“Due to the federal Medi-Cal cuts, our County-run hospitals and clinics are at risk of closure.”
“Under the leadership of the Board of Supervisors, we are fighting to preserve and protect our critical services.”
These boldface words from Santa Clara County executive James R. Williams greeted Rishi Kumar, chair of the No on Measure A campaign, when he checked his mail at home in Saratoga last week.
From his perspective, this five-paragraph letter addressed to “Neighbors,” accompanied by “COMMUNITY UPDATE” marketing material in bright yellow and blue colors (“Every 11 minutes, someone in our county is taken by ambulance to a County-run hospital.” “Our local hospitals and clinics may be forced to close because of the federal budget cuts.”) was an inappropriate tactic meant to influence a referendum on a proposed health care-focused tax hike.
“What the County is doing is wrong,” said Kumar, a former Saratoga City Council member who is currently also running for County Assessor, adding he feels the regional government—without explicitly mentioning Measure A—is trying to influence the Nov. 4 Special Election. “They are telling them, without telling them.”
According to Kumar, this is another example of the County surreptitiously misspending money to sway people’s opinions.
“Just to pass Measure A, the County is misusing taxpayer dollars to push their own messaging out,” he said. “They are crossing the line.”
The Measure A campaign declined to comment for this story.
(Drew Penner / Los Gatan)
The County operates four of the county’s 12 hospitals—Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, O’Connor Hospital, Regional Medical Center and St. Louise Regional Hospital—representing more than 38 percent of its licensed beds, according to California Department of Health Care Access and Information.
When questioned about the print alert relating to federal funding that looks suspiciously like air support for one side of a ballot measure—after voting has already commenced—Williams stood behind the maneuver.
“The county has an obligation to ensure that every resident in our community understands the severe magnitude of budget cuts imposed on us by the actions of this federal administration,” Williams said via email.
“This mailer—which was sent to voters and non-voters alike—is one part of a broader effort to ensure everyone recognizes this fiscal crisis and the impacts our community faces. The County has a clear legal right to provide factual information to the public.”
The county told the Los Gatan the mailer went out to approximately 700,000 households. Printing and postage cost about $266,000. “It’s highly cost-effective because it’s not targeted; it just gets delivered to every residence on a mail route through a special service through USPS called the ‘Every Door Direct Mail’ program,” a spokesperson said. “This is part of a broader education effort that includes informational town halls, public presentations, materials such as multilingual fact sheets and flyers, in-person outreach at community events, and a dedicated webpage on the County’s website that will continue to be updated on an ongoing basis.”
But Kumar says he thinks the County is “pulling a fast one.”
(Submitted)
“I want the Board of Supervisors to be questioned on this,” Kumar said. “There has to be accountability.”
Kumar says he can’t file a complaint against the Measure A team, since—at least as far as he can tell—the campaign wasn’t behind the mailer.
“There are no rules in place,” Kumar said. “That’s like a flawed model.”
Kumar, a former Saratoga City Council member and former candidate for Congress, is one of four candidates seeking to be the next Santa Clara County assessor. The other candidates are East Side Union High School District Trustee Bryan Do, Los Altos Vice Mayor Neysa Fligor and Saratoga Councilmember Yan Zhao.
