☆ More community leaders call for City of SJ to quit taking positions on ballot initiatives that voters are supposed to decide
An Open Letter from San Jose residents to SJ City Council requesting that the council stop endorsing ballot initiatives is getting thumbs up from leaders across the local political spectrum. Shane Patrick Connolly of SCC GOP and Irene Smith of the Independent Leadership Group explain why they signed the Open Letter. An Opp Now Exclusive.
Shane Patrick Connolly:
I signed onto the We Can Vote letter because I believe it is generally inappropriate for the City to take official positions on issues that the voters themselves have the opportunity to decide. The effort to get city governments to weigh in ballot measures is often used by those promoting an initiative or proposition to make it seem as if there is consensus for or against something, when there is no consensus.
A great example was with Proposition 16 which would have changed California’s Constitution to allow decisions over hiring, contracting, and school admissions to be based upon race. The proponents pushed local governments, educational institutions, big corporations and big non-profits to support it, and in the process proved how out of step they were with the electorate, which clearly rejected the notion of judging people by race.
--Shane Patrick Connolly, SCC GOP chair
Irene Smith:
All experienced executives understand that job descriptions exist for good reasons. Those descriptions make sure there is no work duplication, they help eliminate financial waste, and promote greater productivity.
Perhaps more importantly, job descriptions also ensure that the hierarchy and agreed-upon protocols of decision-making are functional.
With regards to taking positions on statewide ballot initiatives, the San Jose City Council has extended themselves beyond the guardrails of their job description. They are inaccurately claiming authority over issues that our system has already assigned directly to voters.
SJCC is wasting time on redundancy. It's not their vote that actually counts. It's ours--the populace of San Jose.
All this lack of focus during a homeless crisis. Allow voters to take their proper place in the org chart and vote because that's where it counts.
--Irene Smith, JD, PhD - President of Independent Leadership Group
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