Recently, a video was uploaded to a multitude of social media platforms attacking me for what the creator of the video claimed was a lack of concern or attention for our roads. Normally, I wouldn’t feel the need to address a hit piece like this, but in this case the man who created the video didn’t just post it, but also paid to have it as an advertisement on Meta (Facebook).
Spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to advertise an erroneous hit piece on me is what makes this case worth addressing.
First of all, it’s worth noting that the creator of the piece failed to categorize it as a political ad, which it clearly is. This is not surprising given the background of the individual behind this smear campaign. He has a history of getting around election finance rules by starting and funding PACs to influence our local elections. This allows significantly more money to be spent against candidates since PACs are not subject to as strict local campaign finance regulations as the candidates themselves. It’s an easy way for a wealthy person with a chip on their shoulder to influence local elections.
It’s evident, given his history of support for pro-growth candidates, that the creator of this hit piece was simply looking for anything to attack me with, considering I have been staunchly opposed to the out of control growth. The video is nothing more than a simple mud-slinging attack piece that attempts to discredit me, yet completely fails to do so when considering all the actual work I have been doing.
The video itself is a drawn out complaint about potholes in one specific road.
He then attempts to smear me and imply that I am nowhere to be found when it comes to road repairs and that I refuse to address the potholes in the Santa Ana Valley Road.
What he fails to include in the video is that the county did address potholes on Santana Valley Road just one month ago. This road (which is not by any stretch a main artery) was repaired and the potholes were filled a month prior to the publishing of the video.
Since then, we have had a couple storm systems come through, which undid a lot of the work. However, these storms had an effect on our entire county, which is why we have been prioritizing our main arteries first.
Overall, the video is far from a sincere critique of the job I am doing as supervisor. This is to be expected based on the campaign finance data from the 2022 election, where we can see that the creator of this video donated $4,900 to my opponent, who supported single-family tract home developments east of Fairview. It’s clear the man has had an opposition to me before I was even elected supervisor.
Well-funded hit pieces from individuals with personal gripes and pro-growth motivations will not deter me from working for our residents. San Benito County is too important to me to let things like this get in the way of what I am doing for District 1.
Since I took office a year ago we have nearly doubled the size of our road crew. Additionally, I recently brought forward the idea to bring in a third party contractor to come fill potholes so our roads are not as dangerous.
I’m aware the pothole filling is not a great fix, but it’s something in the meantime to keep drivers safe until the roads do get repaved, which is coming soon.
Long-term, the county has allocated $28 million for road repaving projects. Many District 1 roads will be reconstructed. Starting with Shore Road this year, as soon as the rains are done. Over the next couple years, folks are going to see a whole lot of road work happening and many of our thoroughfares will be completely reconstructed.
I will continue fighting for our roads and against the growth. Under my leadership our county will get back on the right track.
Supervisor Dom Zanger
San Benito County, District 1
Ah Mon Ami,
Hats off for our local elected leaders, who help make our democracy work, and a government of, by and for the people. Many thanks for raising the subject of transportation. I served as a charter member of COG’s Citizens Rail Advisory Committee, and also of its Citizens Transit Task Force, and gave probono time for ten years at nearly all of their meetings, except when I was in Washington, D.C., for the annual gathering of the transportation bar at the Transportation Lawyers Association Annual Meeting. I’ve done 46 years of post-doc study of transport law & policy, including at the Norman Y. Mineta International Institute for Surface Transportation Policy Studies (renamed the “Mineta Institute”), at SJSU; at Transportation Research Board, Georgetown U.; and at the Library of Congress. And following 16 years with SPRR & UPRR, I’ve practiced transportation law for 42 years, representing carriers and their customers before State and Federal Courts and Agencies. You are right to focus on transport policy because BOS has abdicated its mandate from the voters to unelected COG directors, who govern without the consent of the voters, violating the civil and constitutional rights of the citizens of 2 County Districts. Although almost 99% of trips in SBC are in private vehicles and trucks, COG puts Emperor Transit First as its #1 top priority. That governance abuse costs us accidents, lives and injuries because highway improvements are delayed so that the special vested interests who control COG can feast off the taxpayers. I hope that the Suggestion Box remains open and that you will invite public comment, even if it upsets COG’s apple cart. Better to tolerate old fools like me than to miss a chance of improving local government. Caveat viator. Joe Thompson (408) 848-5506; E-Mail:
Tr******@Pa*****.Net
; Past-Chair, Legislation Committee, Transportation Lawyers Assn.; Past-President, 1999-2001, 2006 Gilroy Morgan Hill Bar Assn.
“well funded hit pieces” Like the ones Ignacio funds and mails to all the households. You do realize your buddy has done those for years? What do you say about that?