[Sosfbay-discuss] Angry San Martin Seeks Freedom

[Wes Rolley]

This is  a case where every one lies and everyone is taking the position 
of getting all they can from the process and who cares about the citizens.

To start with, the San Martin Neighborhood Alliance has gone forward 
with a significant amount of falsified information (economic projections 
without substantiation, lists of "supporters" where the "supporter" did 
not know that they had signed on to anything and, in fact, opposed 
incorporation.  As for the economic projections, the Neighborhood 
Alliance hired an "independent" consultant, fed their own (IMO) overly 
optimistic assumptions  to the consultant and then were happy when the 
consultant parroted them back.

The County Government has taken the position that incorporation is a net 
loss or revenue to the county government and thus must be recovered.

Even the Arts Council of Silicon Valley has opposed the annexation in 
that they might lose the Transient Occupancy (hotel) Tax that is a major 
source of their funding coming from the CordeValle golf club / resort.

There is a lot of good information here. http://www.santaclara.lafco.ca.gov/

I would also suggest reading this letter to the editor as an example of 
the ongoing sloppiness throughout the process: Neighborhood Alliance, 
County Planning Department, etc. as well as the political considerations 
that influence the supervisors. 
http://www.morganhilltimes.com/opinion/233694-supervisor-plays-both-sides-and-doesnt-have-his-facts-straight

Basically, I would favor incorporation, but only after all of the 
potential problems are resolved including full, truthful statements from 
the Neighborhood Alliance.



Andrea Dorey wrote:

> Wes,
> Please advise.
>
> Page 15 of May 21-27 Metro News section discusses angry city residents 
> and members of the San Martin Neighborhood Alliance who are tying to 
> *incorporate* surrounding agricultural lands (presently outside the 
> city boundaries) and make San Martin "its own self-governing city."  
> But what they want for the ag lands is a mix of small farms, *some 
> estate home*s, produce markets, and *commercial businesses* that 
> "cater to a rural, farming community."
>
> The lands are part of SC County and are being used for junkyards, 
> dumps, run-down businesses—or are being approved for an expansion of 
> the airport, a huge seafood distribution plant, a metal-box storage 
> company, and more junkyards.
>
> The fight is going on in LAFCO hearings; SJCC member Pete Constant is 
> a swing vote, Bd of Sup Don Gage is in favor, and  SJCC member 
> ("liberal"?) Linda Le Zotte is against.
>
> While the San Martin group claims to want to protect these lands from 
> developers and county abuse, it's interesting to note a comment by 
> Brian Schmidt of the Palo Alto Committee for Green Foothills:  "There 
> are a lot of pitfalls to this."
>
> Are you in favor of incorporation?
> Andi


-- 
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth" Roberto Clemente

Wes Rolley
17211 Quail Court, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
http://www.refpub.com/ -- Tel: 408.778.3024