Dedicated to Empowering and Informing the Burlingame Community

Election 2015 – Start Yer Engines!

Here is the first official notation of the forthcoming City Council election:

The City of Burlingame holds an election in November of odd-numbered years. Two council terms will expire this November. The filing period for nomination papers and candidate statements is from July 13 to August 7, 2015.

The last election ended like this and John Root filled Jerry Deal's partial-term vacant seat here, so Terry Nagel and John Root are the two seats up for a vote.  Will we see $150,000 spent this time or will two seats instead of three keep the spending down?  The gates open in one month!

Posted in ,

45 responses to “Election 2015 – Start Yer Engines!”

  1. mike

    maybe, just maybe, we may have a good government again…one that actually cares about the city residents. the current city government mirrors the current federal government, one that does not care about the people who make up the electorate

  2. Bruce Dickinson

    Joe, Russ and friends at home, do you know what a 380 cubic inch V-12 revving to 8000 rpm and producing 730 horsepower sounds like? Well, you soon will, as Bruce Dickinson is not only starting my Ferrari F-12 Berlinetta’s engine, but I’m about to put the pedal to metal and drive head-on into the issues that need to define this election. Yes, my headlights will be pointed right at the candidates eyes, so they better expect some scrutiny with a capital “S”. Will be interesting whether they come along for the ride, get out of the way, or act like deer in the headlights. Not beholden to the diplomatic decorum that Joe and Russ must maintain on the website, Bruce Dickinson, has no such restrictions and will call ’em as I see em, ya know what I mean? So candidates, be prepared to deal with wide-open-throttle, tire smoke, drifting, oil spills, chunks of rubber flying everywhere, open passing, smokey burnouts, fender bruises, fuel burn, backfires, 110 decibels, and the wail of 730 horsepower barreling down on your Priuses , Chevy Volts, and Teslas. You want the checkered flag, you better get it the old-fashioned way, namely, earn it!
    Friends at home, lets ask some tough questions and demand straight answers, together, and make whomever gets these council seats earn them for a change. Bruce Dickinson and his staff will be keeping their eyes peeled on this election, so rest assured, this one will be closely watched from the grandstands, pit lane, the tower, and we’ll even have the pole-position cam, too!
    Gentlemen (and women), start your engines…
    Ready, Set, GO!

  3. hollyrollerhotwire.com

    If there is someway to contribute financially please let me/us know.
    Some people may believe Mr. Dick has all the money to do that on his own.
    No matter one dollar, five, or twenty; the donations represent the people who support Bruce Dickinson’s POV.
    If a campaign chest develops, and the need for funds is not necessary, I am sure Mr. Dickenson will use it do benefit our City.
    Good Luck Mr. Dickenson.

  4. Bruce Dickinson

    Guys, listen, I am flattered, dare I say smitten, by the strong show of support from my fellow Burlingamers. But make no mistake, Bruce Dickinson will not be running in this election. Unfortunately, city council meetings require a lot of presence in community, and while I have no shortage of that in the gravitas sense, if you will, I would be remiss if I didn’t say that between my multiple apartments, my winery in the Anderson Valley, and global travels, my attendance record would actually not be what this community deserves. While I have my messages transcribed online, it is from numerous locations in the US and abroad. Local governance is best done by those who are in the community nearly all the time. One of the advantages of “not getting out much” which has its plusses as well as minuses, but alas, I digress.
    To that end, Bruce Dickinson will be doing one of the many things that I do best, namely going wide open throttle, looking far ahead down the road, and driving right to the core of the issues. I will not be only your neighbor, but community advisor, as I believe my unique experience of being a legendary producer and involvement in numerous organizations, at the upper echelons of success, qualifies me to sift and separate the talent from the charlatans. Tough questions on difficult issues will be asked, so the grill will be open-flamed, if you will. But, Bruce Dickinson will always be respectful to those candidates who post on the Burlingame Voice, as coming to Burlingame’s premier online blog, news source, and editorial site says quite a bit about that candidate facing the music, as it were. Of course, if Russ decides to run and I hope he does, I won’t be stepping on his toes, after all, it is his site, but I will be asking him the same questions. For those candidates who choose to ignore the value of this site, not to mention potential votes (becoming ever-so-precious), do so at your own peril, because then it will be open season to call ‘em as I see em and avoidance will not be taken kindly. Much better to answer to all constituents in an open, frank manner, because it’s not Mr. Dickinson that you should be answering to, but it’s Mr/Mrs/Miss Burlingame, namely all of Burlingame’s residents. So it will be very little about me, but about the Voice readers and community at large, and simply consider me your facilitator.
    Joe, if you are so inclined, and I’m sure you can delegate some of these responsibilities, but try to have the Burlingame Voice interview each candidate with key questions submitted by BV readers and yours truly.
    Let’s lay down some dynamite tracks and make a song worthy of the Burlingame name!

