A
Battle for the Soul of Cupertino
Grassroots Resident-Focused Community
Groups Vs. Special Interest-Backed Astroturf* Groups
Astroturf--Creating
the impression of public support by paying people in the public to
pretend to be supportive.
The false support can take the form of letters to the editor, postings
on message boards in response to criticism, and writing to politicians
in support of the cause.
Astroturfing is the opposite of "grassroots", genuine public support of
an issue.
Cupertino has been targeted
by a large number of special-interest Astroturf groups formed to help
their backers exploit our City for their own financial gain. These
groups share approximately 13 members between all of them, but they are
well-funded. They tend come out of the woodwork at election time,
advocating for the developer-controlled candidates. Some of these groups
violate FPPC rules by not disclosing who is funding the literature that
they mail out.
These groups include:
- Cupertino Forward
- Cupertino Today
- Cupertino Matters
- Cupertino Thrives
- United Cupertino
- Cupertino Residents for Local
Ethical Government
- Cupertino Getting Things Done
Together
- Insight Cupertino
- Cupertino for All
- Bay Area Residents For Unifying
Neighbors, Defeat 2020 Council Candidates Moore And Scharf
The goals of these
special interest groups include:
- Secrecy
- Exclude residents from Political
Process
- Environmental Destruction
- Uncontrolled Growth
- Favoring Commercial Office over
Housing to Increase Housing Deficits
- Market-Rate Luxury Housing Only,
but willing to tolerate some Exclusionary Affordable Tiny Units
- Increased Traffic Congestion
- Increased School Overcrowding
- New housing concentrated away from
where they live
Here's an example of a 2018 mailer from
one of the Astroturf groups "Cupertino Getting Things Done Together." No
FPPC ID and no information as to who is funding this mailer.
Fortunately,
all three developer-backed candidates lost despite an enormous amount of
money spent on their behalf, but it was a very close election; if only a
handful of votes had changed we would not have a 4-1 pro-resident
majority on City Council. We likely would have not been able to purchase
the parkland at Lawrence-Mitty. The Westport project would have been a
much taller, denser project with less affordable housing. We would not
have been able to pass Objective Standards to prevent future bad
projects. Cupertino voters possess the critical thinking skills to not
be fooled by this kind of thing.
There is currently
only a single grassroots group advocating for the best interests of
Cupertino and its residents. This group has about 15,000 supporters:
The goals of Better Cupertino
include:
- Transparency
- Advocacy
- Resident Involvement
- Environmental Sustainability
- Balance Commercial Office with
Housing to Avoid Housing Deficits
- Housing at all levels: Luxury,
Moderate, Low Income, Very Low Income, & Extremely Low Income
- Inclusionary Affordable Housing
- Reduced Traffic Congestion
- Reduced School Overcrowding
- New housing distributed evenly
across the City
Better Cupertino's base of
support is very broad. Democrats & Republicans, Progressives,
Moderates, and Conservatives. Asian, White, and LatinX. Straight
and LGBTQ+. The issues Better Cupertion supports unite residents
instead of dividing them.
Better Cupertino is frequently
attacked by the Astroturf groups. The special-interest Astroturf
groups are furious about Better Cupertino's broad base of support and
their success in recent elections in electing resident-focused
candidates to City Council & School Board, as well as in defeating
developer-backed ballot measures. Spending less than 1/200th of the
money spent by the Astroturf groups, Better Cupertino has racked up an
impressive number of victories for Cupertino.
Consider carefully whose goals
you support when you vote on November 3rd (or by mail).
Proudly
NOT Endorsed or Funded by the Developer-Controlled Cupertino Chamber
of Commerce and San Jose Mercury News, Special Interest Groups, or
WIMBYs!
Steven
Scharf for Cupertino City Council 2020 FPPC ID #1388099
