This is a letter to the editor I wrote which was published today in the San Mateo Daily Journal. I’m using the version I submitted, as the Journal munged up the original’s formatting, probably to save space.
In the interest of transparency, I got to know David Canepa when I was on the San Carlos City Council…and I am endorsing Jim Irizarry to be San Mateo County’s chief elections officer and assessor-county clerk-recorder.
A slick, four-page political mailer supporting David Canepa’s campaign to be County Assessor/Clerk/Recorder arrived the other day. What’s interesting is who paid for it: not Canepa, but the Coalition for Patient Access and Innovation, sponsored by California Life Sciences.
Who is California Life Sciences? We don’t know. Their website says they’re a consortium of biotech companies, but you can only see their roster if you become a member.
While Citizens United is one of the worst decisions ever handed down, I staunchly defend everyone’s right to express political views. But knowing who is expressing those views lets the rest of us better judge them.
San Mateo County has a history of biotech companies going to great lengths to minimize their property taxes. That, too, is lawful. But it’s easier for a powerful, wealthy biotech company to succeed than a small business or homeowner.
Even with that advantage, I can tell you – as a former biotech CFO myself — it’s always helpful to have a friendly person on the other side of that negotiating table. Well worth the cost of an expensive mailer.