  5. Joe

    I’ve got plenty of questions, Bruce. We will see what we get in the way of answers!

  6. Russ is the genuine article.

    It will be very tough to beat Terry and John Root if they run again, but as a former candidate myself, Russ was by far the sharpest candidate next to Michael Brownrigg.
    While Russ and I probably don’t agree on all issues, Russ is the genuine article.
    Each city council member doesn’t just impact Burlingame, as they’re expected/appointed to various powerful regional boards. Rally just a larger turn-out to the polls or mail-in ballots would do the Bay Area some good in representing all of its citizens.

  7. dtn

    I don’t think it will be as tough as you think. Wait til you see the slate.

  8. Samiselfie

    Will someone please explain terry nagels fascination with nirmala.

  9. Joe

    Only after someone explains certain B’game voters’ fascination with Terry Nagel. I don’t get it.

  10. I heard that Terry Nagel isn’t running

    I heard that Terry Nagel isn’t running…one less Jerry Brown & Co devotee.

  11. RandyC

    Nirmala adds nothing to the planning commission. She knows nothing about building or the code and just takes up a seat.

  12. Laura

    I think this election is so important. Burlingame is on the verge of becoming Millbrae and San Mateo with tremendous, HUGE developments planned that have the potential to change our town forever! Unfortunately, it maybe too late to stop most of them, but would be nice to get someone in there to slow it down a bit.
    Went to the developers meeting last night for the housing project planned for the corner of Bayswater and Dwight. Worse than I thought. 133 to 140 units, parking only 1.3 per unit, so will be under parked with the Cities blessing. Four stories tall.
    But, back to the election…Would NEVER vote for Nirmala as she would be nothing different than what we have now.She sent out her first campaign email asking for funds so she’s definitely in.

  13. Laura

    Sorry, meant development on corner of Bayswater and Myrtle.

  14. Encourage a good slate!

    Nirmala is probably a good mom and a good former R&D person in biotech, but as a parent at Lincoln, she was not genuinely friendly and instead once said at a movie night, “There are just too many white guys here!”
    Some of the women at Lincoln were excited to help elect a minority woman, and so off they went, like a gaggle of chickens bwok, bwoking to vote for her.
    She’s a suck-up to Sacramento and would just parrot whatever they told her to say. While she’s done a good job of racking up leadership positions in the community, her fake smile and fake, gushy voice is the last thing that Burlingame AND our regional boards need.
    On the other hand, there are some MUCH better, more natural and more genuine community leaders that should run.
    Looking over the list…hmmm, self-proclaimed-communist-party-members-who-slander-people-that-have-different beliefs-McDonalds…NO…there she is…genuine-very-well-respected-should-have-run-last-time-President-of BCE-plus-she-plays-the-guitar-and-sings-well, Emily Beach…YES!
    http://www.bcefoundation.org/board-members/

  15. local motion

    It is too bad there are only two seats open this time since we need a good housecleaning.
    Stop the Millbraezation of Burlingame.

  16. Jason Scalese

    I regularly drive from the mid-Peninsula area, Menlo Park, Atherton etc… home to Burlingame because of traffic on El Camino. Our town is unlike any other. Seeing concerns about it becoming like Millbrae and SM on this thread are interesting as I’ve been thinking about it in the last year, glad I’m not the only one. Friends in the South Bay talk about B’game like it’s a diamond in the rough, I tell them it is. Who else is running besides Nirmala? She impressed me as a kind lady in the last election, but seems she would be heavily in favor of high density housing that is making the other towns lose their quaintness. I have two young kids and hope to continue raising them in the small town that is Burlingame.

