Congratulations are in order for Carole Groom, who was named to fill Jerry Hill’s vacant seat on the Board of Supervisors yesterday morning. Groom, a member of the San Mateo City Council for eight years, has a reputation for being responsive, responsible, intelligent and creative in reacting to the divergent tasks of an elected official. She does her homework and has a no-nonsense attitude when it comes to conveying information. She will be a true asset to the Board of Supervisors.
The decision now virtually guarantees Groom will be able to run with only token opposition in two years as an appointed incumbent. Supervisors represent a particular district and must live in that district, but are elected by the entire county. That limits the ability for nonincumbents to run a substantial campaign and keeps a community dialogue to a minimum.
It is extremely disappointing the majority of the board decided to move ahead with an appointment to the empty seat. In fact, only one supervisor, Rich Gordon, deserves commendation for yesterday’s vote. Gordon voted against the appointment and instead said the county’s populace should be directly involved in naming the supervisor to serve District 2. The others pointed to the economy and said they could not justify the $1.6 million it might cost to hold a special election. It is easy to fault the economy when it comes to making difficult decisions, but the board should be compelled to look at the larger picture. Indeed, looking at that big picture and not being influenced by the business and labor community is their job. Gordon suggested the board hold an election in June, which would give the county a good chance of recouping some of its money since there will likely be a state election at the same time. The cost was an excuse to hide behind so the real reason of politics of usual was not revealed. The extremely brief discussion replete with prepared comments leading up to Groom’s appointment was a sad commentary on how beholden to a small circle of political persuasion the board has become.
The people of San Mateo County would have likely decided that Groom would be the best person to fill the seat in a June special election and, in the process, the county as a whole and the Board of Supervisors could have benefited from a thorough discussion of the important issues facing us. Without that discussion, the county Board of Supervisors will likely never shake its reputation of an insular body that merely transfers power.
A signature-gathering effort to place a reform initiative on the ballot could very well be on the horizon. Though such a movement might be difficult, this recent decision only proves it is not only inevitable, but perhaps necessary.
The empty seat was an opportunity for true leadership to reveal itself and unfortunately, that opportunity was extinguished. |