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Comments from YOU the People

This page contains comments from concerned citizens about what they think about Fremont and what City Council could do to improve things. Please let us know what you think by adding your own comment at the link below.

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You can also send an email directly to Vinnie Bacon if you don't want your comment added to this page. I will do my best to respond to you quickly.

Comment From JC (October 22):

I live in the Mission Lakes area in north Fremont and I would like to know your position on the Hwy 84 extension project that is being planned to run right through our neighborhood.

Vinnie replies: I do have a detailed blog entry on this topic. Thank you for your question.

Comment From Dan (October 22):

Dear Vinnie,

I've been a longtime resident of Fremont, actually since I was born. I'm very interested in hearing where you stand on the A's stadium coming to Fremont. Tell me what you think about it -- is it good for Fremont, do you sense that residents are generally for or against it, and how you will address and manage this issue as Councilmember.

My next question is where you stand on measure M - are you for or against it?

Thanks for serving our city and I look forward to your response!

Vinnie replies: I am leaning heavily against the A's coming to Fremont. I have a position paper on the ballpark. In campaigning, the people who ask me about the ballpark are opposed to the project by a ratio of about 4 to 1. Even those in favor of it have to admit that the traffic problem is unresolved. As a Councilmember, I would vote against this project unless I'm convinced that the project will benefit Fremont. In the current proposal, I'm nowhere near convinced of that.

Measure MM will increase the hotel tax that we charge. In general, I don't like the idea of taxing ourselves out of our current financial problems. However, I do like the idea of things being put to a vote. If people vote to pay for the tax, then we should have it. On this measure, I will probably vote against it. I would like to have Fremont be a more business-friendly city. Charging more for people who want to visit Fremont doesn't seem to be in line with that. Then again, we are charging less hotel tax than our neighbors.

Thanks for your questions.

Comment From Ravi C (October 21):

Hi Vinnie,

Thanks for following up (almost instantly) on my discussion with your volunteer today. You have my vote! I will follow up with a contribution soon as I am done typing this message. The inability of Fremont Police to respond to our communities safety needs has hit a chord with my neighbors. We understand the Police Department is under funded. We have to get these basics fixed first.

I shared your views at our homeowners meeting today -- we were meeting with the Fremont Police community outreach folks today. We are glad you will be championing for better funding of our Police force.

Good luck with your campaign!

One more comment. I read you position paper on crime. I agree. You have to believe every crook knows the Fremont City Police is strapped for resources and cannot respond adequately. No wonder crime is up!

Vinnie replies: Thank you for your support. When I moved here 15 years ago, Fremont was a much safer place. We need to get back to that.

Comment From Scott (October 21):

The A's say they have creative ways to get people to and from the ballpark being how there will be no mass transit to the ballpark.

Do the A's have a flying carpet which they can give to there fans to fly to and from the game? Maybe it is Broom? Those would be creative.

Or are the A's just saying the have "creative" ways becouse they have no way to get people there other that by car.

Vinnie replies: If they had a real transit plan for the ballpark traffic, they would be presenting that. Instead, they can only say that they are developing 'creative' solutions. I agree that this means they are still putting something together.

See the following for blog entry for more information on the A's transportation plan in one of my blog entries. I also have a position paper on the ballpark.

Comment From Barbara Loud (October 21):

Hi Vinnie,

It was such a pleasure to see you running for City Council. You have my support. By the way, I love your commercial, very catchy. The dog is great! GOOD LUCK.

Vinnie replies: Thank you. If I win, the dog is getting steak for a week. :)

Comment From rangerfan (October 21):

Instead of a ballpark how about increasing our recycling efforts. Ethanol can be produced from recycled/reprocessed items like trash, municipal waste, dead shrubbery, etc. And it might help to reduce the price of gas at the pump while it helps to clean up the community.

Vinnie replies: Good idea. There is actually a growing 'green collar' jobs movement that is becoming big business across America. As energy prices rise, businesses that emphasize alternative energy or enable energy conservation are doing well. I would much rather see one such company set up shop in Fremont and provide jobs and tax revenue for Fremont than I would prefer to see a baseball stadium.

Comment From The Prince of Fremont (October 20):

I am a mail in vote, and already voted. Vinnie was voted in.

Clean up this town. The current administration from the Mayor to the police need a good dressing down.

Graffiti, cruising, noise-monster cars, racing through neighborhoods (all times, every day) is too much. Crazy, dangerous, and aggressive drivers constantly cutting you off on the main streets are totally bogus. Time for tough love and a boot in their wallet is overdue.

