In these crazy times, we can’t host a coffee or ring doorbells, so I’m writing to let you know that I’ve endorsed Veronica Anderson Thigpen for the PUSD School Board, and I heartily recommend voting for her.

I have known Veronica since she moved here in 2018, and joined the Piedmont Appreciating Diversity Committee. Right away, Veronica added a clear, articulate voice on important issues, like the proposal to have an armed police officer stationed at PHS/MHS.

Soon after, Veronica took responsibility for managing MLK Day, which showcased her great skills as an organizer and leader. The day went perfectly, a real achievement with so many moving pieces. She impressed other Committee members so much that in only her second year Veronica became PADC’s co-President. She has demonstrated excellent people skills, good judgment and a willingness to dig into complex issues in search of practical solutions.

Veronica’s background as an education and business journalist for 18 years has given her a broad perspective on education. She works now as an advisor to school systems and educational non-profits looking to build equitable, inclusive and effective organizations. She is knowledgeable, smart, energetic, and community-minded.

Veronica also has a daughter who is a junior at PHS, where she has helped to launch a revitalized Black Student Union. Her husband, David Thigpen, heads the undergraduate Journalism Department at UC Berkeley.

I hope that you’ll join me in supporting Veronica, and talking her up with your friends. When door-to-door campaigning is out, we need to find other ways to connect!

Maude Pervere, Piedmont Resident

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

– Environmental Voting Guide written by Piedmonter Emily Ballati –

Things-are-Heating-Up-Guide-to-Environmental-Voting

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author. 

The Mercury News Editorial –

Editorial: Reject Piedmont property tax hike for pool repairs

The Mercury News editorial is copied below:

“Piedmont residents tax themselves to ensure that they have the best schools and premier city government. The average homeowner pays $4,400 in extra taxes for schools and another $635 for city services.

But those taxes also drive up the cost of housing in the exclusive city surrounded by Oakland and further ensure that those with average means will not be able to crack the city’s residential market.

Voters in Tuesday’s election will face two tax hikes. Measure TT, which we have previously recommended voters reject, would increase the city’s tax on property sales to state record-high levels. Now we look at Measure UU, a $19.5 million bond proposal to pay for replacing three old community pools with two new ones. Voters should reject that, too.

Based on the city estimates provided to voters, Measure UU would add an average $263 annually to the tax bill for a home assessed at the city average of slightly over $1 million.

It a bit of a tricky calculation for voters because city officials in the ballot wording obfuscated the projected average tax rate as 2.6 cents per $100 of assessed value rather than an easier-to-understand $26 per $100,000.

It turns out that the city overstated that rate, especially for the latter part of the 30-year tax. The firmer number is that city taxpayers would collectively pay about $1.3 million annually to retire the bonds needed to finance the construction.

To put that number in perspective, the city spends more than that – nearly $1.7 million to be precise – just to cover the interest payments on public employee pension debt. Put another way, most of the pool bond payments could be covered by Measure TT, which is expected to add about $948,462 annually to the city’s transfer tax revenues.

Individually and collectively, the two measures raise a question of, how much is too much? Rather than throwing multiple tax measures at voters, city leaders need to prioritize and look for savings elsewhere.”

The City Council Is Not Being Open And Transparent About Measure UU. If They Were, Residents Would Have Received This Measure UU Letter.

Dear Piedmonters,

Before you vote on Measure UU, we thought there were a few things we needed to tell you. We did tell you that the City has no outstanding General Obligation Bonds, but we didn’t mention that we have LOTS of debts – $7 million in sewer loans, $13 million in Post Employment Benefits Payable, and $26 million in Pension Benefits Payable.

Oh, and if our pension portfolio returns only 6.15% instead of the estimated 7.15% (you can get 7.15% on your investments in today’s crazy market with bonds yielding close to zero, can’t you?), our Pension Benefit Liability alone increases to over $43 million.

Speaking of deficits, did we mention that our General Fund – that is, unrestricted money that the City can spend on anything – has a deficit of about $9 million?

We also glossed over the fact that the ordinance we passed estimates that the total cost of the “improvements” is $23 million, but that it allows us to issue $19.5 million in bonds. Guess who is paying for the difference?

We also haven’t mentioned it, but by reading the City Council minutes for the last six months, you can see that we know about the major deficiencies in our ability to deliver essential public services – the Police Chief, Fire Chief, and City Administrator are all on the record as saying that we do not comply with the Essential Services Act, that the fire station may sustain major damage in an earthquake, and that it may cost up to $51 million to fix these problems. That’s why we are looking at creating a Community Facilities District (aka Mello-Roos) to make it easier to issue bonds backed by another special tax on Piedmont homeowners in the near future. And because we generally ask for the maximum amount, it will probably be for the full $51 million.

Finally, we haven’t mentioned that 100% of Piedmont citizens rely on our Police and Fire Departments, while an estimated 25% of citizens use the pool.

So, if we had placed two bond measures on the November ballot – $50 million for Police and Fire, and $20 million for a new pool, we knew what would happen. Citizens would vote to maintain essential services, but they would turn down the pool.

