By Robert Haugh
City Councilman Anthony Becker ended the last Santa Clara City Council meeting of the year by attacking Santa Clara News Online, residents who have written opinion pieces, Mayor Lisa Gillmor, and City staff.
One resident texted that “he’s like a bad mall Santa. I think he’s making a list and checking it twice.”
If you want to watch his tirade, you can see it here. Becker was not a happy camper.
But don’t make the mistake of clicking a few minutes later. Becker flipped a switch. He decided to wish everyone happy holidays and told them how much he enjoyed working with them.
No kidding.
Becker started by personally attacking me for something I didn’t write. No kidding again.
It was an opinion piece on this site by a Santa Clara resident.
Becker is right that there were some errors in the opinion piece. I was planning on correcting them in an investigative story on the same topic.
It would have been done by now, but some Councilmembers aren’t responding to simple questions. Becker is not one of them. I thank him for responding quickly.
But I’m really surprised Becker is upset about factual inaccuracies.
A couple hours before Becker’s late night tirade on Tuesday, he was called out for mistakes he made in a letter. Yup.
Karen Hardy and Gillmor pointed out a lot of factual inaccuracies in a letter that Becker wrote as an apology for the CVRA lawsuit.
You can watch Hardy’s brief statement followed by Gillmor.
Becker responded: “That’s why it was a draft letter. There were a lot of mistakes in there.”
No kidding. That’s what he said.
Becker’s draft letter was written in July and the mistakes were pointed out then on this site. It still hasn’t been corrected after six months.
So I now pledge to the Santa Clara community that I will correct the errors in a resident’s opinion piece written last week. And I will do it before Becker corrects the errors in his draft apology letter written six months ago.
But seriously, I think Becker is just upset that I criticize him.
I’m especially critical when Becker supports the 49ers after Jed York spent $3 million last year to get him, Suds Jain, and Kevin Park elected. These three never could get elected on their own. They were 0-6 in city elections before York opened his wallet. They may not want to admit it. But they know it.
I’m sure Becker prefers the coverage he gets in the Santa Clara Weekly/SVVoice. They never criticize him or the other Councilmembers known as the 49er Five.
The 49ers are a major ad sponsor for the Weekly/SV Voice. I know how critical the team is to the Weekly/Voice. I was a reporter there for years and was there when the stadium campaign happened in 2010.
In fact, that’s why I started this site in 2016. I think the Mission City deserves an independent voice.
I don’t have advertising. I’ve only received money to fight back against legal bullying by the Weekly/Voice’s Publisher Miles Barber.
And I capped my GoFundMe campaign donation amount to $2,000 because I didn’t want to owe anyone any favors.
Thanks to the Mission City community, I had the resources to defeat Barber – and I did. That victory gave me extra motivation.
I remain committed to calling out our elected leaders and others who I think are giving away what’s best about Santa Clara, my home.
That’s why I write and that’s why this site exists. And I’ll keep writing, even if it makes people like Becker unhappy.
Lookin forward to yer return Robert.
2022 is already shapin up to be
A merry go round of craziness
What I hear on street should
have residents on the aware
In meantime happy new year!
Robert, I remember your days with the SC Weakly when you were covering the beginnings of the Mariani Wars. So glad you were able to leave and set up an actual news source. I also remember Miles trying to corral all possible names for SC news outlets. It was comical.
These individuals are not our leaders.
They are suppose to be our representatives and by no means are they representing their constituents.
Our leaders should be example our children can emulate. A. Becker, R. Chahal and K. Park used council meeting to attack a woman who is our mayor. Mayor has been strong example of leadership to our girls. This attack happens on many occasions with other woman too. Like City Manager.
The rhetoric about fake news and attacks on strong woman reminds me of last US President Donald Trump who is biggest bully to woman for long time.
If you attack woman leaders, you are bullies. Not leaders. Period. That is not fake news.
Anthony!
Please run for Mayor
In 2022!
Gees, just the
Opportunity to talk
To you in person
And tell you what people
Really think of you
And the rest of the
49er Five would make
So many people
Jump for joy!
So that is my wish!
