Feb 12, 2004

District 10 candidate countdown: Rich De La Rosa

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

For the past month, a small motor home has been anchored in the Safeway parking lot every Saturday, adorned with campaign posters and maps of District 10. Primarily used as the family recreation vehicle, it now doubles as campaign headquarters. While his wife sits nearby, greeting visitors and handing out literature, Rich De La Rosa walks the streets—knocking on doors and getting to know the residents of District 10. It’s a personal approach to campaigning he hopes will gain the vote of every hand he shakes along the way.

His goal is simple—to bring common-sense politics back to City Hall, yet he knows the road to fruition will be a long one, but worth it.

In a classic David and Goliath story, De La Rosa’s interest in politics was triggered by a similar battle—protecting the little guys against the development giants and defeating City Hall during the eminent domain scandal that rocked the Tropicana Shopping Center. “The hurdle we had to overcome in that battle was the system itself,” he says. “We have a redevelopment agency that was very derelict in its duties. Had they been forthright, honest and transparent, we could have solved this problem without it costing the city millions of dollars.”

De La Rosa is quick to point out that the Tropicana victory is what got him involved in city politics, but it’s not what his candidacy is about. “There are some valuable lessons that can be learned from that and we can apply them to citywide issues,” he says.

Others seem to agree. With backing from termed out Councilmember Pat Dando, County Supervisor Don Gage, San Jose Chamber CEO Jim Cunneen, Santa Clara County Sheriff Lauri Smith, Evergreen Community College Trustee Dawn Wright and former Councilmember John Diquisto, De La Rosa hopes to be well be on his way to a victory in March.

Dando admits she’s giving him her nod because he is an active local businessman who supports youth programs. “He has earned my support,” she says. “He’ll be a strong voice for our neighborhoods.”

However, De La Rosa feels that the Tropicana issue has caused some grief in his campaign, as other councilmembers who saw differently will most likely lend support elsewhere. “I’m an independent voice and I think they fear that,” he says. “I will not stand by them simply because they think it’s a good idea. I have to think it’s a good idea. I’ve learned that from Pat Dando and Chuck Reed—people who really care about doing the right thing.”

If elected, De La Rosa hopes to use his problem solving experience to make San Jose a more business friendly city by creating an environment for business incubators, new jobs and a better economy. He plans to use his seat to speak out against redevelopment abuse, fight for a constitutional amendment that would prevent the state legislature from taking local funds, attack the Community Benefits Initiative, push for youth sports in Almaden and work to ease traffic ills on Branham Avenue, the Almaden Expressway/85 interchange and the Chenoyeth/87 juncture. “We’ve got to get experts involved and find a solution to traffic—make it a priority.” he says. “The main issue is to keep people moving.”

Upholding public protection remains at the top of his list as budget cuts continue to threaten the police and fire departments. “We have the least amount of public protection in the city,” De La Rosa says. “Making sure that we hold on to our title of safest big city in America is very important to me. I’m worried that they’re going to try to make cuts in our police and fire and I don’t believe that’s where you do it. You don’t make cuts that endanger our quality of life.”

De La Rosa admits his success will lie with the experts around him. “The job of a City Council person is to make decisions,” he says. “We’re not experts necessarily on issues regarding the city. I’m not a traffic engineer, but I can get the best traffic engineers in here. I’m not an educator, but I can certainly get the educators around me who know what’s right to do. As a councilman, you cannot put arrogance and pride in the way of good decisions. With the community’s help and the help of experts, we can make the right decisions.”

Considered a hands-on kind of guy, if elected De La Rosa plans to hold regular meetings throughout District 10 to encourage community input and involvement. “We were given two ears and one mouth, so we need to listen twice as much as we speak,” he says. “It’s important that Councilmembers listen to what the community needs are. The only way to do that is to get out there.”

Born and raised in San Jose, De La Rosa has a passion for the city he has always called home and wants to fight to make it better. Along with his wife Misty, they have raised four children, Rich Jr., Amber, Alicia and Nikki. Three-year-old Danny will be their fifth. His quest for city politics stems in part from his vision for his children’s future. “I worry about my kids and whether they’ll be able to stay in the area with good paying jobs and have a home to buy,” he says. “It certainly is a personal challenge to have something to do with the city that I was born and raised in—that I love.”