Vote No on Auntie Alegria…Again
October 28, 2008
Maria Alegria is at it again in Pinole, sending flyers with baseless accusations about supposed misdeeds done by the folks who cast her out of office last February, in an historic recall election which threatens to derail her crumbling political career. Alegria is the third candidate in a two-seat race against incumbents Pete Murray and Roy Swearingen. Even the Contra Costa Times, which opposed the recall, endorsed Murray and Swearingen - calling Alegria “an unwelcome aunt at a family dinner.”
In a recent mailer to Pinole voters, Alegria focused on several “problems” facing the city - all of which have been debunked by the City Council, City Manager Charles Long, and by the Contra Costa Times. For example, her mailer claims cuts to the police budget have eliminated two school safety officers at Pinole Valley High School, when in fact there are not one, but two, School Safety Officers working at the school.
Now, Alegria is walking neighborhoods placing stickers on her mailers touting her selection as a Barack Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention this Summer. Of course, she’s not telling voters how she and her buddy, Richmond Councilman Harpreet Sandhu, railroaded the delegate-selection process by bringing in busloads of Sikh voters from Sandhu’s El Sobrante temple- some of whom were not even registered voters or registered in Maria’s congressional district - to vote for her and Sandhu as delegates.
The Obama people - many of whom had spent an entire year canvassing the district while Alegria spent most of her time working for Hillary Clinton - were livid, but there was nothing that could be done once the delegate votes were cast.
But this is what you get from Auntie Maria. So please Vote No on Auntie Maria
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5 Responses to “Vote No on Auntie Alegria…Again”
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The upcoming election is very important and significant to the city of Pinole.
Just eight months ago, voters recalled former council member Maria Alegria, who decided to re-run for election next month. Alegria claims she is running for re-election because Pinole voters were misinformed about the facts that led to her being recalled.
This is hardly the case. Please visit http://www.pinolerecall.com for documented facts that supported the necessary recall. Please visit http://www.ci.pinole.ca.us to view past and present City Council meetings to witness the vast difference between the former and current councils, how they interact with each other and how they interact with residents who address them. The difference is astonishing.
Our city was given a new beginning in February, one that was necessary and desperately needed.
The members of the current council work together in a way that brings great respect to our city; a way that has encouraged well-qualified applicants to fill vacancies we couldn’t fill when Alegria was mayor.
Pinole voters, I encourage you to vote for incumbents Pete Murray and Roy Swearingen for the council and Judy Lee for treasurer.
Let’s continue with the good government practices these great people bring to Pinole.
Cindy Trego
Maria Alegria wants voters to believe she is a champion of fiscal responsibility, and that she is intimately concerned with and involved in the city. This far from reality.
In one of her last votes before being recalled from the Pinole City Council, she voted to proceed with the sale of two of our shopping centers - which she now says “deeply concerns” her.
Her biography in the newspaper (Times, Wednesday, October 15) shows that nearly all of her affiliations are with county, regional, and state organizations. She belongs to none of the local organizations and clubs - Pinole Historical Society, Pinole Rotary, etc., - that make up the fabric of our city.
Alegria doesn’t represent “change” - she represents a return to secretive politics and the awful way things once were in Pinole.
People get real change only when they vote for it. Pinole had its change in February, when Alegria and two of her sycophants were removed from the city council and voters wisely elected three new people to replace them.
This new council has done a terrific job over the last eight months. Re-elect Pete Murray and Roy Swearingen and let this council continue to do its good work.
Shirley Ramos
Maria Alegria blames the current Pinole City Council for the city’s financial woes, saying “millions of redevelopment dollars have been wasted to lure out-of-town developers and businesses to Old Town.”
That’s quite a gutsy accusation, since Alegria voted to approve nearly every cent of RDA money that’s been spent in the last 15 years. Of what value is a councilperson who doesn’t stand behind her vote?
She also criticizes the city for seeking to liquidate some Redevelopment Agency assets to free tied-up money for other uses. Before this decision was made, the city held several redevelopment workshops this spring so citizens would understand how redevelopment works and why selling some city-owned properties makes good financial sense.
More than a hundred people attended these meetings - not one of them was named Maria Alegria.
Of more financial significance is the fact that Alegria protected her good friend Gary Wong, owner of the Pear Street Bistro, from re-paying nearly $500,000 in redevelopment loans.
Wong never re-paid his loans; his loans were paid when the sale of his building closed escrow - 27 months into his delinquency. Legal fees incurred by the city because of this fiasco exceeded $100,000.
It’s Alegria who wasted taxpayers’ money.
Marcia Kalapus
Why is Maria Alegria running again for City Council after being soundly defeated less than seven months ago?
It can’t be for love of Pinole. She hasn’t been involved in the governance of Pinole. She didn’t even finish out her last month as a city council member. She didn’t attend any meetings, causing delays and extra work for those doing city business.
Instead of working on issues related to Pinole and its citizens, Alegria’s time and attention has been spent in other areas. She’s not been at any city or civic meetings since the recall. We need representatives whose full focus and attention is on Pinole, and who have the integrity and financial acumen to solve the complex issues facing our city.
Council members Peter Murray and Roy Swearingen, working with council members Debbie Long, Virginia Fujita, and Mary Horton, have worked diligently to get Pinole fiscally sound. This council has also taken action to improve public safety, reduce crime, and encourage business development.
There are many important issues facing Pinole. Let’s keep this hard-working, respectful council in place so that they can continue the good work they have begun together.
JoAnn Gannotti
It is hard to imagine that Maria Alegria’s re-election bid for the Pinole City Council offers Pinole any value.
She was mayor when the council - under her leadership and with her controlling a majority of the votes - failed to deal with one-half million dollars of Redevelopment Agency loans to the Pear Street Bistro until the delinquency was publicly exposed. Furthermore, there was a clear conflict of interest in Alegria’s relationship with the recipient of the loans.
On the other hand, the current council members, two of whom - Roy Swearingen and Pete Murray - are running for re-election, have demonstrated a strong commitment to dealing with Pinole residents’ and business community needs.
Council meetings and workshops have been conducted with open discussions, allowing for full airing of opinions, unlike when Alegria was mayor and ran the meetings.
The current council has adopted a three-year budget plan that will result in the city operating in the black for the first time in seven years.
I can’t see any reason why voters would want to reinstate a divisive and polarizing person such as Alegria to a City Council that is working well together.
Steve Welstand