Druggie and gang neighborhood bogus needs a good kick in the door, and shackle the criminals. Hanging tennis shoes on the power lines (drug sales nearby), red/green/blue lights (sex for sale, sex for money, sex for drugs) are all totally bogus in this town of 200,000+ people!

Start cleaning up this town!

Vinnie replies: Thank you for your support. I agree that we need to do all we can to erase the gang and drug activity that we have in Fremont. This is not the town I moved into 15 years ago.

Comment From ChinuSFO (October 14):

Thanks for calling me to solicit my vote. I am impressed with your background and your independent and relentless campaign.

With your high tech background, I have no reason to doubt your logical thought process. You have run an independent campaign and I continue to hope that you will maintain your independence as a City Council member.

I will vote for you.

Vinnie replies: Thank you for your comment!!

Comment From Ferry Ann (October 13):

We have had such an increase of OAK airport plane noise over the north Fremont communities due to a number of decisions where Fremont apparently did not contribute a voice. Who would you be for us (our communities) in restoring peaceful sleep between the hours of 10pm and 6am?

Vinnie replies: The City should have a representative on the appropriate regional agency that determines the flight patterns of planes over urban and suburban areas. I agree that the noises from planes is a real nuisance that needs to be addressed.

Comment From Gong (October 12):

On Nov 4th, I am voting for Vinnie Bacon because he truly represents the best interests of average Fremont resident.

Vinnie replies: Thank you for your kind comment!!

Comment From Singh (October 9):

What is your opinion on cell phone towers being installed in Fremont? Residents in Niles area tried to block the installation of around 90' cell tower by T-mobile (behind Dave's auto on Nursery and mission). As there are number of studies been completed saying the tower pose threat to human life. In Europe, towers have been banned in residential areas. How you will handle it, if elected?

Vinnie replies: In general, I don't like the idea of these towers in residential areas. They just don't fit the look of a residential area and they are a potential health hazard. I would like to review the studies that you mention before making any conclusive decisions.

Comment From shine4me (October 1):

My family and I are voting for you. That will make 3 votes.

Our favorite slogan for you is, "Have Vinnie Bacon??? We sure hope so!!!" Please keep up the great work!!!!

Vinnie replies: Thank you for the kind words. I'm so pleased to hear this when I'm out campaigning. The good news is I've been hearing similar comments a lot!

Comment From Andrew (September 25):

Often it seems the Fremont city council merely tolerates the Fremont Symphony. They get some help, some promotion, some support from the city, but not in a way that says they really care about its future. To expand this to a broader question, how do you feel about supporting the cultural arts in Fremont? What would you do to improve the current situation?

Vinnie replies: I'm definitely an advocate of the arts. I would agree with your comment about the Council and the Symphony. As you may recall, the Symphony requested $15,000 earlier this year from the City to continue their operations. They didn't get it. Fortunately, a couple of fundraisers were successful in getting the Synphony the funds it needed. When the Council passed the budget a couple months later, they allocated a meager $5,000 to the Symphony.

Fremont definitely needs amenities that provide a sense of identity for Fremont. The Fremont Symphony is an excellent example of such an amenity. The City should support this and other similar ventures. I also like the idea of the Center Theater being refurbished and used for a number of things, including a place where the Symphony can practice and play.

The problem with the Symphony and a number of other problems with Fremont is one of funding. Obviously, if we're strapped for cash, we can't provide for items like this. We need to purse development that pays its own way. We need to avoid approving new development, such as large housing developments, that don't pay their own way.

Comment From Sandra (September 7):

When A's presenting the plans that are in the works to address the traffic concerns in regard to the A's proposed Ballpark Village, what do you think about this project?

http://www.fremontbulletin.com/local/ci_10390004

Vinnie replies: I just put an entry on my blog about the recent article in the Fremont Bulletin. I also have a position paper on the ballpark.

Comment From Sam (September 4):

There have been a rash of home burglaries within our community (Ardenwood) - Highest ever recorded since the 10+ years I have been here. -Sam

Vinnie replies: Yes, I believe this is largely due to the under-funding of the police department. It is really getting worse. Yet our council continue to make development decisions that will make increase this problem. Please see my position paper on crime in Fremont at:

http://www.bacon2008.com/crime.html

Comment From Jasonlee252 (September 3):

Are you opposed building shopping mall in Fremont? I want Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, and etc in Fremont. Do you want Fremont to be Urban or Suburban? I want Oakland A's build high-tech office space instead of building 3,150 townhouses.

Vinnie replies: I am not against shopping malls in Fremont. However, I'd like to see them done in a more pedestrian-friendly manner than your typical suburban malls. I think we're already a suburban town and that's ok. I would like to see some more 'urban' elements such as transit-oriented development near the BART stations. I think this can be done without hurting the suburban nature of the existing neighborhoods.

