Letter to the Editor: Gilroy's City Council is Stronger Because of Dion Bracco

Dear Gilroy Patch Editor,

The recent Gilroy Dispatch article stated correctly what I said, and yes I did hang up, in disgust, when they asked me to comment on Dion Bracco.

Over the last few years I have imposed myself into city politics over a few issues: sidewalks, Best of the Best, and MediLeaf, to name a few.  

Some suggested to me a fear that, "You can't fight city hall" and that I shouldn't do what I did, but I continued without fear (and I give Mark Derry and the Dispatch a lot of the credit because at the time they supported me when I spoke out about these issues. Without them, I would have been just another Joe Blow, so, I have a lot to thank Mr. Derry and the Dispatch for).

However, when I see a great injustice done by anyone including the Gilroy Dispatch, my allegiance has to be to the truth. To do otherwise would not be fair to my character, integrity and credibility. To those who both agree and disagree with me, at least they can know and depend on where I consistenly stand.

When I started this journey I looked at certain individuals on the dais of Gilroy's city hall as either enemies or friends. It seemed to be simple, but it wasn't. Some of those that I trusted turned out to be not worthy of my trust, while others admitted to making mistakes and worked to correct them.

Councilman Bracco and Mayor Al Pinheiro, who I originally looked at with a jaded eye, have instead turned out to be exactly the opposite of what I first assumed them to be. Instead, they have poured their hearts out to do the best they could for our city. And, they did this at the expense of some trying to destroy their credibility, judgement and character.

I know Mr. Bracco and he is a very good man. Most of you know how I feel about substance abuse, including marijuana. Early on Mr. Bracco confided in me that he did have a past with drugs and that he had gone to the Beacon House in Pacific Grove to rehabilitate and get over his terrible addiction to drugs. Because of his life experience, he new that the message the city council would be sending to our kids was very important and he voted "no" at every single opportunity.

So, instead of Dion trying to hide his past, he was open and honest. As an FYI, many of the associates that I work with are ex-addicts including Bishop Ron Allen of the International Faith Based Coalition (crack), Alexandria Datig of Nipitinthebud (a former Heidi Fleiss prostitute and drug addict) and so many others who have turned their lives around and are now pillars of their communities.

The very fact that Dion's life at one time included substance abuse has saved many others in our city from suffering the same experience because luckily he was in a position to vote over and over and over again "no" to allowing a marijuana dispensary within our city limits.

So, to those who object to Mr. Bracco's past, some day you will count your blessings that we had him sitting on our dais because of his past and life's experience. He has experienced what drugs do to not only the individual but to those around him—he has the whole picture. And he can be trusted to, "Just say no."

Dion has gone through the School of Hard Knocks, and he has graduated with a Ph.D, making our city a much better place.

Thank you Dion. 

Sincerely,

Ron Kirkish, Gilroy citizen and programs coordinator for the Northern Region's Californians for a Drug-Free Youth.