Saratoga News
Letters & Opinions
Measure J mailers are misleading voters
The political waters in Saratoga are getting a little murky as the June 6 election draws near. The issue on the summer ballot near and dear to the hearts of many Saratogans is Measure J, the sale of the North Campus facility where the remnants of the Grace Methodist Church still stand, and a campaign to oppose that sale has taken a dirty turn.
An active group of residents opposes the sale for a variety of reasons and sent out a mailer with the return address "Save Saratoga's North Campus" at a Saratoga post office box. The mailer detailed all the reasons why the supporters of "No on J" oppose the sale of the property, and included pictures and statements from Aileen Kao, Saratoga's vice mayor; Cindy Ruby, president of the Saratoga Union School District board; Willys Peck, city historian; and Aki Okuno, a founding member of Grace Methodist Church. All four are among the many who have signed the ballot statement opposing the sale.
Unfortunately, the "No on J" camp went too far. The mailer also included pictures and statements from Saratoga City Councilman Nick Streit and Saratoga City Manager Dave Anderson. Streit does not support the "No on J" movement. Quite the contrary, he's written the campaign statement supporting a yes vote on the measure. And Anderson, as a city administrator, is duty bound to take no public position on the matter.
Those spearheading the "no" campaign are well aware of Streit's position, and the group that includes politicos like Kao, Councilwoman Ann Waltonsmith and former councilman Jack Mallory knows all too well that Anderson must remain neutral. However, the "No on J" group still chose to include the two on its mailer.
The unethical inclusion of Streit and Anderson in the mailer appears to be a direct attempt to mislead voters. Those in charge of the "No on J" effort should have known better and should be ashamed of themselves.
Shortly before the Saratoga News went to press, we have learned that another mailer has been arriving in the mailboxes of Saratoga voters. The return address given on the mailer is "Yes on Measure J" with a Saratoga post office box. The mailer quotes Nick Streit urging voters to vote "yes" on Measure J. Arguments on the flier for voting "yes" include providing over $6 million for vital city services. However, nowhere on the mailer are the backers who put together the "Yes on Measure J" flier identified. The Saratoga News has learned that one of those backers is Majid "Mike" Masoumi, the developer who hopes to buy the North Campus if the "yes" votes come out on top.
Is this the sort of dirty politics that Saratogans are now resorting to?
