Saratoga News

Final words from councilmembers

Burger and Tucker preside over last council meeting

By Sarah Lombardo

Amid tears and choked words at last week's City Council meeting, Anne Marie Burger and Karen Tucker spoke for the last time as councilmembers.

Their farewell remarks came toward the end of what Burger said was one of the shortest meetings she could remember. Burger joked about the meeting's unintentional brevity.

"This is the fastest meeting I think we've ever had," she said. "God, you wait until we're retiring!"

Both Tucker and Burger spent four years on the City Council. Tucker was on the Saratoga Planning Commission for six years, Burger for 7. Elected to the council in 1992, they ended their terms last week. Burger did run for re-election, but lost her seat on the council when growth-control proponents Jim Shaw and Stan Bogosian were elected on Nov. 5. Tucker chose not to run for re-election.

In her farewell remarks, Tucker thanked the council and called Saratoga her "American dream."

"Our family moved to Saratoga 20 years ago, and our children were very small at the time," Tucker said, "and when we came here, I realized that I had found the American dream. . . . It was my American dream, something I wish I could share with everyone in America."

Tucker said that when plans to bring Highway 85 through Saratoga threatened her American dream, she felt compelled to act.

"I threw down my apron, and I picked up the campaign trail and supported people who opposed the freeway because this was not my vision of Saratoga," she said. "I was on the losing end of that stick, unfortunately, and today we have the freeway, and it's just kind of a little blip on my vision of Saratoga, but it still is a very lovely community."

Tucker went on to acknowledge the other councilmembers, citing projects they have worked on while on the council and thanking them for all their hard work. Tucker's voice broke when she spoke about Burger.

"When you talk about public safety, the first person in this city who should come to your mind besides the sheriff and the [fire department] captain, should be Anne Marie Burger because that has really been her focus, making sure that this city remains safe for all of us," Tucker said.

When it was Burger's turn to speak, she told the council she was not going to run through a list of her accomplishments; she said she knew that she had accomplished much in the community and felt confident that her efforts had resulted in a better Saratoga, Instead, Burger said she wanted to suggest some changes and extend thanks.

One of Burger's suggestions applied to elections and the campaign process. Although not referring to her defeat directly, Burger cited the recent elections as examples of what is wrong with elections.

"Saratoga has now completed another election cycle not unusual for its lack of focus on the real issues. Once again, we seem to have created issues where none really exist, inventing crises, and then we have failed to provide solid solutions," she said. "I believe this serves no good purpose other than to confuse the voters, planting uncertainty and doubt where none need exist."

Burger mentioned the controversy over political action committee support, an issue that dominated the first few weeks of the campaign. In that argument, Shaw and Bogosian boycotted certain candidates forums, claiming that PACs and their big-money support should serve no purpose in Saratoga politics.

Burger said that instead of worrying about PACs, she'd like to see a cap on the amount of money that can be donated to a campaign by any one person or business. In her campaign, Burger had boasted of raising the most money, even though most of her contributions were only $100 each or less.

Before thanking her colleagues and the city staff, Burger said she hoped the incoming councilmembers would be able to address her concerns.

With a shaky voice, Burger told the audience that she was proud of her work for the city, both in her six years on the Planning Commission and four on the council.

Shaw and Bogosian will take their oaths of office Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. in the Civic Theater, 13777 Fruitvale Ave.