As for the A's, I completely agree. If we build the ballpark village we will have about 3,150 more homes in Fremont and the only jobs it will bring are seasonal ballpark jobs and retail jobs. Instead, we could be the home of a mid-size tech company or something similar. The latter would be the best thing for our city financially.

Comment From Roger (September 3):

Hello Vinnie, Thanks for not taking any contributions from developers. That shows that you will put the resident interests in front any other vested interest if you are elected to the City Council. My question is about the Utility Tax. Do you support any Utility Tax proposals in the future?

Vinnie replies: I like the idea of putting them up for an election. I do believe if the people want the additional tax, they should be able to vote for it. Measure L failed in 2006. My impression of this was that the people felt that the City government should balance the budget and adequately fund the police without additional taxes. I voted no on Measure L and that is my sentiment as well. I would be a strong fiscal conservative who would try to provide adequate police funding without raising taxes.

Comment From Scott (August 26):

Steve cho would like to use redevelopment money to pay for a Irvington bart station. Do you agree with the way to fund the station? Do you think a Irvington bart station is a good idea as the Warm Springs station will be just a mile or two away?.

Vinnie replies: I do like the idea of the Irvington BART station. I am definitely a transit advocate and this would allow for some good transit-oriented development to be created in Fremont. However, if we proceed with the A's project, this will generate redevelopment money at the expense of the City's General Fund which pays for police and fire services. Given the poor state of funding for our police and fire, I don't think we should go for redevelopment projects that can't contribute their needed funds to the General Fund.

Please see my position paper on redevelopment for more information:

http://www.bacon2008.com/redevelopment.html

Comment From Recent Victim (August 20):

Is there truly nothing that can be done about the abominable state of our police department? We are a huge city and there is an "Andy of Mayberry" approach to protecting our citizens.

It is obvious to me that our city leaders have no regard for the safety of the people that voted them into office. They continue to approve more housing developments without regard as to whether or not they can truly provide services for these additional areas and also knowing full well that already, they are not providing protection for the people already living here.

Because of their short sighted budget decisions, I feel totally unprotected by the Fremont city police. Declaring that it was the decision of the Chief of Police not to respond to alarms does not relieve our city leaders of the responsibility for the dangerous consequences of their budget allocation decisions. To make matters worse, they blasted their news on the front page of the Argus, making us all more vulnerable to this lack of protection.

Last week my front door was kicked in and my home was ransacked in a brazen break in at 10:30 A.M. I got home at approximately 11:45. The police had arrived shortly before I did and had only responded because the security officer for my alarm company called them to assure them that indeed, there had been a break in. Two police officers were inside my home and asked if I could see anything missing. Drawers and personal items were strewn all over the floor in my bedroom. The burglers got away with the only valuable jewelry that I owned. In another room, I could see that they had made an attempt to steal my computer. I think the blaring alarm siren must have scared them off. One officer had walked around the neighborhood and found nothing. Of course! They were over an hour too late. I noticed their passive behavior. They had no interest in getting photos or finger prints or anything that even remotely hinted that their might be an investigation of this break in. When they were getting ready to leave I asked, "Is that it? Is that it? Will there be no investigation?" They both nodded their heads and said, "Yes, that's it." One officer gave me his cell phone number and badge number and said I could call him at any time if I found any other items missing so that he could add them to his report. I did find more missing items. I have called him three times and left a message. He has yet to respond to my calls.

Do I feel safe in Fremont? No, no I don't. It's entirely up to me to find ways to live in safety in Fremont.

Again I ask, is there truly nothing that can be done about the abominable state of our police department? What happened to that money that was mysteriously found after the utility tax measure failed? Is there more money stashed away somewhere that's going to again mysteriously turn up at a later date? Why is there an attempt to raise the re-development fund cap when that money cannot be used for city services? Why are there more housing developments being approved when we have an already over-stretched police and fire department? What in the world are our city leaders thinking to even consider bringing in the massive security and fire protection problems that will be created by a ball park and the adjoining business and housing developnment?

At what point is something serious enough to merit an investigation? Perhaps if they had found me dead in my bedroom, they would have taken a bit more time to investigate. Of course, too late for me. I'd be just another file in their un-solved crimes records because of the lack of police officers to investigate the crime. The end of my life would be summed up in a little article in the back pages of the Argus.

And this is the city that our Mayor and City Council declare to be the best place to live in the U.S.?

Vinnie replies: I'm sorry to hear about what you went through. It's bad enough for it to happen. When the people that are supposed to protect you aren't able to do their job, it just makes it that much worse.

