Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Combine term limits with incumbent recruiting

By Joel Gambord and Gordon Knight

We read with more than a passing interest your editorial and analysis of the council makeup of both Los Gatos and Monte Sereno in the July 8 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times. The editorial was thoughtful and insightful, but one significant concept was missing--that of "incumbent recruiting."

You were entirely correct when you argued that if a community fails to encourage and inspire new blood, a city may find itself with no one willing to step up and serve. And, isn't that exactly what took place in Monte Sereno during the election of 1992? Here was a case where there was no opposition to the candidacy of Nancy Hobbs or Pam Bancroft. When this became apparent to the then-sitting council, the election was cancelled and these two individuals simply took seats at the council table with no debate, no discussion--nothing. Can you think of a worse way to form a government?

During the 1996 campaign, for the first time in Monte Sereno's history, there was a real "horse race." There were five individuals vying for two council seats. There was the Citizens FOR Monte Sereno group, the Citizens Against the Citizens FOR group, and here was our old friend Bill Ferguson from Daves Avenue and some others who, during the campaign, called the election of either Joel Gambord or Gordon Knight the worst nightmare possible for Monte Sereno.

There was lively debate all around: It was wonderful. The result was an unprecedented interest in the election and, fortunately for the two of us, what you described as a "landslide" definitely occurred. An incumbent mayor was shown the door and a new direction for Monte Sereno was begun.

Pretty remarkable stuff for our little hamlet, as it's called. But what's important here are not the results, although we were pleased with that, but the process that fostered the debate and the discussions and especially the community interest.

During the campaign of '96, the citizens of Monte Sereno were awakened to something new and refreshing, and they responded by going to the polls and expressing themselves in no uncertain terms. And again, just a few months ago during the Primary of '98, more than 68 percent of the electorate turned out and voted. This is an astonishing number. It's not ever happened before in Monte Sereno.

How can we continue what is clearly a healthy process? How can we keep the enthusiasm going in Monte Sereno? In our mind, term limits is that singular and vital component to this end.

A few weeks ago, we suggested to our council colleagues Jack Lucas and Dorothea Bamford that they might consider trying to find and encourage new, younger people in our community to run for office this year. Jack has served our community for more than 14 years and Dorothea more than 16 years. Both of these individuals, along with the current mayor, Suzanne Jackson, have contributed a great deal to Monte Sereno's current state of affairs and are individually responsible for both the good and what many consider misguided actions of the City Council. They do deserve, however, the heartfelt thanks of all of us in Monte Sereno. But how long is long enough? We think 16, or even 14, years is more than long enough.

It's time for new blood--and the younger, the better. It's time for us oldies to get our kids involved and active in our (their) community. We need people who can come to the council with "real world" experiences. Those who have managed people or projects or both. Those who have had to meet a payroll, perhaps, but especially to have been accountable for results in a substantial, material way.

It's fine to have esoteric thinkers and doers, but we particularly need practical, common sense, can-do people who, when they see disorder and neglect, know how to take action and get the problem fixed. We don't need the so-called "professionals" that cannot think for themselves and only know how to call in fancy experts and facilitators, at ridiculous expense, to explain the obvious.

It's our belief that we will be surprised by the number that show up in the next few weeks to throw their hats in the ring of Monte Sereno politics. We will welcome them, help them and encourage them to take part and to take responsibility.

And so, as we see it, incumbent recruiting is the key. Those of us who are there now have an unqualified obligation to find, encourage and support those who will come after us, but who might otherwise be turned off with the thought of running against an incumbent.

With term limits, we believe the sitting czars will begin to consider looking for others who will become their replacements. This is the most healthy process for our democracy and is working remarkably well at both the state and national levels.

No one is indispensable.

Furthermore, we need to tell all those nameless political junkies among us who hang around year after year, to "get a life"!

As for us, we will continue working for a better, more responsive government in our town, Monte Sereno.

Joel Gambord and Gordon Knight are Monte Sereno City Council members.

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