The Inevitable Fail of Mayor Juan Gonzalez

I've been saying it for years and years. But now it seems like many in the community are finally figuring it out: San Leandro Mayor Juan Gonzalez is terrible.

From political corruption to moral cowardice. From selling out the city to big tech to silence on women's healthcare rights. From photo op facades, taking credit for the work of others, particularly women, to trying to hijack millions in taxpayer funds for pet projects and donor desires.

In fact, it's fair to say that Juan Gonzalez has presided over one of the most expensive, incompetent, and disastrous periods in San Leandro's modern political history. His lack of leadership and inability to govern resulted in not just dysfunction on the city council, but the waste of precious public resources towards pet projects and petty grievances.

Well, I think it's past time for me to share the 50+ receipts I have been saving for just this moment. And those just the ones I was able to save before they were moderated, dirty deleted, or otherwise removed from public view. Hell, that doesn't even cover the confidential reports I've received since 2022 from residents, individuals inside city hall, and even erstwhile allies of Gonzalez.

In no particular order, here's a top ten list of what I've found over the years:

1. Reportedly evicted a mother and her children, one of whom is autistic, during the pandemic. Later claimed to be an ally of special needs and neurodivergent folks at a public event. Then threatened to sue them because their friend revealed what happened.

2. Allegedly attempted to engage in campaign finance corruption and fraud, was caught, and then ridiculously claimed he was doing it to help the city. He bullied out the former head of the San Leandro Historical Society in the process (a prominent local woman leader).

3. Has been selling out the city to build destructive AI data centers. He's attempted to clean up this fact, but hasn't been completely successful.

4. Apparently he doesn't support gay marriage, women's healthcare, or equal protection for either. He told one constituent that he wasn't worried about the overturning of Roe v. Wade that curtailed abortion access. It has been whispered by fellow congregants at St. Leander's that Gonzalez doesn't support gay marriage.

5. Gonzalez allegedly encouraged his supporters to target local non-profits helping the community because of their ties to anyone who opposed his candidacy for mayor. This included widely beloved organization, Leadership San Leandro, which asked me to step down from their alumni board as a result of the harassment and threats against them.

6. He has made it clear that he doesn't support renters, preferring to argue with those who support affordable housing than coming up with solutions to our housing crisis. In fact, corporate landlords wish more politicians were like Gonzalez when it comes to leaving working folks unprotected from homelessness. His lies from the dais were, fortunately, a transparent failure since San Leandro has since adopted rent stabilization and is currently drafting tenant protections.

7. According to my sources, he reportedly threw a tantrum when he wasn't selected as the chair of the city's Community Advisory Budget Task Force and worked to undermine the woman who was voted in as chair, Rebecca Day Rodriguez. This was part of a pattern too of undermining progressive reforms championed by women and then taking credit for them after the fact when they worked. For example, the Community Police Review Board, fundraising for SLUSD, and even bringing new businesses and housing to the downtown area. (My sources chose to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation by Gonzalez, his family, and his supporters.)

8. Gonzalez has long trumpted his expeirence with "big four" accounting firm KPMG, which has been mired in scandals for decades This includes the time Gonzalez worked there, where he rose to the level of principal in "risk compliance and forensics." According to those who knew him at that time, he was allegedly involved in helping corporations and oligarchs dodge taxes, engage in fraud, and screw over workers. 

9. When women voters in the communtiy started pushing on Gonzalez about his failures over the misogyny and toxicity in city hall, he called them names. "The angry women of District 5." These were people who voted for him and were rightfully upset about the sexist attacks on women in city leadership, like current Councilwoman Xouhoa Bowen and former City Manager Fran Robustelli.

10. Gonzalez appears to be attempting to subvert public infrastructure funds meant to fix our crumbling streets in order to dump them all on repairing Lake Chabot Road, a $10+ million endeavor. While the road itself is built on active faults prone to hevy erosion and landslides, it borders the wealth Bay-O-Vista neighborhood where the mayor lives with his wife and other rich residents who funded his campaign. They're now working to muscle away taxpayer dollars on this road to nowhere for their personal use. Besides putting up a deceptive ballot measure, Gonzalez has continued to abuse his position to find/fund ever more biased studies that will give him some excuse to make for this deeply unpopular project. Notably, Gonzalez attempted to clear himself by directing the City Attorney to request an opinion from California's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), despite not providing them with all of the relevant information. (Another waste of public funds.) The FPPC demurred in large part, stating they were not providing any information about "other general conflict of interest prohibitions such as common law conflict of interest or Section 1090."

Now, to be fair, this only includes the stuff I have personally covered as an advocate and community organizer here for the past 6+ years. According to other residents, there's a lot more that we don't know and probably will never find out because of the mayor's bullying and alleged corruption. Still, major credit to activist writers like Gloria (Luna) Strohm for calling out the mayor. Major props also to James Maes for deciding to run and campaign for mayor against him. But, most especially, a huge welcome to those in the community finally seeing Mayor Gonzalez for exactly the fraudulent corrupt excuse for an elected official that he is.

I only hope that as more people continue to see the truth that our other elected officials, local leaders, and especially voters will start speaking out as well.

Until then, take note and take care.