Donald Trump might say the special interest groups funding some candidates and positions on ballot measures are just being "smart." Okay. But let's not be dumb and fall for their lies and doubletalk. As to incumbent Councilmember Chris Clark's refusing to even say what he thinks of bus-only lanes on El Camino Real because he cannot vote as a councilmember on the matter (he owns a condo on El Camino), the excuse is legally bogus and no one should vote for Clark. When Clark surrenders his temporary crown as a councilmember in a few months, maybe he will say what he really thinks or just fade away.

What do you call an outside group who does not live in Mountain View, yet has the single most, biggest megaphone, telling our citizens how to vote, who to vote for, and trashes all other individuals who goes against their agenda.

Then has the nerve to demand that the city council pass a transparency ordinance regarding elections and money, yet will not pledge to apply these same rules to themselves.

When you have this very same group who acts in a way that only suggest to me that they want a publishers council so they can influence power on issues that they decide alone decide on what is best for the city.

This group is called the Mountain View Voice newspaper.

They do not cover both sides of issues and then let people decide, but in fact they only publish pro language for agenda's that they want and discredit others for pointing out the other side.

I will proudly vote for Chris Clark as he has consistently taken the approach to not throw out the baby with the bath water. No extreme actions but a measured one to address issues.

The Voice is not the only newspaper in MV. The Los Altos Town Crier already has commented on the rent measures. The San Jose Mercury News will too. They are all run by out-of-towners. But that is different from special interest groups looking to pad their own pockets. Special interest groups are especially untrustworthy. Put different, they lie. As least most newspapers try to get the facts straight. Plus, with the Voice, you are free to comment and to submit a letter yourself.

@NEWSPAPERS,

When did the Voice run a story that said in an interview with the apartment association that said if measure V passes they will file a lawsuit. What paper said that the writers of this measure wrote in the measure that any attorney fees to defend it will be paid by the city's taxpayers, not the Voice but the Palo Alto paper.

What paper wrote the story of the past or present employee of the Voice working as head of the group for this measure, not the Voice but the SVBJ.

What paper wrote the story of where all this money came from to pay attorney's fees, polling, $7 per signature for signature gathers. What paper wrote about who all these people are, and the fact that they do not live in our city. Who wrote the story that showed all these faith based groups who are pushing this agenda thru out the bay area, and why this has been keep so quite this time, compared to the late 1990's when they tried it.

It was not the Voice.

When did the Voice ever run one story showing the side from a landlord and his expenses. When did the Voice ever run a story about what it takes to get a commercial loan and state that these loans have higher interest rates than residential loans. When did the Voice ever run a story on all the landlords who lost their building and had to file for bankruptcy 12 years ago during the last recession. When did the Voice ever run a story that said no landlord went to the city council asking for a bailout when the rents crashed $1500 in 2001 and went to $850 in 2003 and had a 30 percent vacancies.
Answer is never.

What do you call the Voice who only tells one side of a story to people, your words are they lie.

They do not try to get the facts straight, had you been on this site for the past year you would know that.

The Voice is a very powerful special interest group, even more like a super pac. The city council members do not make money off of developers. Most people run for council who want to represent everyone equally and fairly. Then you have people like Siegel and Ramirez who do not look at people that way. They instead feel it is their right to take away rights from one group to then give to another group so they have more rights. That is where the Voice comes in and uses its influence to get the agenda passed.

In 2008 this state passed prop. 8 denying same sex marriage. The majority approved it, but that does not make it right. Just because gays where the minority population in the state you had the majority take away rights from them. It is no different for people to take away rights from a property owner and to enact rent control on them.