By Robert Haugh

The active grassroots group Stand Up for Santa Clara (SUFSC) sent out a 7-question survey to all the mayoral, city council and city clerk candidates.  

If you read the answers, it’s clear that Santa Clarans’ opinion about the 49ers have changed. When they won the stadium vote in 2010, they were loved in this town. Not anymore.

After a lot of political blunders, broken promises and bad decisions, the team is on the wrong side of pubic opinion now. The 49ers are also on the wrong side of almost all of the candidates running for office. That’s pretty obvious from the SUFSC survey.

It’s also obvious that the vast majority of candidates want to manage the 49ers and not be managed by them. That was a challenge that the Mercury News made to the city in 2014.

But in a weird twist, the Merc Editorial Board and its editor Ed Clendaniel now side with 49ers when they battle the city. It’s weird because on an issue like the curfew, it’s editorial hypocrisy.

Good thing Santa Clara candidates — the ones who responded — don’t agree.

The Non Responders

We also learned some interesting things about the races, especially from the people who did not respond.

Anthony Becker, Mario Bouza and Roseann LaCoursiere did not even bother to answer the survey. Really.

According to sources close to Becker’s camp, he didn’t want to waste his time because SUFSC is close to Mayor Lisa Gillmor. The group fought alongside her to save the Youth Soccer Park. That makes sense.

LaCoursiere probably did not respond because she’s not really running a campaign. As of today, she doesn’t have a website and hasn’t shown up at any candidate events.

Bouza made a major political blunder. He’s in a competitive race for the District 2 Council seat. Bouza could use all the help and publicity he can get, especially from a group like SUFSC who has over 3,000 members and can pack the council chambers. Bouza’s lack of communication is especially strange when Bouza himself says on his website:  

The city needs real, open communication with its residents on everything — from dealings with the 49ers to development projects and business deals.

Editor’s Note: We’re trying to confirm why City Clerk candidate Peta Roberts did not respond or was not included.

The SUFSC Survey and the Responders

You can read the complete questions and answers on the SUFSC site.

Here’s a brief summary:

#1 — Would you vote to uphold or change the weekday curfew?

Mayor

• Gillmor — No

• Becker — No response

City Clerk

• MacDevitt — No

• Haggag — No

• O’Keefe — No

• Stampolis — No, but leaves wiggle room

• LaCoursiere — No response

Council District 2

• Biagini — No

• Chahal — No

• Bouza — No response

Council District 3

• Hardy — No

• Kumar  — No

#2 — Do you believe the City should enforce the noise ordinance and fine the 49ers for violations?

Mayor

• Gillmor — Yes

• Becker — No response

City Clerk

• MacDevitt — Yes

• Haggag — Yes

• O’Keefe — Yes

• Stampolis — Yes

• LaCoursiere — No response

Council District 2

• Biagini — Yes

• Chahal — Yes

• Bouza — No response

Council District 3

• Hardy — Yes

• Kumar  — Yes

#3 — Will you accept direct contributions from the team, the 49er leadership or staff, or affiliated consultants and vendors?

Mayor

• Gillmor — No

• Becker — No response

City Clerk

• MacDevitt — No

• Haggag — No

• O’Keefe — No

• Stampolis — Yes (Editor’s Note: really, no kidding)

• LaCoursiere — No response

Council District 2

• Biagini — No

• Chahal — No

• Bouza — No response

Council District 3

• Hardy — No

• Kumar  — No

#4 — Will you publicly ask the 49ers to refrain from assisting you through indirect contributions or independent expenditures?

Mayor

• Gillmor — Yes

• Becker — No response

City Clerk

• MacDevitt — Yes

• Haggag — Yes

• O’Keefe — Yes

• Stampolis — No (Editor’s Note: really, no kidding)

• LaCoursiere — No response

Council District 2

• Biagini — Yes

• Chahal — Yes

• Bouza — No response

Council District 3

• Hardy — Yes

• Kumar  — Yes#5 — If BluPAC or another “dark money” organization supports your candidacy, will you disavow their help and ask them to stop spending money to support you or attack your opponents?

Mayor

• Gillmor — Yes

• Becker — No response

City Clerk

• MacDevitt — Yes

• Haggag — Yes

• O’Keefe — Yes

• Stampolis — Yes

• LaCoursiere — No response

Council District 2

• Biagini — Yes

• Chahal — Yes

• Bouza — No response

Council District 3

• Hardy — Yes

• Kumar  — Yes

#6 — Have you done work, directly or indirectly, or received gifts or compensation from entities who do business with the city: developers, contractors, vendors, or the 49ers?

Mayor

• Gillmor — No

• Becker — No response

City Clerk

• MacDevitt — No

• Haggag — No

• O’Keefe — No

• Stampolis — No

• LaCoursiere — No response

Council District 2

• Biagini — No

• Chahal — No

• Bouza — No response

Council District 3

• Hardy — No

• Kumar  — No

#7 — Some political consultants use aggressive tactics and threats to force candidates to hire them and sometimes pay them undisclosed amounts of cash, which is illegal. Will you refrain from directly hiring or indirectly hiring consultants who have a known history of engaging in illegal or unethical behavior?

Mayor

• Gillmor — Yes

• Becker — No response

City Clerk

• MacDevitt — Yes

• Haggag — Yes

• O’Keefe — Yes

• Stampolis — Yes

• LaCoursiere — No response

Council District 2

• Biagini — Yes

• Chahal — Yes

• Bouza — No response

Council District 3

• Hardy — Yes

• Kumar  — Yes