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Welcome to Pat's Blog
 Ruminations on 11/4
Posted on Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:19:35 by Pat Waite
Almost two weeks have elapsed since an historic election, and I have had time to reflect on my foray into local politics. I’ve had many people express surprise at how well an “unknown” republican did in a city council district dominated by democratic registered voters. One person even suggested that I won the campaign, even though I lost the election. The logic was that I polled 23 points above my “natural” base of republican support, while my opponent polled a mere 8 points over her “natural” base of democrats. We’ll know better once the county tallies are available for analysis, but our campaign message of fiscal responsibility and government for the people resonated with over 15,000 voters in District 8.
I entered the race for city council under the mistaken impression that it was a non-partisan affair. It’s definitely not! Most local media used every available opportunity to point out my Republican party affiliation. Non-partisan indeed!
What I found most surprising, though, were the efforts of the entrenched special interests, virtually all of whom lined up behind Herrera. Some of them (most notably the police & firefighters unions) spent significant funds on mailings supporting her candidacy. Their independent expenditures on her behalf may have been enough to decide the race. I’m sure they’ll make that case to her.
Now I’m hearing through the grapevine that the Police Officers Association is committing $100,000 to ousting former police officer and current council member Pete Constant. They are actively seeking potential candidates to oppose him when he’s up for reelection in 2010. I guess that the councilperson’s efforts to do what is best for the citizens has rubbed his POA brethren the wrong way and they intend to mete out their own brand of political justice.
$100,000! That is about as much as the candidates will be allowed to spend in each phase of the election. I suspect that the POA would like a reasonable return on their investment. That only means one thing…another council member cozying up to the organizations that are driving our city to the financial brink. Perhaps that’s what it takes to win elections in San Jose.
Hopefully, some day the citizens of San Jose will wake up to the realities of our political scene. If we don’t, taxes will continue heading north, while service levels will continue heading south. We will have only ourselves to blame. We need independent minds on our city council, people willing to put the interests of the over 900,000 residents of our city above those of the special interests. The people’s voices are the ones that should matter most.
Change starts with you. Get involved. Make yourself heard. Tell your council representative what you want. It’s not that hard, our representatives are all accessible. Your representative's email is generally districtX@sanjoseca.gov (where X is your district number). The mayor is mayoremail@sanjoseca.gov. Send them emails today to let them know what you want our city to become.
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 And, in conclusion...
Posted on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:48:46 by Pat Waite
As a friend of mine put it: "It is unlikely that a Republican would win a city council seat in San Jose outside of D1 and possibly D10. To suggest that an unknown Republican would have fared as well as you did in San Jose AND in a record setting turnout (which SHOULD favor the Democrat) is unimaginable."
I am proud of the showing. It is a testament to the countless hours of hard work performed by an amazing group of volunteers.
Thank you!
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It's all over but the counting...
Posted on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:47:13 by Pat Waite
I started this campaign blog last summer to share some of my (relatively) unfiltered thoughts with you. It quickly became the second most popular part of my web site. Since the first is the main landing page, that is significant. I hope that the readers have found it informative and helpful in deciding who should be their representative on city council.
I want to thank the voters who have taken the time to think about their decision. Informed voters are the lynchpin of our democracy.
I also want to thank the many volunteers who did so much for my campaign. There are too many to mention them all by name, but the efforts of all the walkers, phone callers, community advocates, and letter writers is greatly appreciated.
However, I do need to recognize one person in particular. Beginning nearly a year ago, my buddy Charlie worked countless hours on our marketing material. The quality of the product is a testament to his dedication. Scott Herhold wrote in Sunday’s Mercury News that “Pat Waite’s eight-page oversized mailer is one of the best brochures this year. Bold typography, strong photos and a clear message stressing fiscal discipline.” That is a testament to Charlie’s dedication, diligence, and creativity. Thank you, Charlie.
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