Mayor Valdivia needs and deserves a bulletproof majority

Letters to the Editor

Juan Figueroa for San Bernardino City Council

I have spent much of my career in public relations and public affairs advocating on behalf of development projects, residential, commercial, private and public. 

I learned this trade under the tutelage of one of the smartest men I ever met who is a local billionaire (I think still) real estate developer who allowed me in my early thirties to learn from my mistakes on his dime. 

I remember distinctly one instance where I had advised him (wrongly as it turned out) that we could safely invest an enormous amount of money in a Southern California based city on a large scale master planned community.  I had misread one councilman who I thought was a solid vote but instead turned into a human weather vane. 

Needless to say my mentor and boss was not pleased at this turn of events and made very clear that if I ever brought his money into a split or unreliable council ever again I would not be working for him.  He explained that the one thing he can’t stand in any city or county leadership is an unreliable or split council especially if it is driven more by personalities and politics than pragmatism. 

The San Bernardino City Council has been fractious since the election of Mayor Valdivia to say the least.  The Mayor has been accused from the dais of acting like a monarch or dictator (“You are not a KING! – councilman Fred Short) for simply casting tie breaking votes which is his right within the city rules.  

There was a much publicized cry-baby moment when 3 council members staged a dramatic and asinine walk-out of a city council meeting – ending the meeting and leaving much city business undone. 

Others in the City of San Bernardino old guard continue to snipe from the sidelines of social media at everything the mayor does which is also very scary to the development community.  Which is why I am endorsing Juan Figueroa for council. 

Juan has been accused of being a clone, a tool, a doppelganger etc. for Mayor Valdivia and the opposition to the mayor is so desperate to deny Valdivia a possible fourth vote they are backing a complete wingnut know-nothing named Treasure who is hopefully going to get buried in the election. 

Treasure makes Alexandria Ocasio Cortez look thoughtful and well-versed on policy and that is saying something.  If Juan is going to be a consistent fourth vote on the council for the mayors directives – Great! 

The San Bernardino City Council needs to have a clear majority with a clear pro-growth, pro-economic development agenda and a reliable set of votes to back it up if the City is going to attract investment.  Vote Juan Figueroa.