Election 2019: Vote Colson and Beach

It is important that we have elections at the local level.  Candidates, incumbents and challengers alike, need to have the forum and walking around time to make their case to the public and for the public to provide input in a way that doesn't happen as much in non-election periods.  So challenger Mike Dunham is to be commended for throwing his hat in the ring against two strong incumbents--Donna Colson and Emily Beach.  He had to know it would be an uphill climb from the start, but as far as I can see he has mounted a credible campaign knocking on doors, doing debates and getting his points of view known.  While this race isn't as crowded as in the past as Russ noted here, it's still a race.

I have had one-on-one interviews with all three candidates and took copious notes at the Candidates' Night on Sept. 18th.  I discussed one issue that had a difference of opinion between the incumbents and challengers - pot dispensaries in town here.  But clearly the big area of difference is housing in town -- how much, how "affordable", how soon and where it should be built.  Ten of the twenty questions at the Candidates' Night were housing related.  If I boil it all down, the difference is that the incumbents believe they have enacted enough change via the General Plan update setting guidelines for 3,000 new units, the Lot F&N project, and developer fees to grow our housing stock as fast as is feasible.  The challenger, Mike Dunham, believes not enough is being done (e.g. "cities have failed to do their jobs") and the job:housing ratio is way out of balance; he believes it should be 1.5:1.  He said he would be fine with us not building anything on the Bayfront, but now that the General Plan has opened Pandora's Bayfront box we should also be adding housing on the Bayfront.

No regular Voice reader will be surprised to hear that I'm less enamored with adding housing than even the two incumbents.  I foresee issues with school classroom capacity, police and fire responsiveness, traffic congestion, and water supply reliability.  There are probably other deleterious impacts, but that is enough for now.  Mike Dunham has some positions that could ameliorate the problems-- adding a "head tax" on large employers adding more employees, building dense mixed-use projects downtown that he believes millennials like better, rent control, and making more street parking subject to residential parking permits.  He also suggested acknowledging that sea-level rise on the Bayfront is inevitable so we should just plan on abandoning some of that property in forty years since defending the turf will be too expensive.  In my opinion, some of these would work better than others and some are just plain counter-productive, but the issue is whether any will ever really happen?

I have to balance all of that with the incumbents' track records.  The city is pretty well run fiscally, decisions are transparent (which was not always the case 20+ years ago on the city council) and Colson and Beach are certainly approachable, available and energetic.  They also comport themselves in a professional manner.  One of the reasons I wait to make my recommendations is to see if other information becomes available, and a commenter on the first election post brought to our attention a May 2018 post by Mike Dunham that fails the professionalism criteria in my opinion.  Mike chose to have "no comment" on it when I asked him about it which is his prerogative, but when in office a politician has to own his or her actions.

When all is said and done, I will be voting for the two incumbents.  We collectively know a lot more about them than we did four years ago and both Donna and Emily have demonstrated commendable skills and energy in office.  I'm very glad we have had a wide-ranging debate over the last several months to reinforce my perspective.  You have two more weeks to register your opinion at the ballot box.

Comments

[resident]

I know these are non-partisan races in town but does Dunham realize that 17% of the town are registered Republicans and 29% are Decline to State which these days means Republican not willing to be hassled about it? Eff him.

[resident]

Forgot https://www.smcacre.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/web_smvoterreg_0.pdf?1570645703

[Carolyn Staunt]

Or... vote Democrats Dunham & Beach.
I do agree with "resident" that Colson is likely a "Republican not willing to be hassled about it".

Colson's policies are pretty openly Republican and she frequently refers to Trump as "My President" but I give her points for standing up for what she believes in, albeit in a roundabout way.

[Phinancier]

Colson is clearly the best qualified and brightest person on the ballot. The rest of the council depends on her expertise on the pension problem that most voters don't understand beyond it costs too much. And why would we want someone on the council who tells a whole constituency to FO?????

[Cinderella Story]

@Carolyn Staunt. I am calling you out on your s---. When, exactly, did Mayor Colson refer to Donald Trump as "my president"? Did you get your talking points from CNN?

[Just Visiting]

It's a non-partisan office, but of course the partisans weigh in. That's the nature of things.

Colson is working pretty hard for "Mike Brownrigg, Democrat for Senate," who himself used to be a DTS, so whether she's a closet Republican, it doesn't seem to be her primary identity.

The issue with Dunham isn't so much the party affiliation, it's the approach to people who may not agree with him. It doesn't appear to be one of engagement and understanding. That's a real problem for local issues that require just those things.

Oh, and their policies--those matter, too. Dunham is campaigning on being anti-growth, but he is actually the most pro-growth candidate on the ballot, he just favors high-density housing growth, and public housing projects, over commercial growth.

[Carolyn Staunt]

You're kidding, right? COlson is endorsed by the Republican Party. Democrats refused to endorse her but did endorse both Beach and Dunham:

https://www.smgop.org/san_mateo_republican_party_votes_to_support_donna_colson_for_burlingame_city_council

[Carolyn Staunt]

In a battle of the brains against Emily Beach, Donna Colson is an unarmed woman.

[Barking Dog]

Nowhere in the link does it say Mrs Colson is 'endorsed' by Republican Party of SM county. In fact is specifically states she is 'supported' by the Republican Party of SM because they can't endorse her because she isnt a registered Republican, but her views on growth, city control/not state control on housing, etc are supported by the Republican Party.

Seems like you have had one to many of the Mike Dunham koolaid cocktails and his FO views of the Republican Party, Carolyn...good luck with that mentality going forward Carolyn. It will be tough to have any sort of educated conversation to get your point of view across, when facts are irrelevant in your mind and your feelings start making decisions for you and your financial well being.

