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Kris Cunningham
Endorsement
Kris Cunningham is top choice for city council
Cunningham's knowledge of district issues and commitment to neighborhood preservation give her the edge
The biggest issue of this race isn't really an issue at all. Experience, both candidates say, is why they're the best choice. And given that Kris Cunningham and Ken Yeager probably agree on more issues than they disagree on, experience is the key.
While both candidates possess qualifications to represent District 6 on the city council, Cunningham is the Resident's choice because she has the right kind of experience: She is a committed community activist and knows Willow Glen's neighborhoods well.
In her long history of involvement including, among other things, six years on the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association board and two years as its president, Cunningham has been involved somehow in just about every local issue.
And in doing that, Cunningham has worked closely with city staff and officials, including members of the city council.
Cunningham knows the city inside out and has mastered complex issues. No matter what the question, Cunningham almost always has a detailed answer.
Cunningham's independence is a plus, however in the case of Measure A, Cunningham's opposition to the plan--she says it was thrown together at the last minute without enough study--is unfortunate. Whatever concerns about the process, Measure A may be the valley's best hope for digging out of its deteriorating traffic mess, and there may not be a second chance.
Despite this position, a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom is useful in local politics, where too often representatives tend to think and vote the same. Her instinct is not to back a plan just because it's popular (just about every South Bay politician and most voters favor the transit measure). And, second, she is always aware of the need for public participation, which is one of the things she has often pushed for.
Cunningham is acutely aware of the importance of community involvement in any kind of project, whether she's talking about a tree-removal permit or a new city hall. Public participation is often high on her list of priorities, and that's something voters should value, too.
This sensitivity to public participation is no coincidence. Cunningham has been a WGNA member for more than a quarter century. She has also had active roles in the San Jose Unified School District, serving on the bond oversight committee and the excess properties committee, and with the city of San Jose, where she worked on the Civic Center Relocation Task Force.
Ken Yeager
As a WGNA board member, Cunningham worked hard to defeat an application that would have allowed late-night hours--which neighbors opposed--at The Glen, a Lincoln Avenue bar and restaurant.
Thanks to her history of involvement in local issues, Cunningham has a detailed knowledge of how the city's many different departments and commissions and officials work together.
Cunningham is a San Jose native who moved to Willow Glen at age 12. She went to Presentation High School and San Jose State University, where she studied political science. She has also taught preschool and junior high school.
She bills herself as a grassroots candidate, and that's an accurate description.
Yeager has also done much work for his community. He lives in the Rose Garden and is president of the Rose Garden Neighborhood Preservation Association and past president of the Friends of the Rosegarden Library. He chairs the Airport Curfew Monitoring Committee and has worked on several community projects, like getting new crosswalks for busy streets.
He also boasts strong credentials outside of his community work. He is a political science teacher at San Jose State University with a doctorate in education from Stanford. He also has experience as an elected official, having served two four-year terms on the San Jose Community College Board of Trustees.
Even so, Cunningham's knowledge of district issues and commitment to neighborhood preservation give her the edge.
Cunningham has an encyclopedic knowledge of the community she hopes to represent and a true passion for her work on behalf of its residents.
While Yeager is also an asset to the community, we believe Cunningham is more closely aligned with the interests of residents. And if she succeeds on Election Day, we hope Yeager continues to play an active role in local politics.
The Willow Glen Resident recommends Kris Cunningham for San Jose City Council District 6.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
