Endorsement rush: the City Council edition

Typically during election season I post profiles of all the candidates with as much information as I can find and then make my endorsements.   However, I just received my absentee ballot in the mail yesterday and realized that I am running out of time and want to make my endorsement (in the case that anyone cared) before people started mailing back their absentee ballots.   This is just for the City Council and Mayoral races, I’ll be writing my endorsements for School Board and Bart Board in a different post.

So here is goes…

Mayor: Marie Gilmore

For a long time I had always thought of Marie Gilmore as “the quiet one.”  She never talked as much as the other City Councilpeople, but when she did speak, it always made an impact because what she did say was well thought out.   I have come to appreciate her deliberative and careful style and definitely her thoughtfulness on issues — even when I have disagreed with her position.    More recently, probably because of the contentiousness on the City Council of late, she has become much more present, but what she says and the questions she asks goes toward making an informed decision as opposed to grandstanding for the audience or pandering to a base.     While I would prefer her to be more definitive on her vision for Alameda Point in the way that Mayoral candidate Tony Daysog has been straightforward about his vision for Alameda Point, I know that Marie Gilmore understands the issues that are facing Alameda today and that the problems of Alameda are more than just Alameda Point.  Marie Gilmore is forward thinking and focused and  I know that Marie Gilmore will provide the right kind of collaborative leadership to guide Alameda for the next four years.

City Council: Rob Bonta and Lena Tam

For these largely volunteer political positions, there is always the lament that because of the number of hours people have to put in and the lack of pay, you don’t always get the best candidate for the position.  Alameda right now has the opportunity to do so by electing Rob Bonta.   His educational pedigree is beyond reproach: Yale for undergraduate, studied at Oxford, and a law degree from Yale he is, on paper, perfect.   But, he’s also one heck of a nice guy as well.    He is the sort of candidate that you can only dream about and that he is willing to take on the task of Alameda City Councilmember is a boon for Alameda.  He is well informed and smart and has a good understanding of the economic issues facing Alameda today as a member of the City’s Economic Development Commission.   Which — by the way — have the most fascinating discussions and it’s unfortunate that they aren’t saved on-line and you can only catch them live, which I forget to do.    Rob Bonta is, as I stated before, the type of political leader that everyone says that they want — smart, capable, earnest, open-minded and honest — and I hope that the voters will give him a chance to prove his worth.

Lena Tam deserves your vote because she has always been one of the most, if not the most, prepared Councilmembers on the current Council.   Never one to shirk her duty or shy away from making tough decisions, she is the Councilmember that I respect the most.   While she may have endorsed unpopular positions, the fact that she has taken positions at all is what sets her apart from other politicians who dance around uncomfortable subjects so as to offend the least amount of people possible.   Lena Tam brings a wealth of practical experience to the job and is not one to pander to the shrillest voice in the room.   Throughout this difficult time Lena Tam has shown Alameda what true statesmanship (stateswomanship?) looks like in the face of a barrage of negativity, innuendo, and attacks — staying cool and collected under the scrutiny of a million eyes and opinions.  Lena Tam is also the type of political leader that every one claims that they want — willing to listen to all sides, but in the end make the tough choices that she believes is in the best interest of Alameda.   And right now, what Alameda needs more than anything else is a City Councilperson willing to make difficult decisions, but weigh those decisions against its benefit to the community and not simply a limited base of voters.

City Council Honorable Mention: Marilyn Ezzy-Ashcraft

When I heard that Marilyn Ezzy-Ashcraft was throwing her hat in the ring I was both excited and bummed out.   Under normal circumstances — those normal circumstances being rather ho-hum selections for City Council — I would be number one cheerleader for a candidate like Marilyn Ezzy-Ashcraft. Unfortunately in this race, you can only pick two and while she is an ideal candidate: smart, collaborative, well-informed, prepared, and eloquently states her case, she was edged out only slightly by Lena Tam and Rob Bonta as my picks for City Council.   However, she is definitely a solid choice for City Council and would be a welcome third place finisher to fill the vacated slot if Marie Gilmore is elected Mayor.