Your points are so well written there is little that I need to add. Clearly, something has gone wrong that we're in a situation where our police department doesn't have the funds they need to provide us an adequate level of safety. I would argue that City Council's development policies have gotten us into this state. The City continues to approve new developmentst that doesn't pay itself. We have every indication that they are bent on continuing this development pattern.

I'm just glad that this incident didn't turn out worse. It certainly had the potential to.

Comment From Scott (August 20):

Where are you on the Ballpark Village? Do you support the Ballpark Village? If so why? Do you oppose the Ballpark Village? If so can you tell me why?

What are the problems that need to be solved to make this project go forward?

Vinnie replies: I do have a full position paper on the ballpark village at http://bacon2008/ballpark.html

The key problems that need to be resolved are related to transit. That this project may go forward without an established transit plan is unthinkable. On the bus side, there is talk of a shuttle bus plan but nothing specific. Who will buy these buses? Who will manage the operation? AC Transit has not agreed to do so. Where will the bus barn be? On the rail side, has Union Pacific agreed to allow a station to be built there? Who will buy the extra trains that will be needed? Who will administer this train service? Neither ACE nor Amtrak have agreed to do so. How will the train scheduling work given the eight mile single track segment to the south of the project? All of these are significant questions to which the A's have not given concrete answers.

I could also go on about the economics of it all. I just don't see how the ball park leads to economic growth in Fremont. In fact, we have existing businesses, such as NUMMI, that have expressed concerns about the ball park. Ample studies have shown that ball parks don't bring in huge revenues into their cities. Some Fremont residents are excited about the A's as a way to "put Fremont on the map". Has anyone heard of East Rutherford, New Jersey where the NY Giants play? Having the Giants play there has not resulted in significant economic growth there.

Comment From Randy Russell (August 7):

I just read this article in Tuesday's Argus: "Wasserman leads money chase in Fremont"

     http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_10108737

The article shows Wasserman ahead of Vinnie on donations by a factor of 6-1 and that's not surprising when you compare the source of Wasserman's donations to Vinnie's. Since Vinnie's is a true grass roots campaign, I decided I needed to put my money where my mouth is - so I came here to Bacon2008 and sent Vinnie Bacon a donation.

The other thing I noticed in the Argus article is the way Vinnie is described: "a Sierra Club member, who has pledged not to take developer money." I'm worried that people will only remember the "Sierra Club" description and not pay attention to the important part: "no developer money."

There are still plenty of people, even in the SF Bay area, who think of the Sierra Club as nothing more than tree-hugging hippies. As silly and inaccurate as that is, that label is very limiting and can cost Vinnie Bacon votes. I'd like to see a more accurate and appealing label that writers from such media as the Argus can use. Does anyone have any ideas?

Vinnie replies: Thank you so much for your comment and your donation. This really is a grassroots campaign that depends on concerned people like yourself. It is true that most Fremont politicians rely heavily on out-of-town money from developers. I think it's time for that to change. Unfortunately, we will need a lot of Fremont residents like yourself to step up to the plate to make this happen.

It is true the press is labeling me an environmentalist. To be fair, that is accurate. I'm in good company. The last vice-president of the United States has made protecting the environment his main mission in life. I think people understand that the environment is a very important issue. Politicians of all stripes are claiming to be 'green' these days. There's a reason for that. People also understand how this works on a local level.

The best way we can counter any misconceptions that people may have about me is to get out and talk with the voters themselves. I have a strong, committed group of volunteers that is working hard on my campaign and doing just that. We're reaching out and talking to literally thousands of voters about my campaign. I'm happy to report that people do care about Fremont and they want to hear what I have to say. The main theme of my campaign - that we need to focus on balanced development - is being met with general agreement.

Comment From 3Gs (July 29):

Do you have any ideas on how to increase the number and quality of bicycle lanes throughout the city?

How are we going to approach the growing homeless population in Fremont?

Why are the Fremont police allowed to blast their sirens all night long trying to chase young hooligans out of the bushes? I for one am losing sleep, and Fremont is starting to resemble a war zone.

Are there water usage laws in place to protect this valuable resource from the vanity of our huge apartment complexes and home owners? Watering grass seems like a grossly abused privilage.

Why does it seem there is no place for the youth in Fremont to spend their afternoon hours in a recreational environment? It's time to wake up to the reality that Fremont is changing form a retirement community into one filled with youthful energy that should be given a quality environment to direct their energy. Do you agree?

Vinnie replies: You raise some very good questions.

