By Robert Haugh
On September 12, Santa Clara News Online (SCNO) broke the story that the 49ers created committees to spend nearly $1 million on Santa Clara City Council campaigns with more likely to come.
However, the team did not create a committee to help indicted Councilmember Anthony Becker who’s running for re-election in District Six, but is also starting his felony perjury trial.
In the September 12 story, SCNO reported that according to multiple sources, Becker has revealed that if and when he drops out, the team will support another District Six candidate George Guerra, a Becker ally and confidant.
A few readers contacted SCNO questioning whether there is a close relationship between Becker and Guerra.
So, SCNO asked Guerra directly if he considered himself a Becker “ally and confidant.”
“Thank you for asking,” Guerra wrote in an email. “I have met Anthony Becker at Park and Recreation events such as Park Openings and again at this weekend’s Art and Wine Festival at the free speech booth.”
SCNO asked the question again in a follow-up email if Guerra considered himself a Becker ally and confidant.
“No and no and thanks for this opportunity to correct the record,” wrote Guerra.
But text messages tell a different story about the Becker and Guerra relationship. They were turned over by the City in response to a public records act request from James Rowen.
On the morning of February 24, 2022, Becker called for an emergency meeting to fire City Manager Deanna Santana.
It was a few days after Santana publicly stated at a City Council meeting that 49ers CEO Al Guido had a conflict of interest when he signed the FIFA contracts obligated the City without knowledge or approval from the Stadium Authority.
(The Stadium Authority and the City still do not know any details. But media reports suggest it could cost tens of millions of dollars to Santa Clara).
The 49er Five fired her “without cause” the next day, February 25. (Councilmember Suds Jain was absent).
Guerra had a close enough relationship with Becker to send him this text on February 23.
Guerra texted Becker approximately eight hours after Becker submitted his form for the special meeting and before there were any press reports about the confidential meeting.
Guerra’s message suggests that Guerra had insider information about Santana’s firing.
Guerra even offered advice to Becker on the financial terms of Santana’s firing and the hiring of Rajeev Batra who was named Santana’s successor in 2022.
Santana has sued the City for wrongful termination and the lawsuit is still unsettled.
This looks like it may be a developing story.
[…] good for the community. George Guerra did not respond. Guerra is an ally of Becker, although he lied about it. Guerra also advised Becker on the confidential firing of a City […]
Dear Community,
You know what happened in East San Jose with SILICONSAGE and Harbir?
Someone is in prison!!!!
We did not trust them.
Vote how you want Santa Clara, but investigate the History of her and the Company.
[…] Guerra also denied to SCNO that he was an ally and confidant to Becker. But emails from two years ago tell a different story. […]
His wife worked in HR in santa clara and left prior to the Santana gate, she provided inside info to her husband George
The 49er attack narrative is fraught with bad logic.
An ethics commission woukd tie any IE group in strings. Gillmor seems to haVe the guts to back it.
Robert,
These text messages indicate that Guerra was an ally on one issue with Becker and may be an ally in general. But they do not show that Guerra is a “confidant” of Becker’s and suggest that he may not be a person that Becker considers to be a confidant. They show Becker not wanting to confide in Guerra bout deliberations concerning Santana.
The question I would like to see Guerra’s answer for is “have you ever had any discussions with Anthony Becker about the 2024 District 6 election and his candidacy plans or yours? Have you ever discussed Santa Clara City policies or politics with anyone with the Forty Niners or Manco or the York family?”
Bucher Alum I just want to say that your comments annoy me more than any others. Like you are some kind of authority on every subject.
Still wanting to know what Mental Health programs Park spoke out for.
In 2020 a third candidate in the Becker race seemed to have vendors whi did business with Becker
I stand by my reporting. I used “ally and confidant” because of other information I have, not just the text. But your questions for Guerra are good. I will ask him.
But his response of “I have met Anthony at Park events and this weekend at the Art & Wine festival”. Based on the texts it appears that’s not accurate. And why would he be offering advice on Santana’s termination package? That didn’t seem a like a one off discussion.
November can’t come soon enough,
I agree with you about Guerra appearing to minimize whatever relationship they have and that they seem to have had conversations about Santa Clara politics that go beyond a simple acquaintance. I am simply saying that the texts do not show that he is a “confidant” or even an “ally” in anything beyond the specific issue discussed in that text.
Robert,
You may have reliable sources that have made claims with you that Guerra is an “ally and confidant” to Becker. They may be right. But you do not share any of those statements by those unnamed sources and only allude to them in this piece. You also state “text messages tell a different story about the Becker and Guerra relationship” and I am stating that I do not think the texts you show do tell the story that Guerra is a “confidant” of Becker’s. He may be but I think more needs to be shown or quoted and preferably by sources willing to go on the record to make the claim convincingly.
Gonzalez was a charter schoom adv9cate when they distributef money.
He has had multiple fppc fined
It’s interesting, we have a couple of people, this guy (not sure what district) and Harbir who is running in district 1. I think this is a tactic the 49ers are using to try and confuse the voter. First, I must say Harbir ran the last time and lost to Kathy. She supported the 49ers as far as I was concerned. Even though she is running as an independent, her record shows she supports the 49er 100%. I had to ask myself, what has she done in my community in the last 2 years? ZIPPO, absolutely nothing. If these people were so interested in community, they would have stepped up a long time ago. I think it’s the same with this guy. Vote Satish Chandra in District 1 and Kelly Cox in District 6.
Don’t be fooled by the 49ers. We can change our council and should this year.
Harbir Bhatia also has endorsements of 4 of the 49er 5. Guess she didn’t want endorsement of indicted Becker. 😂
Then you got Albert the sellout Gonzalez who is backed by the 49ers PAC. 😂
The choice is simple: Satish Chandra. 👍🏼
And if you believe Georgie Porgie, I gotta bridge I gotta sell ya.
Which bridge? I’m in the market for a good place to hide starting in November, after SC residents inevitably vote the 49er cheerleaders back into office
Yes, me too. But social media is blowing up with info and insights. People are tired of the 49er drama. Time for change.
Two disturbing things have happened
One, a website has been created attacking Kelly Cox using the Orwellian tactic of casting Liss Gillmor as the evil Goldstein while the 49er Big Brother calms us all. Two, Kevin Park is rein enting himself as Mental Health Advocate.
What programs has Park worked for?
None