There have been invitations issued for members of the City Council to post on certain blogs. While the kind invitation is tempting, I will respectfully decline.

One blog went so far to say, “… has been the only one who has repeatedly weighed in with comments, or has taken the time to answer questions from the citizens of San Carlos.”

It does take a certain amount of hubris to assume one’s particular blog is the voice of the citizenry, or that council members are mutes who are rolled out of a warehouse every couple of weeks to sit on a dais. That notion aside, let’s clear up a few thoughts:

1. When you write an email to me you will get this reply:

Thank you for writing me!
I absolutely read each email and will try to respond in a timely fashion.

Please note – all email and responses are public record.

As a matter of practice “bulk/cut-and-paste” emails, and email which has been addressed to more than one Council Member should not anticipate a response. (This is to avoid issues with the Brown Act and done in accordance to direction from the City Attorney.)

Please check this link on the Brown Act
To clarify: if you write to me alone – you will get a response. If you write to me and other council members it is the advice of the city attorney we should not respond.

So, got a question? Write to me.

2. I will not post on other blogs
Blogs are a terrific part of public information and discussion. I love them. It is a stretch of the imagination to believe blogging-real-estate agents are experts in computer security and establishment of identity. Furthermore – it is impossible verify the identity of any person who posts on these blogs. Is it really a council member? Is it really a person in San Carlos? Is it really a person? No one knows. Not even the blog owners.

There is also a level of distrust when one is attempting to have a conversation or dialog with those who will remain anonymous as virtually all of the posters to blogs tend to do.

Your questions and concerns for San Carlos are far too important to be treated lightly and in a scrum of an anonymous forum.

So how do you get answers? I answer my emails (when legally allowed) and post here when with my thoughts and opinions. Things I won’t discuss:

• Pending litigation
• Negotiations with unions are forbidden and will be referred to our legally designated spokesperson.

This is a pain. Candidly there are times I wish I could spout off and share the details. But folks, I took an oath and my job is to fulfill that promise to each citizen and follow the laws. Venting my spleen would feel great, but could put the city at risk. So I’ll ask for your patience as we are both frustrated by parts of the process.

So if you get an email from me, or read it on this blog, you will know this is actually ME on the keyboard and not an impostor.  In the mean time, I hope you will write to me and all your elected officials.