  17. Samiselfie

    I’ve only heard nirmala chirp about 55 times on the planning commission “have you talked to your neighbors” every time there is a design review.
    Not a deep thinker.
    She will depend on terry nagel to write all her material/press releases, etc.
    In other words, a TERRY NAGEL PUPPET.
    Don’t waste your vote on nirmala.

  18. Joe

    @Jason – There will be at least two brand new faces in the race with substantial track records in town (although not from prior Council races). You will have a good selection from which to decide who thinks as you and I do that “Our town is unlike any other”. Let’s just hope there are at least two of them who really believe it and are willing to stand up to the development pressure.

  19. Laura

    Perhaps if we get two new council members voted in that are against the developments going on all around town, it will send a big enough message to the three already sitting on the Council to reconsider their views. Really folks, the large developments are real and are coming our way if we don’t stop it now. We need at least two on the Council for now that believe as we all do, that Burlingame is a gem that needs to be saved. You are right on Nirmala, she is a hand chosen Terry Nagel candidate and we do not need that right now in Burlingame. This is an important election and if we don’t do it now, we can kiss the Burlingame we all know and love, goodbye.

  20. Peter Garrison

    So for whom do we vote if we wish to stop the big building thing! Give me names.

  21. Joe

    Wait until you read about the disaster from last night’s meeting–more building downtown and I’m not talking about the Post Office yet either.

  22. Joe

    Since the newspapers are not “on the job” very closely, I checked with the City Clerk and two people have taken out nominating papers to run for City Council: Donna Colson and Emily Beach are likely candidates. We have seen people pull papers and not file them in the past, but I hear these two are in it for sure.

  23. Samiselfie

    I have never heard of them.
    Would like to find out where they stand on issues of importance in our city. Thank you for scooping the newspapers, Joe.

  24. Linda Lees Dwyer

    We need to elect people, who are able to seriously scrutinize the details and who are willing to look long term-very long term. People who will do the math-not focused on only the revenue, but looking at the the true costs to both the city and the citizens that will quickly appear, as all of this new construction begins. Where will the water come from for these new buildings? How will our streets handle the traffic? Our schools handle all of the new students? What will 101 look like for us? The on and off ramps? Will we need additional police? fire? city services? We need people who will really do the math. Every time I walk by the post office, I wonder how we let this incredible building go the way that it did and why the property looks so abandoned. We need fresh minds and the sooner, the better.

  25. Laura

    I’ve worked with Donna Colson on the Park and Rec Commission as well as on the Park and Rec Foundation and I for one am going to support her. She lives in the south part of Burlingame and is for keeping Burlingame free of mass construction. I’ve talked to her on these issues and I believe she will follow through with what she says. I will only support candidates this year that are for slowing down the growth and keeping Burlingame the quaint and special town we all love. Donna has my vote..

  26. beenhereforever

    There have to be some people out there with more vision and personality than Root or Nagel. She is just plain mean and well, not sure about the gray matter for the other. The present council is no better and maybe even worse than the council they rid us of. Think Galligan and company. Why is it that once a person is seated on little Burlingame’s council, he/she becomes holier than thou and doesn’t do one damn positive thing? Makes me sick. I say remove them all and start from scratch. Can’t be worse than what we presently have.

  27. Peter Garrison

    Let’s hear from Ms. Colson in this forum.

  28. fred

    In regards to the Post Office building, it was sold in a private sale for around $16 million. How is the city council responsible for anything to do with that? Or have any ability to prevent it from occurring?

