The Herald Recommends: Glover for one more term on the Board of Supervisors
By Allen Payton, Publisher & Editor
Although the last time I supported Federal Glover for Supervisor was when he first ran and was elected in 2000, this year, I’m supporting him, again. In 2004, I helped run the late Eric Nunn’s campaign against Glover and in 2008, I supported him in the Primary. Then following Nunn’s tragic death that year, I supported the late Antioch Councilman Gary Agopian against Glover in the General Election. Each time, was because I believed his opponents were more fiscally responsible.
Federal and I worked together well on East County transportation issues, going back 18 to 22 years ago, when he was on the Pittsburg City Council and I was on the Antioch City Council. He has continued to work to bring transportation solutions to Antioch and East County, and on so many other issues, as well.
I wasn’t happy with his vote for the 33% pay raise in 2014, which I’ve written about and told him, as it was a demonstration of fiscal irresponsibility, and slap in the face to both county workers and the taxpayers. But, unlike two of his colleagues on the Board, once the referendum had garnered enough signatures to be placed on the ballot, Glover listened to the people, voted to rescind the pay raise and didn’t continue to argue in favor of it, nor whine that he deserved but didn’t receive it. That’s what we want in an elected official – responsiveness to the people they represent.
While I’ve enjoyed getting a chance to speak with his challenger, Martinez Councilwoman AnaMarie Avila Farias, during the campaign and believe she’s well intentioned, from what I’ve learned she has a big government mindset. That’s not surprising since she works for the County Housing Authority. I don’t believe it’s wise to put government employees in charge of the governments for which they worked.
Plus, I believe she would be more fiscally irresponsible than Glover was with his pay raise vote. Following are the reasons for my viewpoint.
First, is the matter of what appears to be an effort by two county employee groups, the firefighters and Deputy Sheriffs, to help buy Avila Farias a seat on the Board. The Deputy Sheriffs contributed $99,000 and the firefighters contributed $50,000 to an independent expenditure committee to pay for mailers and research to help Avila Farias win. They also each contributed $10,000 directly to her campaign. Plus, another $2,000 was contributed by the International Association of Firefighters PAC.
In addition, she received another $6,000 from other county government employee groups, bringing the total support for Avila Farias by county workers to $167,000 for the campaign.
I don’t think it’s wise for candidates or elected officials to be beholden to government employee groups, because it will be their interests, not those of the taxpayers, when it comes time for contract negotiations and votes. We’ve had too much of that in the past, and the County is still digging out of the hole of unfunded liabilities due to overly generous employee contracts, especially with public safety personnel, in the past.
Second, in a forum during the Primary, which combined candidates for Supervisor in both Districts 3 and 5, she was in support of every proposed government social program discussed that night. Glover wasn’t in attendance, so it took Brentwood Councilman Steve Barr, who is running for Supervisor in District 3 to ask, “all of these programs sound great, but how are you going to pay for them?”
Finally, also dealing with her campaign finances, as of Thursday, November 3rd, Avila Farias shows her campaign has received a total of $85,707.50, yet has spent $114,924.12 with $32,313.83 in accrued expenses, in other words unpaid bills. While she shows $3,097.21 in the bank, that still leaves here $29,216.62 in debt. If she doesn’t win, it will be difficult to raise the money to pay that off. If that’s how she handles the small amount of funds in a campaign, what can we expect of Avila Farias when she’s making decisions about $1 billion in taxpayer funds?
Plus, most of the money her campaign has spent has been outside of the county, which doesn’t show a commitment to local businesses and job creation.
Glover, on the other hand, hasn’t spent more than his campaign has received in contributions, has no accrued expenses and ends the campaign with $8,571.06 cash on hand, as of November 3rd. Plus, almost all of his campaign expenditures have been inside the county, showing a commitment to local businesses and jobs.
Like many others, I didn’t think Glover would have the strength to run for a fifth term on the Board, following his heart and kidney transplant surgery, last year. But the Supervisor has proved to be quite resilient and he’s made an amazing recovery, thank the Lord.
Also, while I don’t usually support a candidate serving more than three, four-year terms in any one office, as I believe people can tend to get arrogant, out of touch and complacent, Glover has proven he can continue to work hard and is committed to representing his constituents.
Furthermore, unlike Avila Farias who has serious challenges working with at least two of her colleagues on the Martinez City Council, and does not have their support in this election, Glover does work well with the rest of the members of the Board of Supervisors. Those two council members are supporting him, instead.
Finally, while we have and will probably continue to have our disagreements on issues, from time to time, and I believe this should be his last campaign for the position, in general I believe he is the better candidate in the election for County Supervisor in District 5. Please vote for Federal Gover on Tuesday, November 8th and keep him on the Board representing the portion of Antioch north of Highway 4.
