Fly will miss Xavier Campos and all the joy he brought to our little Fly heart. In just four years as an elected official, the impish and finely lacquered San Jose councilman has had a knack for avoiding criminal charges despite a penchant for being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people. But apparently Fly isn’t the only one who will miss Baby X. In a stunning gesture, County Supervisor Cindy Chavez this week recommended East Side’s favorite punch line for a commendation for time served on the San Jose council. That may sound a bit odd, but it’s the perfect bureaucratic icing on the cake for a career sustained by the sheer will of others—one elected official wasting staff time and taxpayer money to honor another elected official who couldn’t ride 12 years of family incumbency to more than 2,744 votes in a re-election bid. While the item was noted on the Board of Supervisors agenda, it mysteriously went without comment at Tuesday’s meeting, as supervisors Mike Wasserman and Ken Yeager offered their own kudos to actual county employees. It’s unclear if the commendation was scrapped because Campos had a final council meeting to attend, or because he still could be called by county prosecutors to testify in the political mail fraud scandal perpetrated by George Shirakawa Jr. (allegedly) that helped get Campos into office. Fly placed a call to Chavez’s communications director, Jody Meacham, recently acquired after the two worked together at labor “think tank” Working Partnerships USA, but a receptionist said Meacham’s time at the county is already done. His quick exit follows the departure of predecessor Kerry Hillis, who has been MIA ever since San Jose Inside exposed his connection to an anonymous links blog. But wait! There’s still hope for Lil’ X. Word is he’s relieved to have a break from the spotlight but might consider a run for the state Assembly in 2016, allowing him to once again mimic the footsteps of big sis Nora Campos.
The Fly
Cindy Chavez Wants to Commend Xavier Campos on His 1 Term
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San Jose Councilman Xavier Campos invoked the Fifth amendment regarding a stolen election in 2010. (File photo)
I hope he runs for Assembly. Not because I want him to win — obviously he’s about as corrupt as a politician can get, and it would be horrifying if he was elected to the state legislature. He probably would end up in Leland Yee’s shoes if he was enough of a bigshot for the FBI to test his amorality with a gun-running proposition. But characters like him are too fascinating to NOT be in the public spotlight.
If you want idiots on reality TV, tune into Bravo. Assembly is no place for corrupt idiots.
Why is this kind of nasty column necessary? He lost reelection. So a political ally wants to commend him for serving the community. Why kick him when he is down? Isn’t losing his election this year the remedy for concerns people had about his service?
How’s this for an answer..
Maybe because we’re all sick of seeing scandal ridden people elected to office. Maybe because we’re tired of seeing said scandal ridden people given free pass after free pass for their transgressions. Maybe we’re sick of seeing people propped up into position not because of their integrity or qualifications, but because of their race, or who they know.
Maybe we’re sick of seeing elected officials give the sign of the cross while saying, “All is forgiven” At the end of the day, we deserve better representation. We deserve a person to represent us, and not some cobbled together public image.
Sure, Xavier is a nice guy, I can’t say he’s ever been disrespectful or unfriendly or unhelpful towards me. Despite that though, he didn’t deserve to be in office in the first place.
Kudo’s to SJI for bringing these issues to light.
Can we simply let MACSA die in peace? X Compos and the rest of those elitists that were spawned there, will soon be gone for lack of enablement. Ester Medina and her side kick Blanca Alvarado, ruled the East Side, far to long.
It is time to flush the east of san Jose, and those in the downtown that supported that selfish form of politics, out of our lives forever.
65 % drop out rate of Hispanics, will soon become a thing of the past.
Our beloved downtown has become a ghetto, just like Oakland and San Francisco.
Reed has left office along with his sunshine. Wonderful to see the clouds move in and bring much needed tears of joy.
Dave Cortese, please keep an eye on our new mayor.
You need to change your name to “the Village idiot”
most likely you’re suffering from some sort of brain damage
Death,
You are either Sam Licarrdo, posting or Ester Medina and her spawned off springs, screaming for the same power of corruption.
Bring it On! Death!!!
Nobody familiar with Cindy Chavez’s public history should be surprised — much less stunned — by her proposal to honor corrupt councilman Xavier Campos. Recall her support of corrupt councilman Terry Gregory. Recall the backroom deals she and Ron Gonzales cut while they were vice-mayor and mayor. Recall her support for corrupt supervisor George Shirikawa Jr. Recall her bringing in corrupt prosecutor Ben Field to lead the labor council when his law license was taken away. One indication that Ms. Chavez’s influence might be declining was the narrow defeat of Dave Cortese in his run for mayor. In itself, his endorsement of Xavier Campos in the primary probably cost him more than enough votes to give the election to Sam Liccardo.
Cindy Chavez, Ben Field, the SBLC, the Campos family, and Ron Gonzales don’t have the clout that Jimmy Hoffa and Mayor Daly the elder had; but they all have the corruption and mendacity parts down cold.
Ooops! I forgot to mention George Shirakawa Jr. I must be getting old.