  29. Emily Beach For Burlingame City Council!

    Fred, The Federal Government sold their property to the highest bidder, as they and other private property owners should be allowed to do. It’s the permitting/entitlements that the city planning staff review and that get presented to the planning commission and in the case of larger developments, go before the city council for approval after several community workshops and public hearings.
    So, if you like enabling individual citizens to have a voice in new major developments in Burlingame and in the Bay Area, then you should support a city council that respects individual rights and responsibility – not Jerry Brown & CO.
    This also means elect people to city council that won’t sell your individual rights down the river and give away our local voice and decision making power to the Association of Bay Area Governments, The High Speed Rail Board, The Grand Boulevard Initiative, and the rest of the Regional Boards, made up of all sorts of people that you’ve never met, never heard of, and that got elected by other communities, or perhaps just appointed by the labor unions to ensure a steady flow of new infrastructure and development projects to benefit their members and the construction companies that they own.
    This “Regionalism” directly usurps individual freedom and voice and hands your power directly to The Democratic Party also known as The Union Machine represented by Jerry Brown, which I often refer to as Jerry Brown & CO, because their real motivation is money in their own pockets, directly out of your pockets via ever mounting taxes and debt (future taxes).
    So, what does that mean for Burlingame and The Bay Area?
    Consider the value of enabling and protecting open debate of issues and restoring a balance of power and restoring ethical standards and behavior to the Burlingame City Council and other elected boards that YOU CAN influence with your vote, campaign contributions and sweat-equity.
    All this being said, and not seeing the full slate of candidates, I would highly endorse Emily Beach for Burlingame City Council.
    I’ve known Emily for several years, and she’s a smart, natural leader who has proven her selfless dedication to the Burlingame Community as The President of the BCE. http://www.bcefoundation.org/board-members/
    She’s proven, she’s very well respected, and she would restore balance and ethics to Burlingame (and also all those regional boards that Burlingame City Council members get appointed to).
    What do you think?
    Signed,
    One of The Regulars

  30. Resident

    What has she done besides BCE?

  31. Dave Mac

    This is a change election where ideals matter and experience does not. They can learn on the job.
    Can’t vote for Nirmala since she has ties to the current council.
    From what I’ve heard Beach sounds pretty good. Don’t know enough about Colson yet.
    Questions to ask:
    1) Are you for or against regionalism?
    2) What does your spouse do for a job?
    Endorsements from current council are a negative factor.

  32. P

    Dear Dave Mac…
    Whoever you are,
    I would like to start a discussion on this site regarding the obvious lack of Latin, or black candidates.
    It is not a big deal if the SF Chronicle, and other local newspapers addressed this fact.
    50 years plus, only white people have run for, and been elected to political City of Burlingame, positions.
    If one was to contact the City of Burlingame HR Dept. you would find out that 97.3% of all full time City of Burlingame employee’s are white.
    Public information.
    Check it out.
    I like white people as much as the next guy.
    Shop at any Major Corporation Store on Burlingame Ave, and every employee there is white.
    Hey Burlingame White Student, do your “term paper” on this issue and see if you can bring attention to an obvious cultural event.

  33. Junkie

    So elect Nirmala because she is South Asian regardless of ability? Now that IS racist. In her case, you can simply watch the Planning Commission meetings and judge for yourself. How do we judge the other two (for now)? No BCE or Girls Softball videos! The candidate forums are going to be interesting albeit nothing like last time. We need Alex, Pecimer, Cohen, Schenagle and the guy from CVS to add color. There’s still time for say Martos, DiMartini, Comoroto, Condon or perhaps Prendiville. This could still be entertaining. I’m afraid the three announced candidates will not be. For the Beach campaign: an Alex Kent endorsement may not be a good thing.

  34. Resident

    P is a racist pure and simple. Anyone can run so he or she claiming that non-whites are excluded is itself a racist comment. There is no room for that in our town and I reject his comment right off.

  35. local motion

    I can’t wait to see some change on the council and we will definitely get it since Nagel has announced she is NOT RUNNING. That is a very good thing for Burlingame. Can’t wait to hear from the new people.

  36. Samiselfie

    Does Donna live on the other side do the Caltrain track? East siders need someone who lives there.
    Laura, candidates will tell you anything to get elected.
    If you want you’re special quaint Burlingame, go to some planning commission meetings. That is where all this trouble starts. In fact I am watching a planning commission meeting tonight and and am wondering how NIRMELA even got a seat on the commission. She adds absolutely nothing to every discussion. All she asked is “have you spoken to the neighbors.” Nurmela is way over her head. It is evident by what she does not say and should say. There is no there there. How in heavens name does she think she can be on the city Council?
    As the only woman on the planning commission she’s an embarrassment to women. Terry Nagel promoted her to be on there and this is where we are. The men on the commission are doing all the talking and Nirmala sits very silently with a puzzled look on her face.
    Nirmala, go take Ann Keighran to lunch so she can give you some pointers.

  37. hillsider

    Amen. But you cannot teach a horse to fly, so lunch or no lunch she is useless as a planning commissioner.

