Editor:
I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible work that Supervisor Joel Engardio has done for our district. My husband and I truly appreciate his dedication to addressing the issues that impact our community, from tackling illegal camping to improving public safety.
Beyond his policy achievements, he has been accessible and proactive in reaching out to residents. For example, he regularly publishes newsletters to keep residents apprised of important community events and highlight the issues that matter most to our neighborhood. He lifts up the best that our community has to offer.
He also truly cares about fostering a sense of community among residents. We’ve loved participating in events like the Sunset Night Market, which not only bring neighbors together but also showcase the amazing small businesses that make our district unique.
It’s refreshing to have a supervisor who actually delivers on his promises and takes real action to improve our neighborhoods. In just a short time, he has accomplished more for our district than any supervisor in recent memory, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
That’s why it’s disheartening to see the recall effort against him. I hope our community can look beyond one policy disagreement and appreciate the significant contributions he’s made – and continues to make – to our district. The recall process should not be misused to punish a dedicated supervisor working tirelessly to improve our community.
Joel Engardio has earned the right to serve out his term, and I am proud to support him. I encourage my neighbors to reject this recall and let him keep doing the great work we elected him to do.
Vickie Chan, D4 resident
Categories: letter to the editor
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 
First off, community engagement? More like community evasion! A friend of mine waited over an hour to talk with Engardio about the aftermath of Prop K, only for him to arrive late, claim he didn’t feel safe around a group of 60-70-year-old women, and promptly make his escape. That’s not engagement—that’s downright disrespectful.
Another friend has been struggling with a homeless encampment problem on her property, with people defecating on her yard, and her concerns have fallen on Engardio’s deaf ears.
And don’t even get me started on the Prop K fiasco. This was a major decision that has significantly negatively impacted the community, and it’s frankly astonishing that anyone would try to downplay its importance. Moreover, far from making our community safer, Engardio’s Prop K is likely to have the opposite effect. The new traffic signal at 41st and Lincoln has already been the subject of numerous complaints, with residents expressing concerns about red light running and pedestrian safety that have fallen on deaf ears.
The fact that Engardio is pushing forward with Prop K despite these legitimate safety concerns is yet another example of his disregard for the well-being of his constituents. We deserve a leader who prioritizes our safety, not one who puts us at risk for the sake of a misguided policy
Engardio’s behavior extends beyond these instances—his treatment of people who oppose him on social media is appalling. He constantly silences dissenting opinions and employs biased moderators and trolls on Nextdoor and Facebook to do his bidding.
Furthermore, not everyone in the community appreciates these so-called ‘community events’ like the Sunset Night Market. The street closures, noise, and disruptions associated with these events can be a major inconvenience for residents, making it clear that Engardio’s efforts are not as universally appreciated as the original commenter suggests.
Furthermore, the millions of taxpayer dollars being spent on fighting the recall campaign could have been better utilized to address pressing social issues that affect our entire community, such as providing essential services for those in need.
The fact of the matter is, Engardio has proven himself to be a divisive figure in our community, ignoring the concerns of those who disagree with him and pushing forward with policies that only benefit a select few. His actions speak volumes, and it’s time for us to recognize that he’s not the leader we need.
Bottom line: Supervisor Engardio has repeatedly shown that he doesn’t listen to the concerns of D4 residents, and many of us feel like he simply doesn’t care. From his dismissive attitude towards those opposed to Prop K, to his neglect of pressing issues like homeless encampments and traffic safety, it’s clear that Engardio is more interested in advancing his own agenda than in serving the community that elected him.
As residents of D4, we deserve a leader who is truly committed to listening, understanding, and addressing our concerns. Unfortunately, Engardio has failed to live up to that expectation, and it’s time for us to demand better.
LikeLike
Wow, where to even start. There are a lot of exaggerations, misleading statements, and outright mistruths here, Wendy. I understand and respect that we may not see eye-to-eye on some of these issues, but I think it’s important to clarify a few things so that a discussion of these issues is based on accurate facts.
First off, “constantly silencing dissenting opinions and employing biased moderators and trolls on Nextdoor and Facebook” is a very bold claim that needs evidence to back it up. Those platforms have community moderation rules–any perceived bias on there is more likely those rules being enforced than Joel Engardio personally going in an “silencing” people or…somehow employing “trolls” to do his bidding? I’m not even sure what the accusation is here. It’s also worth pointing out that the vast majority of the posts and comments on those sites are very against Engardio. Like, SO many of them. If there’s any “bias” it definitely goes the other way than what you’re suggesting…
I could address the misleading aspects of your other points…for example, the recall is what’s going to cost taxpayers like you and I money, not Engardio’s fight against it, and the night markets have been very widely popular, and Engardio has held multiple public meetings, attended neighborhood events, and consistently makes himself available to constituents…
But the main point I want to make is this: misinformation deepens divides in our neighborhood. You’re entitled to your opinion, but you’re not entitled to spreading mistruths without being respectfully corrected.
LikeLike
Another outright falsehood in your response is the claim that Engardio has hosted town halls and community engagements. I challenge you to provide specific dates, times, and agendas for these supposed events, because the reality is that he has failed to engage meaningfully with the community, especially when it comes to the Prop K debacle.
And even if he has held any events, they have often been by invitation only, which is hardly a genuine effort to engage with the community. The truth is, Engardio is afraid to face his constituents because he knows he has betrayed their trust. If he truly cared about listening to the community, he would have hosted open, accessible events and taken the concerns of all residents seriously, instead of hiding behind closed doors and invitation-only gatherings.
