The end of the good life in San Mateo

Mar 11, 2026
Mar 11, 2026 Updated Mar 16, 2026
3

Editor,

You gotta love Rick Bonilla and his choice words about the future of San Mateo: “Sadly, many people lived the good life for way too long.”

(3) comments

CA Is Burning Mar 11, 2026 4:00pm

Janet, the fault lies at the feet of Gov Newsom and the democrats. They are the party who feel people should be stacked on top of each other and they force cities into stuffing as many people into as few shoeboxes as possible with the threat of exorbitant fines. At the same time, the hypocrites scream DROUGHT, BLACKOUTS, yet find plenty of room for the Delta Smelt. So if California is short on water and electricity, why are we building more homes? Because our State and City is democrat run, and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is far more important than integrity and truth.

easygerd Mar 13, 2026 1:27pm

Gavin Newsom can't be blamed for the failure of local YIMBYs. Instead of focusing on public and active, high-density transportation - as major urban areas like NYC, Paris, London and others are doing - local YIMBYs are "too sponsored" to really care.

When YIMBYs like Amo Lee, Adam Lorraine, Nicole Fernandez, Chris Sturken, Isabella Chu keep sabotaging bike lanes everywhere ... there is clearly something wrong with them.

Lisa Mar 13, 2026 10:29am

You are DONE living the good life in San Mateo? So, suck it up, buttercup? Enjoy all this development that really contributes nothing to affordability? Enjoy the loss of your grocery stores, one by one, as they morph into redevelopment?

Many will remember Bonilla as the labor union crony who never recused himself on development topics. No longer seated, he keeps his hooks and pals deep in our City.

His Circle of Life includes current Mayor Adam Loraine. It's no coincidence Loraine ensured his name was the first to appear against the resident height limit measure in 2024 - which removed the special protections San Mateans had and got us to where we are now. (And no, we didn't need to remove building height limits to comply with the state.) It's no coincidence that Bonilla fully endorsed him after he moved to southwest San Mateo to take that Council seat.

Loraine's term ends this year. Recommend voting for Dana Yates Sahae this November if you live in southwest San Mateo (D5) since YOU should be the one to determine your "good living."

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