  38. Joe

    I hear we may have a fourth entrant in the City Council race. I hear Eric Storey has picked up nomination papers to join the race between Nirmala Bandrapalli, Emily Beach and Donna Colson. As the only one who has run before, Nirmala spent almost $23K last time around for about 1,500 votes:
    http://www.burlingamevoice.com/2014/02/2013-council-candidates-spent-150gs#comments
    I would expect in a four horse race (so far) that would be the minimum ante this time around as well.

  39. Joe

    Here is the B’game specific bits of the DJ’s election round-up article linked to at the bottom:
    Election campaigns are preparing to ramp up for the fall election and San Mateo County voters are gaining a clearer vision of how the ballot will look, as the deadline for most candidates to declare their interest to run for public office has passed.
    The deadline expired Friday, Aug. 7, for candidates and ballot measures to be placed on the all-mail ballot for Election Day, Nov. 3.
    …………
    Incumbents Marc Friedman and Stephen Rogers will run again for their seats on San Mateo Union High School District Board of Trustees, and they will be opposed by educator Greg Land.
    ………………
    While the Dj notes that there is usually an extension of a couple days when an incumbent chooses not to run, my sources tell me that is not the case in B’game. That leaves us with:
    “Neither Terry Nagel nor John Root will run for re-election to the Burlingame City Council, leaving two seats available to volunteer Eric Storey, business owner Donna Colson, nonprofit executive Emily Beach and entrepreneur Nirmala Bandrapalli.
    Incumbent Mark Intrieri will run for re-election to the Burlingame Elementary School District Board of Trustees, while trustee Michael Barber will not seek re-election to his seat, but Florence Wong has declared interest in one of the two available seats.”
    ……………..
    Two incumbents on the San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees, Dave Mandelkern and Karen Schwarz, will run for two of the three seats available, as trustee Patricia Miljanich is not running for re-election. Nonprofit director Ramiro Maldonado and retired businessman Mark De Paula are running for a seat on the board as well.
    ………………..
    So there you have it–the slates for November.
    http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2015-08-08/ballots-nearly-set-for-fall-election-first-deadline-for-candidates-ballot-measures-before-voters-in-november/1776425148137

  40. Emily Beach is going to crush it!

    Emily Beach is going to crush it!

  41. Samiselfie

    Who is Emily Beach?
    Has she ever attended a city council meeting?
    What is her platform?
    I have never heard of her.

  42. Bruce Dickinson

    Guys, please, no victory laps before the first ballot has been cast. Ya ever hear of “coolers”? These were people employed by the Vegas casinos back in the day who had the opposite of what one would call the Midas touch, ya know what I mean? If gamblers stated taking the house to the cleaners, they’d send out their “coolers”, or people whose luck was so bad that their mere presence caused gamblers on a hot streak to cool off real fast and put a stop to the streaks. There are those where success self-perpetuates (such as Bruce Dickinson) and others where successes are few and far between. Let’s be careful with statements like someone is going to “crush it” and let things play out. Early victory laps are the death knell of campaigns, trust me I’ve seen it time and again, whether its at the small potatoes local politics level or where real power and billions of dollars are at stake at the highest echelons of power hierarchies. Nothing wrong with cheering and supporting, but no early victory laps. Once you cross the finish line then you can pop the corks!

  43. Joe

    BD, allow me to suggest the real work starts after one wins. The corks pop when one retires with honor verses getting beat for re-election. We have real challenges in town and a lot at stake to keep B’game at the top of its game–i.e. one of the most desirable towns on the Peninsula. Question no. 1 is are the candidates independent thinkers with backbone and the ability to see three steps past the vote to the unintended consequences? (I know you know this).

  44. 2015 Burlingame City Council Election – The Line Up

    Here’s the line-up so far for the 2015 Burlingame City Council Election:
    http://www.burlingame.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=12314
    I just donated $100 to Emily Beach for Burlingame City Council.

  45. Samiselfie

    I would like to hear more about what Emily Beach did in the business world and less about bce for a change. Just wondering.

Leave a Reply

RECENT COMMENTS

RECENT POSTS

CATEGORIES

ABOUT THE VOICE

The Burlingame Voice is dedicated to informing and empowering the Burlingame community.  Our blog is a public forum for the discussion of issues that relate to Burlingame, California.  Opinions posted on the Burlingame Voice are those of the poster and commenter and not necessarily the opinion of the Editorial Board.  Comments are subject to the Terms of Use.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All content subject to Copyright 2003-2026

Discover more from The Burlingame Voice

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading