They Said It

John Gooding Said it:

"Council Member Harper Has A Guru"

Politics in Emeryville have produced quite a lot of hyperbole over the years. At the Tattler, we occasionally post quotable quotes from Emeryville personalities since where we've been can sometimes inform where we're going.

Shortly after then Planning Commissioner Greg Harper said he expected Emeryville Marketplace developer Dave Martin of the Martin Group to help pay for Bay Street improvements in trade for OK'ing the incipient Marketplace development, Mr Harper won a council bid. Stung by this and other moves 'against' Mr Martin, John Gooding; Emeryville political power broker, friend of Mr Martin and tenant at the marketplace development, subsequently began an attempt to recall Council member Harper.

Mr Gooding's charges of Mr Harper's radical anti-developer bias fell on deaf ears in Emeryville despite a yellow 'newspaper' financed by Mr Martin, set up expressly to recall Mr Harper. No doubt irritated that the electorate didn't seem to have a taste for a recall, especially when Mr Harper was clearly working in the best interests of the residents, Mr Gooding printed an expose story in the free city-wide home delivered newspaper exposing that "Council member Harper has a guru", perhaps wishing to paint guru possession as flakey or somehow vaguely un-American.

The recall effort ultimately failed.

It should be noted that Councilman Harper at the time didn't have a 'guru', at least as far as the Tattler has been able to surmise, although his wife had/has interest in the hindu faith.

Mr Gooding has threatened to sue the Tattler if there are stories about him posted.

In a related story, colleagues on the council, save one, signed a letter of support for Mr Harper after the blistering attacks by Mr Gooding and Mr Martin. The lone holdout who would not sign was none other than current Council member Nora Davis. It is unknown whether Ms Davis still believes having a guru necessarily makes one unfit for the Emeryville city council.