There are two candidates who are head and shoulders above the
rest running to replace Don Gage, soon to be termed out as Santa
Clara County District 1 supervisor. Teresa Alvarado and Mike
Wasserman are both articulate, sharp and engaging.
There are two candidates who are head and shoulders above the rest running to replace Don Gage, soon to be termed out as Santa Clara County District 1 supervisor.
Teresa Alvarado and Mike Wasserman are both articulate, sharp and engaging.
Wasserman, a former Los Gatos mayor and councilman, has the edge in on-the-job experience, but in terms of representation and connection to the South County community, Teresa Alvarado is the clear-cut choice.
She’s connected because she’s made the effort to be connected. She knows South County. She knows the flooding issues facing Morgan Hill. She knows the completion of the Llagas Creek Flood Protection Project would “increase safety, create jobs and protect interests in Morgan Hill for the long-term,” she told a crowd at a candidate forum in Morgan Hill Tuesday night. And, she’s a graduate of the Gilroy Leadership program even though she’s a San Jose resident. She’s going to listen to what people have to say down here far away from the San Jose power politics.
Yes, there are endorsement concerns. Will Alvarado simply be another cookie-cutter politician who dishes up the same-old, same-old without a critical eye for innovation and cost savings?
She’s brighter than that, and hopefully will be a middle-of-the-road force who understands that the county can’t possibly afford every social program currently being funded, yet has the compassion and wherewithal to weed through the programs and fund the best.
Her hands-on approach and accessibility are refreshing. In an era when talk is cheap, Alvarado shows up. She’s going to hear South County’s side of the story and she’s going to hear it firsthand. It’s no surprise, for example, when she showed up at Monday night’s meeting in the Gilroy City Council chambers to hear the high speed rail discussion.
Two Gilroy candidates, winery owner Tom Kruse and City Councilman Peter Arellano, could play valuable advisory roles to the county in the future. Tom Kruse would be a wonderful advisor on a committee aimed at cutting the red tape and rewriting the rules for area wineries wanting to tastefully expand their facilities. And Arellano, a doctor, could advise the board on cuts that will have to be made to the county’s Valley Medical Center. But neither are strong enough candidates to win this race.
There is one candidate who is the poster perfect person for what Santa Clara County does not need. Forrest Williams panders to public employee unions, takes their money and is happy to do their bidding. A vote for him is a long-term sentence for financial disaster and assures an acrimonious battle at the county level as the tough economic choices ahead are being made.
If no candidate on the June ballot receives more than 50 percent of the vote, there will be a run-off election. With five candidates, that’s a likely scenario.
But the best choice is clear: Teresa Alvarado for county supervisor.
