“Go Niners” is now a slogan you can shout without Mayor Lisa Gillmor going off the rails and ragging all over the shouter.
Santa Clara has settled its long, drawn-out dispute with the 49ers that should never have happened. Remember, 2010? Gillmor and the City were totally enamored with the idea of the Niners coming to town. In fact, Gillmor led the voter proposition to bring them to Santa Clara. She returned to City Council in 2011 to negotiate the contracts that she’s now been complaining about for nearly 10 years.
Pretending to be a skilled lawyer, Gillmor took it upon herself to cut the contract details. Despite the fact that she didn’t know the total scope of the agreements, and the contracts were outside her ballpark of expertise, she charged ahead relying on her personal experience in real estate.
The 49ers had about 60 years more experience than she did, and they were not going to let an opportunity pass.
Frankly, the 49ers could have taken Santa Clara to the cleaners and they didn’t. However, they were not going to pass up an opportunity to score when given the opportunity.
That romance ran into roadblocks when the 49ers exercised their independence as they brought their billion-dollar business to the City. They didn’t need her political clout and personal endorsement to continue on at the same level.
Feeling snubbed, Gillmor began to brew up a mixture of hate and outright lies.
Not one to pass up an opportunity for political advantage, she turned on the 49ers, castigated their value, and demeaned their importance to the community.
No one can deny Gillmor is brilliant. Her attack on the 49ers was reinforced with the election of council members who supported her anti-niner position.
The devastation following her candidates being elected to council and supporting her anti-49ers campaign has cost Santa Clarans millions.
Now, thanks to today’s council majority, new city manager and city attorney, the settlement of 49ers’ lingering litigation lightens the load and leaves lots of loot left over.
One result of the 49er settlement will be realized in the coming season when Santa Clara will begin to receive a several million dollar increase annually.
Normally this item would be a total victory for City staff and Council. They did a great job during this entire process.
Mayor Gillmor and her lone ranger supporter Kathy Watanabe voted against it.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s time for them to give it up. The 49ers are here for at least another 20 years.
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