Jackie

Once she officially announced, the questions came: “What do you think?” I will give you my answer I’ve given others: “Well, she certainly will know how to do the job.”

That’s true, but it also speaks to what I’ve observed lately when it comes to some elected officials — they may not know how to do the job of an elected official. Some officials come from the realm of activism and take that sensibility with them into the job. But being an elected official is far different than being an activist. You have to represent all constituents, listen to all sides, compromise at times, be tough but respectful, and find the best path forward for everyone. It also doesn’t hurt to be respectful of the local press. Lately, I’ve seen lapses in that at several levels. Perhaps Speier did too.

She can certainly speak for herself, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she felt the recent disintegration in the San Mateo County political system needed an expert mending and thought she knows where the tools are and how to use them.

On the other hand, it is odd to see two well-known and capable councilmembers, Gina Papan in Millbrae and Emily Beach in Burlingame, fall to the side so quickly. Papan knows our political system better than anybody and Beach revealed in her congressional run that she can synthesize and activate ideas quickly and could most definitely hit the ground running.

Yet, Speier laid much of that ground decades ago. I know there has been some negative reactions to older politicians sticking around for too long past their effectiveness, but I don’t sense that with Speier — some people in their early 70s are still very much in their prime.

We will see. There is still a race to run; however, considering Speier’s endorsement is the one most candidates seek, it seems the election will be the proverbial walk in the park. After all, who else in the county is immediately recognized by only a first name?

In the meantime, keep an eye on Simon’s column. He certainly knows his way around these parts too.

***

Never once have I thought being stuck in major traffic on El Camino could be so interesting. But there I was on a Saturday night going south from downtown to the Hillsdale Shopping Center and back.

Along the way there were cars from the 1930s to the ’90s, with the era of 1950-70 heavily represented from Chevy Bel Airs, Camaros and Corvettes to Pontiac GTOs, Oldsmobile Cutlasses and even a Thing or two.

Dubbed Bay Area Cruise Night, Saturday was a slice of Americana, exhaust fumes and fun with thousands of classic cars and the people who love them. As someone who believes strongly in maintaining vehicles and keeping them as long as possible as a way to reduce the impact on the environment, it was impressive to see how many people keep their cars in pristine condition.

The center of action was Jack’s at 92, which I suppose is the closest we have to a drive-in-style diner nowadays. And there at the ECR exit, acting as the reentry point for cars that had turned around, was our very own San Mateo police Sgt. Michael Haobsh with a big grin on his face as he directed cars onto the road. An hour later, there he was again, with the same grin. That’s dedication to community service. And that’s just one representative from our police force working that night. Numerous others were seen hanging in the background just to make sure everything went well and people stayed safe. From my observation, everyone out had the same goal.

Up and down El Camino in nearly every parking lot, there were parked cars and people gathering, talking and having a good time.

My wife said it reminded her of when the 49ers won Super Bowl XVI (I lived in Los Gatos at the time) and everyone came out to El Camino to celebrate. But, this time, it was just people out on our main drag, enjoying the night, their cars and one another. Let’s do it again.

Jon Mays is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Journal. He can be reached at jon@smdailyjournal.com. Follow Jon on X at jonmays.