By Robert Haugh
Santa Clara Councilmember Suds Jain has had several issues with conflicts of interest.
At last Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Jain left his seat on a controversial issue in his district.
A home at 1485 Bellomy wants to add a lot of square footage and a second story on a lot that’s approximately 3,900 square feet. That has some neighbors in the Old Quad concerned.
An Old Quad resident named Elizabeth wondered why Jain could not participate.
“Why we have the one person who lives in this area not able to speak on behalf of his constituents that chose him as their leader so to speak,” she said.
You can watch her brief statement here:
Earlier, Jain said that he could not participate in the discussion or vote because the “City Council” advised him that he could not participate “due to the proximity of my house to this property.”
Jain had to clarify that he meant “City Attorney.” Whoops.
Here’s Jain’s statement and video of him leaving the meeting.
Elected officials have to recuse themselves from votes if their residence is within 1,000 feet of a project.
After the project’s presentation and public comment, the City Council voted 5-1 to ask the applicant to downsize the project.
Councilmember Kevin Park voted no and Jain was not present.
This isn’t the first time Jain has had conflicts that stop him from representing his district and constituents.
Most downtown residents say there are two major developments that will shape their neighborhoods: downtown revitalization and the BART station area plan.
Jain only recently told residents that he can’t vote on either of them.
After an August, 2021 meeting, a few downtown Santa Clara residents told Santa Clara News Online that they were very upset. They believe Jain and his wife Lori Jain misled voters during his 2020 campaign when he told them he had no conflicts.
Santa Clara News Online has documented how Jain knew about his conflicts as a Planning Commissioner and how he lied about them during his campaign.
The list of Jain’s conflicts grows longer.
Schadenfreude.
As much as I’d like to pile on Suds, if the comments herein are the “real” Suds Jane, I do have a level of humanity to detect a rat on a sinking ship. The posted language suggests by “so-called” Suds is a person twisting in the wind. For that I do sympathize with you.
But evil must be vanquished.
God bless this platform to communicate Santa Claran views. That’s why Scrub Jane writes here and not on the has-been POS weakly paper.
This platform fulfills and assists our Beloved City of Santa Clara above anything else.
Viva Sana Clara!
Jo Warren is a true Santa Claran. I wish you much wealth and success. I can have loud disagreements with Howard, Kirk, and Burt, but they, like you, love the Mission City. Lisa and Kathy do as well. You try to make things better. You care as do they.
Suds, Becker are two hookers without change.
Suds! It appears that Lisa Gillmor is still living in a penthouse in your head! RENT FREE!
Stalker! Obsession like this is not healthy!
#nostalking
You know there are pictures of suds walking around taking photos of lg at events
Gee, April West is a smart person. Good for you, Ms West. Read texts between Jain and Becker, they comment on clothes LG and Kathy wear. WEIRD
49 PAGE FPPC complaint. Becker and Suds camp out at Franklin Square photographing LG postman. Ms, West, I promise that I would NEVER snap photos
CREEPY
Wow, pretty harsh words, “Fired and Failed”. I don’t think I have ever used that term, and hopefully I never will.
My argument is that Barber did Mr. Haugh a huge favor.
Remember who he was working for…. the Santa Clara Meekly. Confirmed, less than than 100 subscribers.
In reality, they just could not afford to keep him.
So it’s my honest opinion that without even knowing it, they did Mr. Haugh a huge favor.
Right now, as per Suds own comments, Mr. Haugh is talked about, and even being compared to the SF Chronicle.
Thanks Mr. Haugh for being very relevant, and once you allow anyone to subscribe to you, only you and the SF Chronicle will get my money. Although the SF Gate has gotten my attention lately. Kind of like this Alex Simon writer.
We shall see.
Burt Field
Suds Jain is a political coward of the worst kind. He despises the voters. Hates to share details of meetings. He hates public record requests. As stated, the secret meetings were his idea.
The project was controversial, so no vote.
I would like to see some measurements that proves he lives within 1000 ft of the project location.
Google Maps measures its 3/10 mile from
1485 Bellomy to Jain’s abode.The Wilson House.
He’s stated that several times.
Do the math. How many feet in .3 mi.? 1584 feet.
That’s walking. Was it measured as the crow flies?
Whoops! And who said Jain had to recuse himself again?
Byron J. Fleck?
I no longer have conflicts on BART and downtown since my wife retired two years ago. I even have an FPPC letter attesting to that. Robert Haugh tried to trap me when he asked if I would be conflicted after my wife retired and I said no. My reply to him is true now but I didn’t know about the 1 year recusal rule after retirement. I stopped having a conflict a year after my wife retired from Santa Clara University which owns property in the downtown and near the train station. In her role at SCU, she never had decision authority over either of those properties. I serve on the VTA board and attend OQRA board meetings. I speak regularly on downtown and BART and I even vote on BART issues. I was the Councilmember that pushed hardest for the Station Area Plan committee. I wouldn’t be able to do that if I had a conflict of interest. Gillmor owns property in the Downtown and is conflicted until she sells her interest.
The Station Area Plan has left the Santa Clara station thanks to cost and delays. Probably due to Suds and his great ideas.
Thank you for clarifying. Appreciated.
He forgot to say he likes to color.
Jain set up the secret meetings that caused Becker to be indicted.
Ps mayor not downtown rep.
Neither is jain.
Once again fired and failed “journalist” Robert Haugh writes a super biased piece ignoring all the conflicts of his benefactor Lisa Gillmor who has previously recused on the Downtown, Morse Mansion, Mission College and even on Tuesday night she had to recuse on agenda item #6 due to property she owns near 1365 Main St and 1070 Lewis St. I have been interviewed by all major media in the Bay Area including the SF Chronicle yet Robert Haugh has never spoken to me. A fair and balance “reporter” would also done some actual research into what other elected officials have to recuse and tried to actually educate their readers. I serve on the VTA board and many of the elected there recuse on many items. There is nothing wrong with recusing as I’m just following the law.
Suds – So your not denying you now have a conflict on upcoming BART and downtown revitalization? This is 100% the opposite of what you said during your campaign. Simply answer the question about upcoming conflicts = yes or no.