Despite passionate and eloquent pleas from the City Hall audience, the Dec. 5 San Jose City Council decision wasn’t about taxpayers’ money, or voters’ rights. Cash, political power and private conversations not streamed on Zoom won the night.

With few exceptions, the grand jury report’s observations, conclusions and recommendations landed squarely on one side of the city’s political divide–led by Mayor Lisa Gillmor–that was on the losing end of the 2020 council elections, promping the 49ers to call for an investigation of the grand jury for conflicts of interest. Today, the final version of the report revealed that two members had recused themselves because of possible conflicts.

The congressman proved that one can win races without help from corporate PACs. Now, he wants to enshrine that practice in federal law.

Linda Toeniskoetter is a yoga instructor, Kelley Rubino is a hair stylist, Kristina Campisi is a homemaker, and Lee Brandenburg is retired; but they’re all major contributors to local campaigns. Make no mistake, the contributions are legal and the contributors have every right to engage in the political system. But their listed occupations fail to connect them to interests that normally cause people to become major players in local politics.

President Obama, here’s some free advice on how you can be re-elected. We have created 50 State Strategy, a Federal Super Political Action Committee designed to recapture the many people your advisors have lost over the past four year because of their lousy advice.