Cupertino DailyCity of Cupertino Council Elections
By Bryan Zhang, Contributor
With the Cupertino Council Elections coming up on the 3rd of November, campaigning by the candidates has gone in full swing. I had a chance to sit with several of the candidates at the newly opened Bonjour Crepe Co. on Stevens Creek and ask them a series of questions ranging from the local economy to diversity in Cupertino.
Interview with Orrin Mahoney
My first interview was with none other than the mayor of Cupertino himself, Orrin Mahoney. As a resident of Cupertino for over 35 years, Mr. Mahoney has been involved with all facets of Cupertino. He has been on the De Anza commission, spent 8 years on the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce, 10 years on the Cupertino Rotary, and was 2005’s Cupertino Citizen of the Year. I was able to sit with him before the chamber ribbon cutting of the newly opened Bonjour Crepe Co. on Stevens Creek.
BZ: Thank you for taking the time to join me today. You’ve lived in Cupertino for a long time. What are the biggest changes in Cupertino in the past 35 years?
OM: There have been many changes. There are these big companies here now and the city has become much more affluent. In addition, the level of diversity in the community has increased as well. 30 years ago we basically had two groups in the area, now we have a nice mix of different people.
BZ: Couldn’t you say it’s dominated by two groups now as well?
OM: Well, over the past few years we have seen a significant rise in the Indian and Chinese population here in Cupertino. It wasn’t like that before. When you speak of just two groups, I think it’s a little misleading as there are many different ethnicities within those two groups. It’s that level of ethnicity that has increased.
BZ: Would you support an effort to encourage other minorities to move to Cupertino?
OM: I don’t see it as an issue. Of course anyone is welcome to come and live here- and they have over the years. We have some of the top schools in the county and are a very affluent city. I don’t see a need to actively recruit specific minorities as everyone is welcome to come live here.
BZ: How have your experiences prepared you for this job?
OM: I’ve been involved in many aspects of Cupertino life. I’ve worked at HP for 35 years, including 25 in Cupertino. I have served on the De Anza school commission and have been on the Chamber of Commerce Board. I’ve also been the President of the Rotary Club. One of the things I got to do while in the Rotary Club was go to China which was a wonderful experience. I believe my wide range of experiences and expertise can greatly benefit the people of Cupertino.
BZ: Cupertino doesn’t have a standard downtown area like other cities. Do you think that’s a problem?
OM: Well, that is an issue of the way Cupertino is set up. There isn’t really a way to have your standard downtown area. However, we have been looking at a “Town Square” project. This would essentially act as an area where people can congregate and shop. It would basically be a large plot of land with a road running through it and four more roads running across.
BZ: How will this “Town Square” project affect Cupertino Square?
OM: Cupertino Square has been in disarray for quite some time now. The owners have had some financial trouble but I would support efforts to revitalize that area considering it is on prime land. New restaurants and a movie theater were added. Rather than treat each as a separate project, I would look to link both Cupertino Square and the area we are developing.
BZ: There is a good mixture of large and small businesses in Cupertino. How would you go about balancing the needs of each?
OM: Large businesses play a vital role in the local economy due to the taxes they pay. We have to be able to accommodate them if they wish to expand. Losing Symantec wasn’t an ideal situation but we have a healthy relationship with the other large businesses in the city. Small businesses also play a central part of Cupertino and they should definitely not be ignored. Rather than looking at it as a big business vs. small business, I would see it as a relationship. Helping our large businesses could only help the small businesses.
BZ: Would you ever welcome a store like Wal-Mart?
OM: If anything I would think a Costco would be more of a store Cupertino would have. Finding available space would be a challenge but it’s something I would support. Of course nothing is planned but a Costco in the future is definitely a possibility.
BZ: That about sums everything up. Thank you again for taking the time to chat with me before the ribbon cutting here at Bonjour Crepe.
OM: It was my pleasure.
Tags:
