Welcome!
My name is Mark Olbert, and I’m a former member of the San Carlos, California City Council. This was my site for staying in touch with my constituents. My last day on the Council was December 14, 2020.
It’s now a platform I use to address local and regional issues that my neighbors may find interesting.
Here you’ll find my blog, links to articles about municipal issues, and material that will help you understand my Council work and my current views. All these can be accessed through the menu links at the top of every page.
If you’d like to be automatically notified when new content is added to this site just click the Subscribe button at the top of any page. If you’re already a subscriber you can use the Subscribe button to edit your subscription options.
Enjoy! And if you have a moment, drop me a line to let me know what’s on your mind.

Playing Hide the Football
This is an op ed I wrote which was published in the Palo Alto Daily News on March 3, 2022. It relates to the departure,
Basic Economic Realities
This is a letter to the editor I wrote which was published in the San Mateo Daily Journal on March 3, 2022. Editor: Basic economic

Treating People Like Mushrooms
This is a public comment I made at the February 28, 2022 City Council meeting. It relates to nearly $2,000,000 of expenditures by Silicon Valley

The City of Good Living for the Well Off
This is a letter to the editor I wrote which was published in the San Mateo Daily Journal on 2/23/2022. Editor: When I was on
Hard Truths
This was published as an op ed in the January 24, 2022. edition of the San Mateo Daily Journal. It’s surprising people are congratulating the

The Trillion Dollar Club
Long-time readers of this blog will recall my last State of the City address focused on just how gigantic the Bay Area economic powerhouse is.