Editor,
Rob Newsom recently announced his campaign for reelection to the City Council in San Mateo. For months Rob had dodged the question of running, indicating that no decision had been made. In fact, he had been actively courting endorsements all along while saying otherwise.
Yet the biggest surprise is his bio identifies him as “Native Californian as it gets” based on his family immigrating here in 1850. This statement is naïve and insulting.
So, we have a candidate who is incapable of comprehending how offensive it is to the First Nations residents by his audacity of this claim to being one of them.
Furthermore, during his inconsequential term as a councilmember, he has demonstrated an inability to comprehend the needs of our city at any level.
He is very proud of his insular upbringing, with its adjacency to power, without realizing his place in society has been elevated by his birthright. His time on council has been fraught with flippant views of the daily struggles many in this city endure.
He “governs” with a casual indifference. An example of this was evident when he said, “oh well, that’s just how things are today” after numerous studies identified and public speakers spoke of the hard life they endure due to the high cost of living, reduction of public safety nets and fear of federal agencies. That is not leadership, it is sheer callousness.
John Ebneter
San Mateo
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(3) comments
Incoherent word salad from a supporter of a competing politician.
This is an obvious campaign hit piece in support of Seema Patel and a first glimpse about who she is and how dirty she and her supporters will get and act in the coming months.
No surprise really given Patel was mentored by the disgraced "Envelope Gate" Amourence Lee, who sources say is now actively helping Patel's campaign from the shadows. We fully expect the usual candidate's style dry dirt slinging - laughably, dry dirt that just doesn't stick.
Twisting a simple comment about family roots in California into a supposed offense to First Nations residents is manufactured outrage that intelligent readers will see through.
Instead of personal attacks, voters deserve an honest discussion about the issues facing our city.
That’s why I support Rob Newsom — HONESTY ABOVE ALL for practical leadership and common-sense governance.
Ad hominem attacks and semantic debates weaken the merits of your argument. You conflate the legal concept of statehood with ancestral indigeneity, which are distinct categories. Newsom’s claim to be a 'native Californian' is a literal statement of fact regarding his birthplace within the State of California, a political entity founded in 1850. Being native to a state is defined by the location of one's birth, not by a claim to indigenous status, which Newsom did not make.
Furthermore, I found the lack of specific evidence regarding Rob Newsom's
actual record as a Councilmember to be a missed opportunity. Without facts detailing his voting history or policy outcomes, it is impossible to assess his professional capabilities or leadership fairly. Shifting the focus from linguistic grievances to substantive performance would provide voters with a more useful evaluation of his fitness for reelection.
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