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Published on 11/24/1999 All articles from this issue

An apolitical candidate could help LAH

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Editorial

The sudden departure of Councilman Bill Siegel means Los Altos Hills voters will be deciding on a new councilmember in a special election next March.

The question and the challenge we'd like to put forth is: Is there anyone out there in the Hills with a commitment to serving the town in this capacity who doesn't have a political agenda?

We'd like to think there's a strong candidate who isn't a part of the two competing resident groups, Hills 2000 and the Los Altos Hills Civic Association. The town needs someone who's middle of the road, who can see both sides of the often contentious housing design issues that seem to consume residents.

From where we sit, it seems like asking for a miracle. The issue of Planning Commissioner Charles Wong and his alleged property violations underscored how a dispute between neighbors needlessly became a political issue. The issue hit bottom at the Oct. 21 council meeting, when unfounded charges of racism reached cartoon-like proportions.

We feel the ideal candidate is someone who approaches the position with a blank slate. A competent, common-sense person with little or no knowledge of the Hills political landscape may be just what the doctor ordered.

Whether that person exists, or even wants to run, is a big question. Whether he or she can get elected is an even bigger one. But it will take a special person indeed to buck the tide of the petty political squabbles we've seen far too often in a community that deserves better.