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Why didn’t Lookout use criteria about integrity, trust, empathy, and compassion for its Santa Cruz mayoral endorsement? I think it’s because Ryan Coonerty wouldn’t have been endorsed. 

We are led to believe that Coonerty has a plan and vision. I see his plan and vision to personally benefit from his political positions and connections to developers. He’s a professional politician and advocate and consultant for big development. 

As explained in a recent Santa Cruz Local article, Coonerty has proposed to Danco Group a seven-story building near the Palomar Inn for his wife and mother-in-law, who own the property, using Assembly Bill 2011, a state law that allows approval by city staff, without public hearings. The project also asks the city to cede about 10 feet of a stretch of the alleyway behind the building — which does require a Santa Cruz City Council vote. This is on top of Conoerty’s history of consulting and easing many high-rise developments through government channels, with what looks to be San Jose as his vision (he works for San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan). 

Imagine him as mayor leading the charge to make sure big developers remain in full control of Santa Cruz’s destiny. If you like the eight-story vertical shoe boxes going up around town, I say Coonerty is your guy. 

Other examples of what I believe is Coonerty’s lack of transparency and integrity:

  • Some of his reasoning during an interview with Lookout for not seeking a third supervisorial term was to “… allow more diverse candidates to run for office.”  He currently supports two Caucasians for city council instead of a Latino, Hector Marin. He did not step aside for an outstanding Asian woman, Ami Chen Mills, running for mayor. 
  • His work at PredPol, a predictive policing software company he helped launch, raises serious conflict-of-interest questions. I find it troubling that the Santa Cruz Police Department was one of the early pilot sites that tested the software and that Coonerty held stock in the company. 

With an award-winning history, I would’ve expected Lookout to be more diligent in digging into and through these and other issues of Coonerty’s character, especially before making such an important endorsement.

There are four other excellent choices for mayor: Chris Krohn, Ami Chen Mills, Joy Schendledecker and Gillian Greensite, all with heart, dignity, and integrity. They all have varying plans to use city government to benefit most everyone. 

Ron Pomerantz

Santa Cruz