I wholeheartedly disagree with your endorsement and back Anamarie Avila Farias! Talk about campaign contributions, did you happen to notice the VERY SIZABLE money coming in from Garaventa (Candy Properties), Hall Equities Group/ZMC Hotels who aren’t even in District 5 and many more. All told, I think they are up to $200k in independent expenditures opposing Anamarie. I have to ask, why would these companies pour so much money to defeat Anamarie when i don’t think one of them has met or communicated with her! What has Federal promised them? Add to that, they sicked the political hack Mary Jo Rossi, who I’ve been told is on Garaventa’s payroll, on to Anamarie and she and her group have mailed at least 8-10 slimy, mudslinging, false mailers out in a constant barrage to voters. Even when Mayor Rob Schroder and Councimember Mark Ross stood up for her at a recent Council meeting repudiating the lies in the mailer and denouncing them as false, the independent expenditure committee lead by Garaventa and Hall/ZMC continued to publish them as Gospel truth. Why, because they’re desperate! They are so afraid of losing control and quite frankly, they can’t point to good things Federal has done for District 5. If you were to believe Federal’s mailers and signs, you’d believe he was solely responsible for bringing in over $1 Billion in transportation funds to District 5. What a crock of baloney! He now shows up in Martinez at all of the events as if he’s a regular. He NEVER comes to Martinez except to attend BOS meetings and doesn’t have a clue about any other parts of town, so he has to have his guide dog Lara Delaney hustle him around to show him where he should be and make him look like he’s been involved all of the time.
Allen, he has pulled the wool over your eyes in a huge way and NO, 4 more years should not be considered. Ask yourself, what has he done in the past 16 years? What makes you think he’ll do anything in the next 4 years other than to fatten his pension! NOW IS THE TIME FOR CHANGE!
Farias have the backing of Allied Waste because Glover has held them accountable. Allied/Republic is an awful company, not eco-friendly.
Allied has spent over $300,000 trying to get Farias elected. An out of state company, tell me who is bought and paid for?
In a way I agree with both of you. I have never voted for Mr. Glover, in fact donated to both Nunn and later Mr. Agopian. Mr. Glover has never ever done anything for East County or any East County Cities. We did get the hiway 4 bypass but I’m not sure what he had to do with it. The three cities, Oakley, Brentwood and Antioch pretty much did it on their own. I don’t live where I could vote for Glover and still wouldn’t.
That being said, in the last few years we have run into Mr. Glover in many places, perhaps 6 years and he has grown on us. We actually have a great deal of respect for him as a person not a politician, and wish him well. Honestly hope he doesn’t run again for his own health and for his family.
Allen:
With all you do know about Mr Glover, how can you support him at all?
I’ve been in East County for almost 30 years. You say that he supports transportation? Do you remember when Mr Glover was mayor, he pushed through the building of the (then Circuit City, now In-Shape) building that encroached on the proposed Highway 4 expansion? Due to a screw-up by the Antioch council, it was on Pittsburg property, and not Antioch – just look at the gerrymandering city limits. It was a major concern that it would cause the freeway to be either rerouted or not allowed to be widened. Mr Glover’s interview he said, “I represent Pittsburg, not Antioch, and I don’t care if it gets widened or not! It’s now Antioch’s problem.”
Do you remember how Supervisor Glover harassed owner/developer Jack Roddy out of existence for the simple reason that he supported a Republican opponent of Mr Glover?
Oh, let’s not forget the debacle of the Board voting themselves a HUGE pay raise while playing “empty pockets” with the employees of the county.
I’ve had work-related dealings with Mr Glover as well. He’s all nicey-nice when there are people around, but one-on-one, he is a demanding, ornery, power-hungry SOB. Not just once, but every time. I have never been treated so rudely on the telephone by anyone, every time he called into the office where I worked.
I wished him well before he had his transplant surgeries, and sincerely hoped that he’d retire, and manage his Section 8 housing – before he has an opportunity to do more harm to the people of Contra Costa.
“Plus, I believe she would be more fiscally irresponsible than Glover was with his pay raise vote” Hunh?! Are you listening to yourself? Because the supes sure weren’t when they voted for that outrageous raise.
then there’s this: “First, is the matter of what appears to be an effort by two county employee groups, the firefighters and Deputy Sheriffs, to help buy Avila Farias a seat on the Board.” Garaventa Enterprises (the developers and the garbage companies of Keller Canyon infamy)and subsidiaries (Candy Properties?) and hoteliers with dreams of the Northern Waterfront have spent OVER $230,000 to keep
Glover in this seat.
Come on, Allen. Can you hear yourself: “I don’t think it’s wise for candidates or elected officials to be beholden to government employee groups, because it will be their interests, not those of the taxpayers, when it comes time for contract negotiations and votes.” Well I don’t think its wise for the garbage company that stuck us with Keller Canyon or the developers who build the traffic causing sprawl without the jobs to match get rich get to buy this seat for their buddy. The BOS (yep, Glover, too)voted to RAISE garbage rates on consumers and approves development. Why do you think voters are so pissed off and wanting change?
Maggie G.
First, thank you for reading the Herald. Second, thank you for your comment.
There are negatives about both candidates. I pointed out one about Glover, specifically his vote for the 33% pay raise.
But, his vote pales in comparison from a cost to taxpayers standpoint, to a candidate who supports every social program that is proposed, and will most likely end up voting for county government employee contracts that we can’t afford, long term, as occurred in the past with former members of the Board of Supervisors who somehow keep getting promoted, such as former State Senator and current Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, who is directly responsible for the unfunded liabilities the county faces, today.
You’ve pointed out a negative about Glover that you feel is worse than the negatives I’ve pointed out about Avila Farias.
We’ll see which one the voters of District 5 view as worse.
Allen Payton, Publisher