By Richard Stone
Fresno City Council Member Steve Brandau’s office failed to respond to my requests for an interview, ignoring the access given by five fellow City Council members in recent months. My efforts included three phone messages and an appearance at his City Hall office. The last phone message stated that a lack of response would be construed to mean an unwillingness to talk with the Community Alliance. So taken.
Brandau’s role is to represent the interests of the whole city, not just the relatively few who voted for him. If actions indeed speak louder than words, this disdainful act of silence communicates powerfully.
As the express purpose of this set of interviews has been to glimpse the person behind the policies and the vision behind the decisions, it is unfortunate that Brandau has left us with only his record to evaluate him by (see below).
What We Know of Brandau
- He is affiliated with the Tea Party.
- He supported Measure G (trying to privatize residential trash pickup).
- He opposed expanding bike lanes.
- He is typically in alignment with the bloc on the Fresno City Council supporting business interests over neighborhood interests.