And let’s not forget that Engardio didn’t even bother to show up to the naming contest for the Upper Great Highway park last month, despite heavily promoting it on his social media channels. Actions speak louder than words, and this absence speaks volumes about his lack of commitment to truly engaging with his constituents and being involved in the community.
It’s important to understand that there’s a difference between having a simple disagreement and perpetuating toxicity. If Engardio truly cared about all of his constituents, as he claims to, then you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation. But his actions—from ignoring concerns about Prop K, to failing to engage with the community, to promoting a toxic environment on social media—demonstrate that he’s more interested in advancing his own agenda than in serving the people he was elected to represent.
The fact that you’re attacking me, instead of engaging in a productive conversation about the concerns I’ve raised, speaks volumes. It suggests that you’re more interested in blindly defending Supervisor Engardio and his policies than in listening to the valid concerns of other constituents. This kind of dismissive attitude only serves to further divide our community and stifle meaningful dialogue about the issues that affect us all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Let me explain this to you in simpler terms:
It’s like, Joel pushed for Prop K, which ended up causing a lot of problems for the people he’s supposed to be representing. It’s like he kinda stabbed us in the back, right?
Now that we’re understandably upset about the whole Prop K situation, Joel’s all like, “Why are you guys mad at me? I didn’t do anything wrong!” He’s basically playing the victim and refusing to take responsibility for his actions.
And to make matters worse, instead of trying to fix things or listen to our concerns, Joel is lashing out and blaming us for being upset. It’s like he’s trying to manipulate us into feeling guilty for calling him out on his bad decisions.
I’m genuinely curious, why is it so difficult for you to understand that Joel’s actions have caused harm to the community and that people are upset about it? It’s clear that his decision to push for Prop K has had negative consequences, and instead of taking responsibility and working to fix the situation, he’s blaming the community for being upset. Don’t you think it’s important for our elected officials to be accountable for their actions and to listen to the concerns of their constituents?
I can’t help but feel that you’re dismissing the experiences and concerns of people like me who have been negatively affected by Joel’s actions. It’s like you’re implying that our opinions and experiences don’t matter, or that we’re just being unreasonable for expressing our dissatisfaction. But we’re the people who elected Joel to represent us, and we deserve to be heard and respected, even if our views don’t align with his. Ignoring or belittling our concerns only serves to further damage the relationship between elected officials and their constituents.”
Contrary to what some of Engardio’s supporters may claim, recalls are not frivolous or initiated simply because people have nothing better to do. Recalls are serious, costly, and time-consuming processes, and the fact that one has been initiated against Engardio should serve as a wake-up call that there are legitimate concerns about his leadership.
Those who have initiated this recall effort are not doing so for fun or out of spite. They are doing so because they believe that Engardio has failed to listen to the community and to act in their best interests. In a democracy, recalls are a tool that can be used to hold elected officials accountable when other means have failed, and it’s important that we respect the right of constituents to pursue this option
LikeLike
Wendy, I am very confused why you think Nextdoor and Facebook moderation policy is under the control of Joel Engardio? I’m sorry you’re having a bad time online, but you’re coming across as a conspiracy theorist here.
LikeLike
And just to add a personal note, today my friend got banned from Nextdoor for posting something that was objectively harmless, but was perceived as offensive by pro-Engardio moderators. This kind of thing is happening all the time, and it’s not a conspiracy theory to point out that dissenting opinions are being silenced.
So please, let’s stop pretending that this isn’t a real problem. We need to have honest conversations about how to ensure that all voices are heard and respected, regardless of their political affiliations or opinions on local issues.
On a personal note, I’m really tired of the term ‘conspiracy theorist’ being thrown around anytime someone disagrees with Engardio or raises valid concerns about his actions. It’s a cheap way to avoid having a real conversation about the issues at hand, and it’s incredibly disrespectful to those of us who are trying to engage in good faith.
We can disagree without resorting to name-calling or dismissive labels. Assuming that anyone who opposes Engardio is just stupid or a conspiracy theorist is a lazy way to avoid actually grappling with the substance of our concerns.
And to you, directly, let me just say that your attempts to gaslight me into believing that my concerns are baseless or unfounded have failed. I know what I’ve experienced and I know what’s happening in my community. You can try to dismiss me as a conspiracy theorist or as someone who’s just too stupid to understand the situation, but I’m not buying it.
My concerns are valid, and they deserve to be heard and taken seriously. I hope that you and others who support Engardio will eventually come to see that, and that we can have a real conversation about how to make our community better for everyone.
LikeLike
FYI, I was reading your letter, and seeing you talk about Engardio’s accessibility raised my eyebrow. I haven’t seen any evidence of Engardio’s efforts to engage with his constituents in ANY meaningful ways. So, I posted on Nextdoor and Facebook, asking about recent town halls or community events hosted by Engardio. Twelve hours later, NO ONE was able to provide any examples. In fact, the closest thing to a viable answer was this: “He met with us about 10 months ago in our building lobby. All he did was dismiss the issue of closing the GHWY, stating that the BOS had voted for it and provided us with the results of the votes. He said it was under the jurisdiction of the Coastal Commission. That, to me, spoke volumes about his lack of transparency.”
If you’d like to see the conversations for yourself, I invite you to join Nextdoor and Facebook, where you can view the posts and responses firsthand. Perhaps this could shed some additional light on the matter.
LikeLike