“This guy is the King Kong of lobbyists,” says Jerry Strangis
After several months of negotiations, San Jose lobbyist Jerry Strangis of Strangis Properties has pledged his influence and power, as well as his access and client list, to recently convicted super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff in order to form San Jose’s first lobbying “superfirm.”
The new partnership of Stangis and Abramoff has the valley’s lobbyist community scrambling to protect the threat of a mass client exodus to this new powerhouse that will immediately wield the type of influence and fear that only a veteran of Washington D.C.’s bribe-torn culture could possess—that, or hard time in a federal penitentiary.
“This guy is not to be taken lightly,” lobbyist Manny Diaz was rumored to say. “He’ll set the gift bar so high it will make a round of golf at Cordevalle look like a couple of free putts at the Pee Wee Golfland windmill.”
“Mr. Abramoff allows me to grow into areas I only dreamed about,” crowed founding partner Jerry Strangis. “It’s one thing to have councilmembers and mayors in your pocket; its yet another to have senators and members of congress. And who knew those Indian casinos could make Bay 101 look like a bingo parlor? This guy is the King Kong of lobbyists and I got him!”
Although Mr. Strangis says he will continue to work with nightclubs, card rooms and hobbled puppies, he admits that the addition of Mr. Abramoff opens up a plethora of new opportunities – for a while anyway.
“Now that he has pleaded guilty to umpteen charges of conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion,” said Mr. Strangis, “I will relish his remaining days of freedom.”
When asked about the wisdom of hiring a convicted shill, sources close to lobbyist Ed McGovern say that he believes the move shouldn’t taint the new firm’s reputation. “On the contrary,” the aide explained. “Mr. McGovern believes that fraud, conspiracy, and lying are all part of the arsenal of a good, successful lobbyist.”
Sad but true. It all has to do with money. You can see that some councilperson at sometime or other has employed most lobbyists and the Mayor has a large contingent of lobbyists that were employed by him. It is really sad that San Jose is driven by money and lobbyists for most of its major projects. Look at Santana Row who got that done? The EIR said it wouldn’t cause any more traffic. Take a look out there any day almost anytime of the day and it’s gridlock. What lobbyist got that project done? Cordevalle Golf course was supposed to be open to the public partly when it was approved. Try getting on that golf course if you’re not a member. This whole process of politics has gotten so bad it’s almost broken. It has got to be changed. When will someone step up to force that change. Let’s get the preachers on this site to do something instead of just writing about it.
The whole Abramoff thing provides a frightening parallel to the City of San Jose’s past troubles with lobbyists. I hope that the safeguards now in place at the City will do some good but it’s clear that things can slip past anyway. Scary.
Too much talk in the past tense. “San Jose’s past troubles with lobbyists”….if you think the troubles are behind us that’s wishful thinking. While some efforts have been made to improve the situation, there are still enough loopholes that are big enough to drive a truck full of lobbyists through. If you think our troubles are behind us, just try to deal with the Mayor or the Council if you are “just” an average citizen. The Mayor/Council are locked away at the top of the CH tower (looks kind of ivory) and look down on the rest of us. Accidental symbolism?? Not likely.
Anyway, us preachers can do something by not returning most of the incumbents to the council. They are the problem and we are the solution by voting for new people who will be representative of us and not of big-money lobbyists and former mayoral staffers.
C’mon guys, we don’t have unethical lobbists who are in it only for the money. OUR guys are pure as the driven snow. Do we think that the unions or the developers would stoop to hiring questionable political fringe types?
No, they would just cut out the middle man and brag about all of the money they were saving by going direct.
But then buying is still buying isn’t it?
I have read a few articles about Abramoff’s lobbying in Washington. How is the game played in San Jose? What does a good lobbyist do to get access to our elected leaders in San Jose? Do they help fundraise during elections?
This isn’t lobbying, but there is something I just don’t get.
I see the pictures of Larry Stone at exclusive parties in Palo Alto. And I hear the guy is running his own development company out of his county office.
What’s going on?
Jerry Strangis has lobbied for the Bettencourt family for a couple or three decades. They won most of Communications Hill—the last large segement of San Hozay available for development, and hillside property to boot. They lived through frustrating delays by the tree huggers who tried in vain to find a bay checkerspot butterfly or tiger salamander so the development could be stopped.
And after all that patience and effort what did we get? The largest conglomeration of butt ugly residential construction (other than public
Projects”) in North America. They should just move the Albertsons on E. Santa Clara near the Taj Gonzal(the worst supermarket in North America) up there lock, stock, and barrel, where it would fit right in.
Jeez, what a disappointment!
When will a mayor ever start to put limits on what lobbyists can do? A new administration should run on the platform that will not stand for this anymore.
Ronny G is going to make a nice lobbyist when he is run out of office…
1,2,3…
Are you kidding me?
Hey that ryhmes….
Ron is going to disappear into the land of bureaucracy, from whence he came…
He was never a leader – a supervisor stuck voting “to not offend” in his quest for higher office – – a blink of a mayor in Sunnyvale – what tough issues did he ever have to consider, a Taco Bell in the wrong place? He has proven himself to be the worst mayor in the history of this city…
Shame on us for voting him to a second term!
And good riddance, hopefully soon…
The whole lobbyist thing stinks. Why do we need lobbyists for God’s sake. This is a small city, by any standards, and we certainly don’t need used car salesmen to tell us what we need and don’t need.
I say get rid of representatives and have the owners of the companies have to come in and prove themselves to the council – not their paid goons.
Paid goons are the people that get things done in SJ, like it or not. Believe me, it is not the representatives you vote for…
Can’t we just all get along?