☆ Palo Alto Councilmember Tanaka calls for restraint in city's political advocacy
Image by Palo Alto Online
Greg Tanaka, Palo Alto CM, chimes in on San Jose's debate about city councils taking positions on ballot initiatives that should be decided by the people. He says cities need to respect diversity of opinion and not sideline that diversity "in pursuit of artificial consensus." An Opp Now exclusive.
As a Palo Alto City Councilmember, I stand with San Jose citizens urging their council to refrain from taking positions on ballot measures and issues that should be decided directly by voters. This practice extends beyond San Jose—Palo Alto also employs lobbyists to advocate on behalf of the city, a use of taxpayer money I believe is often misguided.
Let me be clear: lobbying for legislation directly impacting city operations, such as funding for road repairs on El Camino Real, is justifiable. However, using city resources to influence matters outside our jurisdiction, like gun legislation, is an overreach of our mandate.
When city councils take stances on ballot measures or broader political issues, we risk misrepresenting our diverse community as a monolith. Our democratic system is designed for citizens to vote directly on many issues for good reason. By preemptively declaring a city's position, we risk silencing dissenting voices and erasing the complexity of public opinion.
As elected officials, our primary duty is to focus on local governance. While I'm comfortable being the lone dissenting vote on certain issues, I recognize the pressure to conform that many feel. However, our role isn't to achieve unanimous agreement, but to represent our constituents faithfully—even when that means amplifying minority perspectives.
We must resist the temptation to hijack democratic processes by speaking for the entire populace on issues that demand direct citizen input. Our system should respect and encourage diverse viewpoints, not sideline them in pursuit of artificial consensus.
It's time for city councils to "stick to their knitting" and allow citizens' voices to be heard directly on broader political issues. This approach not only respects the democratic process but also ensures that the true will of the people is reflected in our political discourse.
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