is they share a common academic training: Doherty has some formal training in architecture while Grocott has an AA degree in Architectural Studies and went on to get a BA in Design, specializing in architecture. Here the similarities end, but let me continue to sketch the rest of their personal histories before examining what is commonly called the City Machine.
Inge Tiegal Doherty:
Doherty grew up in San Carlos and as a young adult was employed in the family’s local manufacturing business. More recently, she worked with technology start-ups supplying information technology systems and business solutions to streamline production processes and she also was a short-term management support consultant. Today she is an independent management consultant specializing in the small business sector. Her association with City government began in the late eighties, and since then has served on the Planning Commission and the Economic Development Advisory Committee as well as a host of other subcommittees. This long-term City involvement is significant and will be touched upon below.
Matt Grocott:
After college, Grocott pursued his specialty by working for a variety of architectural firms in Ohio and Colorado. He and his wife have been San Carlos residents now for a decade. Since 1993 he has had his own firm, specializing in the design of residential additions, remodels and new construction. Unlike Doherty’s long apprenticeship with the City, Grocott’s entry into politics came as the result of a neighborhood squabble over the proposed construction of an unsightly communications tower. The tower was eventually defeated but the experience of battling a City staff totally unresponsive to citizen concerns spurred Grocott to run for office. Learning from mistakes on his first unsuccessful run, his second attempt got him on the Council. He started Grass Roots, an emailed newsletter, to communicate with a growing number of constituents during his second campaign. After the election it morphed into a powerful communication tool, informing citizens about what was coming down the pike at City Hall. Keeping residents informed and listening to their ideas and concerns have been hallmarks of Grocott’s term in office. Though the vote tallies are often 4 against Grocott’s 1, it is obvious that he does his homework on issues, is an independent thinker and sticks to his guns on principles important to him.
The City Machine:
These two Councilors sit before us with completely different political origins and very different views of where our town should be going. This dichotomy stems from the fact that local politics are controlled completely by City Hall, and in the City’s way of thinking, Grocott should not even be on the CC. City elections are not competitive and haven’t been for decades. A look at the rest of the Council supports this view. Like the current Mayor, the other three Councilors come from long associations with the City. The past Mayor, Mike King, has served 11 years on the Council and began his City stint on the Planning Commission in 1987. He was involved with the Grade Separation Project and building the Library. Likewise, Eaton and Davids have been around for many years. King and Eaton made eye-opening statements during the 2000 campaign: key to their platform was the belief that “we know what this City needs”; not mentioned (nor even thought of, I suspect) was an interested in what the citizens who live here might want. This disconnect between elected officials and the people is entrenched leadership at its worst.
The City purposefully uses its maze of sub-committees and commissions as a training ground for later service on the Council. When elections loom it is from these commissions and committees that candidates are put forward by the City to be placed on the ballot. On the face of it, experience would seem to be a desirable trait in a candidate. Yet these incubation commissions are also used to filter and winnow out individuals deemed undesirable by the City and to keep them from entering the carefully controlled political machine. City Hall wants “yes” people on the CC. If you do not toe the City line you are not selected to serve, nor do you last long as a commissioner. Is it any wonder that both the current Council and those in the past have derisively been labeled “Garvey’s Little Puppets?” It is not difficult to find prominent examples of this practice in the recent political history of the City to support this contention.
Conclusion:
Dissent and independent thinking, which are the life-blood of democratic government, are not qualities desired by the City Machine or the CC. Outsiders need not apply…as we saw in the election of 2003 when Davids and Doherty ran virtually unopposed. The system is tilted so that an average citizen who is not a part of the system has little or no chance of being elected. The Machine also intimidates the average citizen from coming forward and running for office, as its very existence makes the mounting and running of a campaign without City sanction nearly impossible. The charge of non-responsive City government currently gaining wide circulation in town comes directly from this closed system of governance.
Rosemary Woods Alive and Well...Working for City Manager
by Clint Miller12/04Word is that the damning memo can’t be found, and once again it is the fault of those pesky secretaries. Mike Garvey is claiming that the interoffice report concluding that the use of contractors is more expensive than using traditional staff can’t be located in City files. The controversial report was prepared by Maureen Lennon last January while on staff in the Finance Department. She has subsequently left City employ and now works as the Director of Finance for the City of Pacifica. After journalist Ed Carpenter (Daily News) filed a Freedom of Information Request in October attempting to gain access to the incriminating report, the City left him to cool his heels for the better part of ten weeks. Had the memo’s conclusion supported the contention that contracting saves money as the City claims, you can bet it would have been found one nanosecond after the request was made. This latest embarrassment to the City was reported in The Daily News Thursday (12/9/04). It appears now that no one is going to see Lennon’s version of the true cost of codling former City employees as private contractors. Garvey must think that Nixon’s secretary did accidentally erase those eighteen minute of tape…isn’t transparency in local government a wonder to behold. Incredible!
