Posts by Max Beckman-Harned

MOUNTAIN VIEW — With a majority of seats on the city council up in November, a political shake-up is brewing as voters face an ideologically split candidate pool that could change the city’s policy framework as it deals with an economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic.

Mountain View voters have a deep bench to choose from with this year’s nine candidates for four seats on the City Council. Looking for experience? There are two incumbents and three former council members in the race — one of whom also served in the state Assembly. Prefer newcomers with a fresh take on things? Rounding out the race are …

At a time of great uncertainty, Pat Showalter said she believes she has both the experience and the values to represent Mountain View residents for another term on the City Council.

Mountain View voters rejected Measure D by a 70%-30% margin in March of this year.  Measure D had been crafted to undermine the 2016 legislated rent stabilization measure (the Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act or “CSFRA”).  Under Measure D, rents this year would have risen 4%-8% when one includes amounts for liberalized pass through of costs to renters.  Under …

Showalter’s passion for Mountain View and public service shines through. She was elected to the City Council in 2014 but narrowly failed in her 2018 reelection bid. Despite losing, she remained active in Mountain View, serving on seven different boards and commissions. Showalter, a civil engineer, is a great listener and has a well-deserved reputation for helping the city work …

Showalter, edged out in her 2018 bid for re-election, has a handle on the intricacies of city projects thanks to her experience as a civil engineer. She embraces liberal issues, but has the wisdom of someone who is older and lacks the stridency of some of her opponents.

Around 40 people attended a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Mountain View on Friday (Aug. 28) in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. earlier this week.

Nine candidates seeking a spot on the Mountain View City Council squared off Saturday at the first candidate forum of the election season, showing early ideological splits on some of the city’s hot-button issues.

I’m voting against Measure D, here’s why you should too: Measure D undermines the CSFRA, our current rent stabilization law. It reduces protections for renters by setting rent increases higher than the existing system and increases returns for landlords by making the standards for rent increase exceptions much broader. Because of the housing crisis and the homelessness epidemic, those renter …

I have always loved the political signs that come out before elections. Colorful signs with upbeat messages illustrate how many people are willing to step up to run for public office. That’s a positive thing in our democracy. When I was a kid in Virginia, most had to do with federal elections. Here most signs are about local elections.