[Carolyn Staunt]

It's ok that Colson's endorsed by the Republican party, I just choose not to vote for her, because as two other commenters independently stated, Colson's policies are that of the Republican Party, plain and simple.

So if you're a Republican, vote Donna Colson and be proud, but if you're a Democrat, Beach and Dunham are excellent DEMOCRATIC candidates.

And yes, it matters. Just ask Donald Trump.

[Barking Dog]

Carolyn....

Its sure sounds like you are not voting for Mrs Colson, just because a political party supports (not endorses!) her. Wow, way to think for yourself. Unreal.

Please educate me on why Mr Dunham is better for the Burlingame community more so than Mrs Colson. According to you, its strictly because of his Party affiliation. Wow...

Mike has ZERO endorsements on his site from any former council members, any of the members(former or current)of the cities commissions: Park and Rec, Beautification, Planning, etc, or any of the Burlingame Elementary School Board or SMUHSD(past or present, isnt Mike an educator by trade and has a parent who was an educator??) Endorsements from San Mateo school board members mean very little to me here in Burlingame. ZERO endorsements from any of the state offices(past or present) as well.

Mrs Colson and Beaches sites are littered with these endorsements.

I'm not saying Mike is a bad guy for his thoughts on what the Burlingame community needs/wants in his mind. I could also care less what his political party is. Mike needs to get his feet wet more in Burlingame and get a pulse on the WHOLE community. Join a community commission or a school board(his background), get involved small then work up to running for a council seat. To me Mike comes across as a guy who wants the whole cake, frosting and candles lit in front of him now to eat and not have to go through the baking process and lighting the candles to get his wants.

[Barking Dog]

And for the record Carolyn, I do support Mike in one issue. A cannabis dispensary on Broadway. I do think that Mrs Colson and Beach(and San Mateo County as a whole) are behind the times with this issue.

[Carolyn Staunt]

Yes, Barking Dog, I will not be voting for Donna Colson SOLELY because she is endorsed by the Republican Party.

[Barking Dog]

Wow. Democracy at it's best with you Carolyn. Keep drinking the koolaid and have others think for you.

I actually feel sorry for you, and your robot thinking. Hopefully you give your kids the freedom to think for themselves, unlike you who like to let others make the choices for them.

[Carolyn Staunt]

I would never allow Donald Trump or Donna Colson make decisions for my children, and I refuse to vote for her.

She's a Republican, and our country has finally had enough of that.

Trump may be Donna Colson's President, but he's not MY president, and he's not Emily Beach's president and he's not Mike Dunham's president.

[Barking Dog]

And yes Carolyn, I will(already did by mail), vote for Mrs Colson and Beach, SOLEY based on their views for the now and the future of Burligame. For the same reasons I will not(did not already) vote for Mike. Not based on Political party. There views, put Burlingame as a whole and the residents in a better position now and for the future. Unlike Mike's views, IMO.

[Just Visiting]

I don't follow things here closely enough to know how my views align with BD, though I think they don't at least as often as they do. But they do align on this: Dunham has very little experience (does he have any?) contributing to Burlingame. As the Daily Journal said in endorsing Beach and Colson, he should dig in and contribute, and maybe in the future he will be a solid community leader.

I also wouldn't hold a political party affiliation against someone running for local office--particularly when that person is a DTS, nor either of the major parties (there are some parties that would DQ anyone, but not the major parties, or DTS).

[Barking Dog]

We will see in Nov 2020 if our country(not just SF, LA, or NY) has had enough of a Republican in the White House, Carolyn.

If you think President Trump is making any decisions for any Californians, you are crazier and more out of touch than you are already putting forth. Wow. You might need a new size of Lulu yoga pants, they are to tight and cutting off circulation and depriving your most important organ in the body...the brain. Thank god I let my children make their own choices for their needs as young adults. No matter what my feelings were on the situation. They don't need to hear the nonsense in my head. I give you the same advise Carolyn

[Carolyn Staunt]

If you don't think Donald Trump is making decisions for Californians you don't understand how federal funding works.

High speed rail? Remember when Trump yanked that from Burlingame?

Thank Trump & Donna Colson for that!

[Barking Dog]

Thank You JV, well said.

[Barking Dog]

I will thank the City of Burlingame and all its council members(+ many other organizations, cities, and individuals) over the years for their work in fighting the HSR splitting Burlingame in half with a high speed rail line. I pretty positive a large majority of Burlingame residents will thank them as well. If you insist that I thank Trump too for withholding Federal Funding for the HSR Boondoogle, ok I will....and again, a large majority of Burlingame residents will as well, no matter their political party.

[Barking Dog]

If you want a HSR history lesson Carolyn, just click High Speed Rail tab right here on the Burlingame Voice. You aren't going to find a more detailed history....anywhere! See what the communities along the Peninsula think, not just Burlingame, Carolyn. Please educate yourself. Please

[Carolyn Staunt]

Aren't you the one that just said Donald Trump isn't making decisions for any Californians?

You're dreaming if you think Burlingame's Democrats will make the mistake of voting for Republican Donna Colson again.

Colson's been bought by Real Estate interests. Take a look at her funding.. almost exclusively realtors.

[Barking Dog]

Wow.

All, I'm sorry I engaged in this nonsense.

You win CS. White towel thrown. I won't even ask Mickey to cut me...

[Christopher Cooke]

I like each candidate and thank each for putting herself or himself out to serve the community. On the issues, I am still researching each candidate’s positions and have not made up my mind yet. I hope we keep the comments friendly and factual, and civil to each other since we are all neighbors. Thanks Joe for sharing your thoughts