The Merc Makes the Mercury Climb in City Hallby Clint Miller1/7/05
by Clint Miller1/7/05San Jose Mercury journalist Jessie Seyfer’s column “Pair of Probes Concerns Some in San Carlos,” (12/27/04) caught the City off guard. The District Attorney’s two investigations of the City during ‘04 is a story about alleged political corruption that simply will not go away. You may read the entire SJ Mercury article by following this link.
“Not Guilty” is a Plusby Clint Miller1/7/05
by Clint Miller1/7/05A “not guilty” plea means there will probably be a trial and a trial means public exposure of all sorts of political details to which we would normally never be privy. At the arraignment hearing of Peg Collier this morning (January 6th) in San Mateo County Superior Court Room 2 G, the political consultant’s attorney, Michael Hrozienik, asked for a 30-day continuance. Hrozienik held up a bundle of documents that he said were some 200 to 300 pages in length plus a CD ROM, all from the District Attorney’s office, which he would have to review before being able to proceed with Collier’s defense. Collier stood at his side wearing a grey pantsuit and black blouse and remained nearly silent throughout the five-minute hearing. When asked by Judge H. James Ellis how she wished to plead, her only comment was “Not guilty, your honor.” She is charged with felony violation of Penal Code 72 for submitting a false claim for payment to a government agency.
Both Horses Slow Out of The Gateby Clint Miller1/21/05
by Clint Miller1/21/05The City spent $50,000.00 for a special election to put a measure on the March ballot asking the voters of San Carlos to tax themselves at $59.00 per parcel to fund the continuation of the controversial SCOOT busing program. The SCOOT election is a short six weeks away but you would never know it based on the distinct lack of any sound or fury of a hard fought political campaign.
The City appears to be running a stealth campaign. There has been very little media coverage and no yard signs are to be seen anywhere in town asking for a “yes” vote. The measure must pass by a super-majority: 66-2/3rds%. Though proponents of the measure claimed they would launch an education campaign, explaining to the public why it is the roughly 400 kids (out of the nearly 27,000 San Carlos residents) should ride to school on the taxpayers’ dime without any fee to offset their greater benefit from the system, they seem to have opted for a stealth strategy that calls for not making any mention of the upcoming vote thus tipping off the public that they are in for yet another tax increase. If the voter turnout can be kept to a minimum, those few people who use SCOOT will go to the polls and have a good chance of passing the measure; if only the supporters vote they may crack the 66% nut. You can bet that the emails are going hot and heavy throughout the PTA and other school networks and that Kimberly Harbert at Mohktari Engineering is working overtime to get out the yes vote and preserve her job as SCOOT co-coordinator.
Look Beyond the Obviousby Clint Miller2/11/05
by Clint Miller2/11/05The resignation of Mike Garvey is no surprise to those who follow local politics. Garvey has been City Manager since 1987 and the official reason given for his departure leaves many wondering if there is more here than meets the eye. The critical thinking and probing questions that have so roiled City Hall during the last three-and-a-half years are quite different from anything experienced by Mr. Garvey in the previous decade and a half of his tenure in San Carlos. Before Matt Grocott was elected, votes on the Council were routinely 5-0 in favor of whatever staff recommended. There was no constructive dissent and little if any discussion of issues took place. Whatever Mike Garvey wanted he got. But times have changed and so must the City’s leadership.
Peg Collier Case Moving Forwardby Clint Miller2/11/05
by Clint Miller2/11/05Political consultant, Peg Collier, appeared briefly in court on February 7th to calendar a date for a Preliminary Hearing in her felony fraud trial [see previous articles by Wilkerson and Miller on the TASC website regarding background on the Collier/Kingate Scandal]. She said nothing during the short three-minute hearing. May 10th at 9am was selected for her next appearance at the county courthouse in Redwood City.
The SCOOT "articles" that were featured in February have returned to their places (chronilogically) on the TASC Force page, from which they were originally taken.
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