Bike Lanes: I would be all for increasing the number of bicycle lanes. I bike regularly myself and I know there are certain areas where the bike lane simply stops leaving you in an unsafe situation. I am an advocate for more bike- and pedestrian-friendly development. Clearly, creating new bike lanes and making people feel comfortable biking around town is part of that vision. We should also consider converting abandoned right of ways (i.e. old rail lines) to bikeways.

Homelessness: Homelessness is obviously caused by a lack of affordable housing, the dearth of decent living wage jobs, and the fact that the county is unable to provide adequate services for our mentally ill population. I would support the work of the Tri-City Homeless Coalition and similar organizations to assist our homeless population. Having a fully staffed police force could improve the situation because the police could address problems of threatening behavior in public by referring people to appropriate resources.

Police Sirens: There should be more opportunities for communication between the police and the public where we can raise these types of concerns. I have written on other parts of my web site about the problems with the funding of the police department. Of course, this type of outreach is another item that suffers when there are budget problems.

Water: I couldn't agree more. We are currently facing a major drought and we need to treat water as the valuable resource that it is. This is one more reason why we need to be very careful when approving new development. Do we have adequate water supplies to add 3,150 homes by Pacific Commons?

Youth Activities: As the father of an 11 year old, I definitely see the need for a youth facility in Fremont. The adage is old but true - keeping kids off the streets keeps them out of trouble. Newark has an excellent facility of this type. While I'm a strong fiscal conservative, this is one item, I would be interested in exploring for Fremont.

Comment From Ron (July 14):

Nice talking with you this afternnon at Ardenwood. I applaud your effort on a grass-roots campaign, and your comments on attracting business into Fremont. I belive that Fremont is very attractive in the aspect of locating at the center of Bay Area, within an hour driving to anywhere in the Bay Area, newer homes with affordable price, plenty of reserved parks. One of the reasons why it has not been under the radar for business is its image, which is still misunderstood as a place for auto-industry not high-tech. If you talk to people who live and work in Silicon Valley, you will be really surprised to find that most of them had never been to Fremont although it is just half an hour driving from their home and work places. Entrepreners have not been convinced that they can attracts plenty of creative workers here although I believe that 40% people in Fremont and 80% of people in Ardenwood are working in Silicon Valley. Start gathering some data and changing the image of Fremont is probably the key to atrract high-tech companies.

Vinnie replies: You put it well. I believe Fremont could definitely compete better for Silicon Valley businesses. We have a lot of tech savvy people here in Fremont, many of whom would be glad to work in Fremont and not have to commute to Silicon Valley.

Comment From Coyote Bill (July 10):

Fremont Redevelopment which consist of the mayor and city council members seems to be a shadow government. I was suprised to learn that the Cisco Field, the shopping mall and the 3200 residences are designated in a redevelopment area. Am I correct in that all the money generated by this project goes into the redevelopment fund, not the general fund? Where is the money going to come from to pay for the increase in police, fire and paramedic services?

Vinnie replies: Yes, there are effectively two different agencies (the redevelopment agency and the general fund) each of which has its own finances and both of which are run by the City Council. According to the study commissioned by the A's, the Ballpark Village would generate $15 million for the Redevelopment Fund and only $3.6 million for the General Fund. Even assuming that these numbers are correct (a highly questionable assumption given their source), given that redevelopment money can not be used for police and fire services, it's hard to see how the project will pay for the significant police and fire services that it will require.

(Note: I've had some people tell me that Redevelopment money could be used for police and fire services. In a recent City Council meeting City Attorney Harvey Levine was asked this question directly by Councilmember Steve Cho. Harvey's response was that Redevelopment money could NOT be used for police and fire.)

Comment From Dale Miller (June 24):

What is your position on the police departments refusal to respond to burglar alarms? The city council, instead of levying a fine on those false alarm offenders (as has been done successfully in other cities) has chosen instead to punish all of the homes/businesses with alarms by refusing to respond to alarms.

Your position on this matter would be of great interest to those of us who have alarm systems in our homes and businesses.

Vinnie replies: The Police Department says that they have been forced to take the position or not responding to alarms because of financial reasons - they simply don't have the manpower to respond to unvalidated burglar alarms. I would agree that fines for repeat false alarm offenders makes sense.

The bigger question here is how did we get into a situation where our Police Department is in such poor financial shape that they can't respond to all alarm calls. The City's fiscal health could be improved if the Council focused more on generating business growth than on allowing more residential development. Bringing new businesses to Fremont brings in significant revenue without heavily taxing the police force.

I have talked with numerous people who are upset about the issue of police response in general. It is imperative that we implement fiscally conservative policies in order to provide adequate funding for our police force.