Conflict vs. Consensus

By Robert Patrino

Can't we all just get along?

Individuals on the current City Council have decided that they would rather use conflict and attack rather than compromise and consensus to govern our city. This is evident both in the animosity between members as well as the lack of results in the last 2 years. The fact that the City continues to prosper and succeed is more a testament to our excellent professional staff than the work of our Council.

What has caused this dysfunctional behavior and rendered our City Council critically ineffective? Well, it would be too easy and really unfair to single out individuals for blame. There is enough blame to go around. To me, it is apparent that this problem started when voters elected individuals with little or no experience in civic government. These individuals had no background in the process of making decisions based on compromise and consensus. Rather, when they are unable to persuade other members of Council to agree with them, they turn to personal attacks. They lack the maturity, leadership and desire to turn debate into action and results. It is truly evident to me that these individuals have made a conscious choice to represent only those who agree with their views, at the expense of the majority of the citizens of San Ramon. The task of elevating the debate fell to the more senior members of Council, who should have had the experience and maturity to lead through the conflict. They instead chose to join in the "trench" warfare. . I feel the voters want their City Council to have the ability to vigorously debate issues, reach consensus, then work together for the common good of our community. I CAN and WILL do that. Our citizens deserve no less.

Why am I running for Council? I have the experience, leadership and vision to achieve results for ALL of San Ramon. Good intentions are not enough, it takes knowledge and experience to run a city.