To be able to tell you
What a thin-skinned and
Laughable leader you are!
Oh yeah and Merry Christmas!
I don’t believe white trash is a race. Therefore Anthony Becker cannot claim racism. He does like to rant and whine that he is not treated fairly. Perhaps Anthony should have his testosterone level checked.
With little experience in the workplace, he doesn’t have experience interacting with adults in a professional setting. Regardless what Patty writes for him, it always comes off very Petty.
If Becker is so thin-skinned that one Opinion letter sends him off the rails – he is NOT equipped to lead a community that has a diversity of voices. His immaturity and total lack of experience is really starting to show.
Can someone pass him a box of tissues?
Just listened to Becker’s passive/aggressive statement.
This guy wouldn’t know the truth if it hit him. HE has been “gaslighted” by the 49ers and frankly all five have been in an attempt to sell the soul of our beloved city for 3 million pieces of silver.
It doesn’t matter if they did or didn’t vote together. They carried out the will of the 49ers to fire the city attorney, change the curfew, insult city staff and the mayor and a councilmember and sell the soul of our beloved city for 3 million pieces of silver.
Each one has wasted a vote on an issue over the past year in an attempt to be a “good guy” because they still have the votes (4-3) to fulfill the 49ers desires to sell the soul of our beloved city for 3 million pieces of silver.
I am just one opinion but I hope more opinions like mine will come to surface and form a plan of action. Don’t think these 9er 5 are done selling the soul of our beloved city for 3 million pieces of silver.
Glad you had common sense to leave the weakly! It’s best use is to line litter boxes and bird cages.
TRUST
I was appalled by Becker’s actions and accusations at Tuesday’s night council meeting. These meetings are to conduct city business, not a platform for whiney, 3 million dollar suspect elected council member. Mayor Gillmor slammed the gavel numerous times yet Becker still continued his rant, am I wrong but isn’t there a City of Santa Clara Code of Ethics that council members are suppose to adhere? Can Becker read or understand process? It appears he is not prepared, can not read a contract, nor understand an attorney who clearly stated at least 5 times that the conversation about the city managers contract was to be in a separate closed session meeting.
A waste of time, hours lost because of his lack of comprehension. “Mr. Gaslight”
A hypocrite claiming racism in our city by saying the Latina city manager should not get a raise, or in this case a COLA that was given to the previous city managers. Becker & Chahal were leading the rage of giving a contractual obligation to Ms. Santana and confusing it with a merit raise. “Education needed here!”
I along with other fellow Santa Clarans have concluded this is the worst council ever. In one year they, “the 49er 5” have shown to be unprofessional, unprepared, certainly not transparent by any means, called the residents of Santa Clara uninformed and at every meeting the nasty narratives that make them untrustworthy!
It is distributing to see them reading text information to the residents, “so who is behind the curtain!”
My New Years wish is that these people try to regain the TRUST of the residents, stop the nastiest, respect the position that Mayor Gillmor holds and do the job! Seek the help that you obviously need.
Recall is an option!
The resident who called in at council last week asked to censure or admonish Becker for his violation of code of ethics! What did Becker learn? Is he above civility and law? This embarrassment of a “so called leader” definitely needs an education in life. And he is my “so called leader.” Oy vey! 🙄
Didn’t he campaign on bringing civility to the Council?
I’m so embarrassed as a D6 resident to watch these meetings.
There goes the whiny baby, Anthony Becker again. I know I’ve never lied here. Anthony is a piece of crap that’s never been able to hold the job in his life. True!
Anthony Becker rents a room in district 6 and move there shortly before the election. True!
Anthony Becker says people are racist against him, he’s one of the whitest person I’ve ever seen. True!
Anthony Becker is gay and is trying to use his Council seat to empower himself in the LGBTQ movement although based on his history, he’s a terrible representative. There are very impressive LGBTQ people and Anthony Becker is not one of them True!
Anthony Becker would have never been put on the planning commission if it wasn’t for at Lisa Gilmore voting for him. True!
I feel Anthony Becker is the worst thing for district 6 in the city of Santa Clara. I wish I lived in district 6 so I could do what I could to get rid of him by recall. True!