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Community Corner

Will Millbrae Officials Be Traveling To China Again?

China Opportunity Silicon Valley held a mayor roundtable. Our City Manager Marcia Raines was in attendance this past March 10, 2014. See below:

http://chinasv.org/en/china-opportunity-silicon-valley-cities-mayors-round-table-conference/

If you remember correctly, our sister city commission took a trip this past November in which Ms. Raines joined the group. There was insistence from supporters that this trip was solely from sister city commission funds raised from events such as the Lunar New Year Dinner. My criticism comes from the possibility that city funds in terms of salary went to diverting our City Manager's attention away from our city.

This new development that another trip to China might be eminent in June for our City Manager is troubling to me.

Many residents are expressing concern now not only about dangerous traffic situations, but about the entire Tai Wu situation as a whole.

I don't feel it is appropriate for a city employee to conduct this kind of business on behalf of our city. In lieu of the mayor, I feel the vice-mayor, a council member, or a member of the sister cities commission should have been sent to this round table.

I feel we have so many problems domestically in Millbrae such as the Plan Millbrae meetings and the situation with Tai Wu, the priorities of sending people on another trip to China is backwards. We have a development happening near BART that will impact the quality of life and economic future of Millbrae for decades - this clearly is the number one priority.

Residents should question the motivations for this second trip to China in less than a year. In my prior article below I questioned the need to establish relationships with wealthy business owners such as the owner of Luk Fook Jewelry, factor owners, and property developers. How is this beneficial to Millbrae?

http://millbrae.patch.com/groups/opinion/p/my-thoughts-on-the-sister-city-commission-to-china

Mayor Wayne Lee opined about potentially opening some form of "trade office" at the city council meeting that November.

I don't believe it is appropriate to worry about the needs of foreign trade in China when our residents are up in arms about a city government that doesn't care about OUR wants and needs or improving our quality of life by proper city planning.

UPDATE 5/26:
http://chinasv.org/china-trip-sponsor/

PDF document at this link shows that Robert Gottschalk as the attending mayor on behalf of Millbrae, not the City Manager who appears to just be in attendance at the meeting.

This organization was founded one year ago:
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/06/29/non-profit-formed-to-promote-chinese-investment-in-silic...

“The predictions are that $10 to $60 billion of Chinese investment s going to flow to California over the next 10 years. This will help us attract Chinese companies and investment to Silicon Valley to create jobs and fill empty space and get even more development projects going,” Walesh said.

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