Going Greek
1st Place
WEEKEND | 17
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
California Newspaper Publishers Association
AUGUST 5, 2016 VOLUME 24, NO. 28
www.MountainViewOnline.com
650.964.6300
MOVIES | 20
Political rookies prove powerful in council race CORNES AND RAMIREZ REPORT BIGGEST WAR CHESTS OF CAMPAIGN DONATIONS By Mark Noack
P BRENTEN BRANDENBURG
Candice Gonzalez stands outside of a recently completed affordable housing development, the Tree House Apartments in Palo Alto. Getting such affordable projects built has proven to be an uphill battle.
Rules, residents hamper affordable housing EXPENSIVE HOUSING GETS APPROVED, WHILE LESS COSTLY PROJECTS LAG By Kevin Forestieri and Mark Noack
O
n paper, it seemed like a project no one could oppose: a 60-unit apartment complex for lowincome seniors in one of the Bay Area’s most jobs-saturated cities. It had construction financing in place, support from local elected leaders, and
perhaps most important, a 2.4acre plot of land on the pricey south side of Palo Alto. But the Maybell affordable
OUT OF BALANCE A LOOK AT THE JOB-GROWTH DRIVING SILICON VALLEY'S HOUSING CRISIS
housing project never got so far as to put a spade in the ground. It was resoundingly rejected by Palo Altans in a 2013 voter referendum, becoming a sobering example among Bay Area urban planners of the uphill battle facing construction of low-income housing in suburban communities. See HOUSING, page 6
olitical newcomers in the Mountain View City Council race are dominating the early battle for campaign donations, according to recent public filings. At the top of the pack are Parks and Recreation Commissioner Thida Cornes and Human Relations Commissioner Lucas Ramirez, each of whom have raised over $20,000. Cornes, who began her campaign more than a year ago, had a considerable head start. She had raised more than $12,000 in 2015 when many candidates were still on the fence about entering the contest. Most donations to her campaign were relatively small, in the $100 to $250 range, from residents in Mountain View and neighboring cities. By last month, Cornes had grown her war chest to almost $21,000, drawing from a base of small donors as well reporting as one large $1,500 contribution from the Prometheus Real Estate Group.
As of the latest campaign finance report, Ramirez trails just behind Cornes with more than $20,000. The most recent report covers the period ending June 30, but Ramirez’s campaign announced his total contributions now surpass $24,000, thanks to donations made in July. Like Cornes, Ramirez is drawing most donations from smaller contributions of less than $250. Among his notable benefactors, Ramirez received contributions from State Sen. Jerry Hill, State Sen. Bob Wieckowski, Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, and Mountain View councilmen Mike Kasperzak and Lenny Siegel. Running for re-election, Councilman Chris Clark reported having more than $17,000 to help retain his seat. The first-term councilman loaned his campaign $10,000, and he also received donations of $1,000 or more from Prometheus, the California See COUNCIL RACE, page 12
Gold Star mom speaks out against Trump KAREN MEREDITH PENS LETTER DEMANDING PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE APOLOGIZE TO FAMILY OF MUSLIM SOLDIER KILLED IN ACTION By Andrea Gemmet
H
earing Khizr Khan speak movingly at last week’s Democratic National Convention about his son, who was killed by a suicide bomber while serving in Iraq, brought Mountain View Golf Star mom Karen Meredith to tears. Hearing Donald Trump’s subsequent comments attacking the Khan family has moved her to action. “For the first time in a long time, I cried,” she said.
INSIDE
On Tuesday, she told the Voice that she hasn’t gotten a response from Trump to her Aug. 1 letter, signed by Gold Star families, demanding an apology for his comments. “Republican leadership needs to stand up and pull its endorsement of him if he doesn’t stop insulting the segment of country that serves in the military,” said Meredith, whose son, Army Lt. Ken Ballard, was killed in Iraq. “(They say) ‘thank you for your service’ and ‘everybody respects
you,’ but they’re not calling him on his behavior.” The letter says that attacking one Gold Star family is an attack on everyone who has lost a family member serving in the military. “When you question a mother’s pain, by implying that her religion, not her grief, kept her from addressing an arena of people, you are attacking us. When you say your job building buildings is akin to our sacrifice, you are attacking See GOLD STAR MOM, page 8
VIEWPOINT 16 | GOINGS ON 21 | MARKETPLACE 22 | REAL ESTATE 24
COURTESY OF HILARIE HULEY
Karen Meredith was comforted by President Barack Obama while visiting her son’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day in 2011.