After spending $56 million in 2006 and another $66 million in 2016 on School District Bonds (all that money is gone, and they still haven’t finished their projects), $10 million per year on Measure G, $2.6 million per year on Measure H, and $2.4 million per year on Measure T, citizens are getting a little tax weary. After all, aren’t our property tax rates some of the highest in California?

So, think carefully before you vote on measure UU. We’ll see you soon with our new $51 million bond request. You will HAVE to vote yes to maintain city services, but you can vote NO on Measure UU.

Andy Wasserman, Piedmont Resident

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

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 – Titan:  7 years of valuable aid to schools –  

Our home values are linked to Piedmont’s  historical reputation for excellent schools.   That reputation is starting to falter as evidenced by the unexpected loss of 81 students from our school district this year.  Once lost, it will take years to recover our reputation.

Titan is the School Board candidate who will add thoughtful management and responsible oversight to the School Board.  Since 2013 he’s contributed over 500 hours of time which produced well-conceived recommendations that saved our schools and taxpayers MILLIONS of dollars.

Our current school board is disproportionately influenced by the unions and our country-club society.  Board decisions are too often unanimous with little public deliberation and are often dismissive of thoughtful public input.  Titan will return  transparent governance to the school board.

My decision to vote for Titan is based on the content of his character and intellect.  His experience as a businessman, mathematician, scientist, and STEM college professor brings valuable diversity and professional acumen to the board.

Membership on the school board should not be a popularity contest.  Titan is the responsible candidate we need.

Dai Meagher, retired CPA, Piedmont Resident

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the authors.

I’m writing to you today in strong support of Conna McCarthy’s candidacy to serve on the Piedmont City Council.

To me, Conna McCarthy brings the best of public service to Piedmont’s civic life. She is smart, has a long history of volunteerism for the Piedmont schools and as a Recreation Commissioner.

In addition to her extraordinary work here in town, Conna’s commitment to progressive values stretches beyond Piedmont and has left an impact throughout the state of California. She’s led
voter registration efforts with Martin Luther King III, she’s advocated for women and people of color, she knows how to build coalitions and she gets the job done.

Conna is a consummate professional who knows how to listen to the needs of our beautiful community.

Please join me in supporting Conna McCarthy for Piedmont City Council.

Teddy Gray King
Vice Mayor, City of Piedmont

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I am writing in full support of Jen Cavenaugh’s campaign for  re-election to the Piedmont City Council.  We met in 2011 when I was new to the city and our children attended Beach Elementary together.  

Over the past three years, I have gotten to know Jen better, both professionally and personally, through PADC (Piedmont Anti-Racism and Diversity Committee).  She is a strong advocate for inclusivity and truly listens to the perspectives of all stakeholders.  Her ability to build rapport, make strong connections, skillfully collaborate, and take action make her an ideal thought partner between the city and community members.

Her experience and background in management and business has proven to be an asset to the city and her deep understanding of fiduciary and fiscal responsibilities benefit both the city and the residents of Piedmont.   Her track record as an active volunteer and as a current City Council member speaks to her level of dedication and commitment to public service.  She will continue to serve the city well as a leader with integrity. 

I urge you to vote for Jen for re-election to the Piedmont City Council.

Jodi Biskup, Piedmont Resident

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the authors.

2020 has been a year of complete chaos.

I was looking forward to summer but then, COVID-19 struck. So, instead of going to summer camps, I stayed home and found a great book, Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. This got me interested in the early days of American history, the Revolutionary War and the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

As I began reading more about our history, I also became interested in the current elections. I became curious as to why so many people were talking about how this would be the most important election in American history. So, I did some research on the key races and the propositions just to educate myself and other kids like me. I even emailed a few candidates in the local elections to ask for interviews, so I could understand their positions and views.

To my surprise, many of them responded and shared their thoughts with me. Thank you so much to those candidates, Elena Condes and Mark Fickes for Alameda County Superior Court, and Jen Cavenaugh and Connie Herrick for Piedmont City Council. I hope you find this informative and I hope it gets other kids like me interested in our elections.

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Information and insights on national, statewide, and local races and propositions for the city of Piedmont by Piedmonter Keshav Rangan

Click below to download the comprehensive Election Guide for Nov. 3rd

The 2020 Election Through the Eyes of an 8th Grader, Piedmont CA 

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

I am writing to enthusiastically support Jen Cavenaugh’s re-election to City Council. I have had the privilege of getting to know Jen through my work as co-chair of the Piedmont Racial Equity Campaign (PREC) Housing/Zoning committee and other community causes.

Jen is exactly the kind of intelligent, committed, progressive leader our city needs. In the time I’ve known Jen, I have consistently been impressed by her combination of knowledge, diplomatic skill, perseverance, attention to detail, and responsiveness to constituents.

When taking on complex issues such as state and local housing policy, policing, and physical and financial planning for our city’s future, Jen consistently does her research, asks smart and well-informed questions, communicates effectively, and follows through with concrete actions. Jen has been a powerful supporter of racial justice and equity, sustainability, good governance, and other progressive causes in Piedmont. We are very lucky to have a leader of her talent and capacity on the City Council. I urge my fellow Piedmonters to support her re-election.

Irene Cheng, Piedmont Resident, Associate Professor, California College of the Arts

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

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Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the authors.