Bob Dillon, Top Pick of the Gilroy Dispatch, 10/20/05

By Robert T. Dillon

Read our local paper's endorsement of Bob Dillon as their top pick!

He's our clear top choice in this race. The plain spoken and articulate incumbent clearly struggles with tough decisions about what's best for the city. He won election in 2001 after giving up his 11-year run as a local columnist in The Dispatch.

Dillon understands that the city is on a dangerous path with regards to binding arbitration. He has lately hedged his bet on the issue, but we hope that's simply a temporary lapse from his usual rock-solid pragmatism. Said Dillon: "... pluses in the city budget aren't necessarily the property of bargaining units. They belong to the citizens. I believe our public safety people are well compensated and have good benefits." He's exactly right and his position is not confrontational, but practical. In practice, Dillon has been a staunch supporter of the police and fire departments. Because of that, and in spite of his position against binding arbitration, he won the endorsement of the police officers. The firefighters, unfortunately, could not look beyond their sacred-cow wedge issue.

Dillon, 58, operates his own process serving business. He is a former library commissioner who has stay involved in the Herculean effort to secure more funding to expand the Gilroy library. though that effort to date has been unsuccessful, his efforts are indicative of his commitment to the community.

He opposed the plan to build higher-density housing on Miller Avenue and, in a politically risky move, decided not to include a 200-word statement in ballot pamphlets sent to every voter thus saving the city $1,500 in filing fees. His righteous protest of exorbitant fees imposed by the county registrar of voters reflects the best Dillon has to offer: Positions based on principle.

That fits in with his determination to fix the city's sidewalks. Dillon, frustrated by the lack of city action, can't understand why the city won't clean up its own mess and use its outstanding credit rating to borrow against future revenues and fix the city's crumbling sidewalks en masse. It's typical of his no-nonsense, understandable approach.

Dillon gives residents a clear view on how he reaches positions, and those positions make sense. Gilroyans should re-elect him.