In an informal poll conducted Wednesday and Thursday at various
locations in Morgan Hill, area residents unanimously expressed
bafflement the flap at City Hall.
In an informal poll conducted Wednesday and Thursday at various locations in Morgan Hill, area residents unanimously expressed bafflement the flap at City Hall.
Outraged, appalled, astonished, a waste of money, a soap opera, were all used by people on the street to describe the Morgan Hill scandal that has drawn interest from news media throughout the Bay Area.
Of more than 35 people approached, less than a third were willing to offer an opinion to the scandal involving a council member, local attorney, city manager and city attorney.
Those who responded either live in Morgan Hill or live in Gilroy and work in Morgan Hill.
Everyone who responded questioned why it was anyone’s business to investigate what people may or may not do in their private lives.
“They should just stay out of family business,” said Misty Chambless, who works at Second Street Coffee Exchange.
“There are so many more issues for them to address,” said Gilroy resident Jennifer Brenan, a hair stylist at Ciao Bella Salon. “So long as it doesn’t affect decisions made, they shouldn’t make it such a big deal.”
“This is a big joke,” said Morgan Hill barber Carlos Altamirano. “It’s too bad it happened.”
Morgan Hill has spent, so far, $50,000 on the investigation, an amount that troubles some residents.
“There shouldn’t be a need for it,” Altamirano said. “The money should be spent on something else. It’s a waste of tax payers money.”
Morgan Hill’s scandal has received news coverage across the Bay Area, leading to a potential image problem for Morgan Hill.
“This is utterly stupid,” said Blais Carr, a Gilroy resident who retired from General Motors personnel department and now works part time in Morgan Hill. “This can do nothing but tarnish Morgan Hill’s image. It cannot do any good.”
While some think Morgan Hill’s image is hurt, others don’t think it will have lasting affects.
“This is small time stuff,” said firefighter Jay Walter. “This is just small-town politics.”
“People are just going to see this as bad politics,” said business owner Dave DeValk. “They are going to care about it for a week then move on to something else.”
“I would be embarrassed if I lived in Morgan Hill,” Carr said.
By focusing on the investigation, people wonder if council business will take a back seat. They mentioned there were things like the a new library that should take higher priority.
“They are just wasting time now,” Carr said. “All this does is defocuses the city government.”
Most people approached either declined to comment or were unfamiliar with the situation.
Interviews were conducted in downtown Morgan Hill and the Safeway, Nob Hill and Target shopping centers over the two days.
