'Do Your Homework, Then Vote': Dublin Letter To Editor

Dear Editor:

This election is perhaps the most critical election ever for Dublin. Why? Because after decades of increasingly overcrowded schools and roads, we still don’t have real solutions. We all know that Dublin has been a fastest growing city in terms of population and that brings tremendous challenges with city & school infrastructure and quality of life.

An unbalanced growth has led to ever increasing traffic congestion, frequent school boundary changes (impacting students’experience and making them feel nomadic), poor financial decisions and much more.

Seven candidates are running for election this November for Mayor and City Council; the outcome will have profound impacts on Dublin. Are we going to elect those who will perpetuate the cycle of build, build and build? Or are we actually going to change and put Dublin residents’ needs before developers’ needs.

I believe Dublin is a great place to live, but I also know that it has real challenges. Many of the candidates do not fully grasp the severity of our issues and are poised to approve major projects like 700 homes across from the Tassajara Safeway. They like the status quo while the Dubliners want the change. It is not enough for a community to simply build houses and approve massive projects like IKEA.

Developers have benefited financially from the lure of our great schools. The Mayor, who was on the school board for 10 years and has served as Mayor/City Council for 8 years, continues to disavow responsibility for school overcrowding and point the finger of blame at the School Board.

The School Board points the finger back at the Mayor and City Council. A healthy city requires strong schools and clear financial responsibility. We need leaders that will be accountable and support the long-awaited
new high school, not just in words, but with actions.

We need a Mayor with a vision and keep his promises. We need City Council members with sensitivity to
Dubliners’ needs and business acumen to solve complex problems and help negotiate in Dubliners’
interests. We need leaders who recognize the extent of our problems, and who will be straight with us
even when it is hard to hear.

Simply put we need leaders that put Dubliners needs before the needs of special interest. Do your homework and vote for candidates with the right experience to make the critical decisions necessary for Dublin. Look for candidates not backed by the same people who created the problems in first place.

Look for candidates not backed by outside special interest. Arun Goel for Mayor, and Bobby Khullar and Jing Firmeza for City Council are these candidates. They will deliver on the promises made to the community, but need one thing from you to do so - your vote.

Ganesan Ramu, Dublin Resident