News of Vinnie's Campaign Printed in the Argus

By 2 commentsMedia

Matt Artz of the Argus wrote an article about my campaign.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_14223688

I would clarify two things. First, I don’t necessary think the City has allowed too many shopping centers. It’s the quality of the retail that we have allowed. We don’t need more big-box type retail along the freeway. We need more pedestrian-friendly retail areas in the center of town.

Secondly, I don’t even think that ballparks bring restaurants and bars close to them. If you look at the San Jose Arena or the Oakland Coliseum, it’s evident that no restaurants or bars have sprung up right near the ballpark. The restaurants and bars that Arena attendees visit in San Jose are several blocks away in the downtown area that existed before the Arena was built.

Spread the word. Share this post!

About the author

2 comments on “News of Vinnie's Campaign Printed in the Argus”

  1. fremonter Reply

    I’m not so sure that “outsider” will turn out to be a pejorative in this election cycle. Both Obama and Scott Brown successfully marketed themselves as outsiders. Young Marco Rubio, who delivered a real stem-winder on American exceptionalisim at CPAC, is cast as the GOP’s newest outsider, dethroning la Grande Palin. Even old Ron Paul seems to covet the “outsider” brand, and he’s been in office (state and federal) since ’76.

    The question is how political outsiders – those who are not elite or influential members of local government – can become influential and affect the political process. For Vinnie, the answer to that question is a campaign for City Council. For others, it could be attending public meetings, calling and/or e-mailing City Hall, or joining any of a variety of local groups. Simply voting is influential.

    City government is intended to be a democratic system where all residents have a voice. The system, when it works, should accommodate, even welcome, political outsiders. If and when ordinary people feel they do not have a voice or a stake in the system, then our little part of American democracy will have failed.

    Bless his heart, IMHO Matt really does not have a very deep well of adjectives from which to draw. “Outsider” was probably the first one that occurred to him.

  2. bbox231 Reply

    To be characterized as an “outsider”is an unfortunate choice of wording.

    Certainly the term will evoke more than one interpretation by some Fremont residents.

    I believe Artz is smart enough to have made a better choice of adjectives . . . had he wanted to.

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.