Editor:
Joel Engardio repeatedly claims that he shouldn’t be recalled over a single issue – the deceitful way he secretly placed the Prop K closure of the Upper Great Highway on the Nov. 2024 ballot against the wishes of his constituents. The recall is about HIM, and his lack the character and integrity.
But nothing, in this writer’s opinion, rises to the duplicity of Engardio’s attempt to lie in the Voter Pamphlet for the Nov. 2024 election. This should, by itself, be sufficient reason to declare any candidate unfit for office.
First, some background: After his constituents were shocked to learn that Joel had secretly added Prop. K to the ballot on the last day a measure could be added, Engardio paternalistically claimed he was giving his constituents a voice in the decision and the Board of Supervisors (BOS), under Pilot Project, would likely vote to permanently close the highway at the end of 2025.
On his website, he wrote, “A majority of the BOS currently supports closing the GH between Lincoln and Sloat. . . . That’s why I believe we must let voters have a say this November.” He personally wrote to me that “all signs point to the BOS” voting to permanently close the UGH at the end of the Pilot Project. This was his supposed rationale for Prop K.
Imagine my surprise in when I read a letter from Joel to the Ballot Simplification Committee (BSC), wherein he suggested language that said a “no vote on K” win would REOPEN the highway to vehicles every day of the week at the end of the Pilot Project. Here is the excerpt from his letter to the BSC dated July 23, 2024:
“I suggest this revision to ensure that voters understand what will happen when the pilot program ends: When the pilot program ends, the Upper Great Highway will return to its use before the pandemic and be open to private motor vehicles and will not be open as a public open recreation space at any time during the week.”
– Joel Engardio
Note that he says WILL return to its use before the pandemic, not a conditional may, might or could. Technically, the BOS could vote that way, but that is not what Engardio repeatedly said the BOS would do! To manipulate a “yes” vote, he wanted the Voter Pamphlet to say the highway would permanently OPEN to all vehicles 24/7 if “no” won. To its credit, the BSC rejected this language.
This attempt speaks to his desperation to please real estate developers and wealthy investors and thwart the needs of his constituents. Can his words be trusted? Do we want a supervisor who would lie in the Voter Pamphlet? Does he have the character and integrity for the job?
Vote “yes” on A. Recall Engardio.
Patricia Arack
Concerned Residents of the Sunset
Categories: letter to the editor
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 
Exactly! Well put, Patricia.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Unless Engardio is a mind-reader, he would have no way knowing how the Board of Supervisors would vote in December of 2025. This is especially true as four supervisor seats were up for election at the same time we were voting on K. At that time, Engardio would have no way of even knowing who would be elected to fill those seats, let alone how they would have voted. For me, that is reason enough to vote yes on the recall.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can we trust Joel Engardio? NO. What can we do about it? Vote YES on Prop A by September 16, 2025, to recall him. I did, my family, friends and neighbors have, and we hope the majority of District 4 will, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Someone caught lying who fails to even admit it… you can’t work with that. I’ve fired people like that because you can’t get past it – rather, they can’t get past it. Fail.
Start over with someone who understands integrity and the primordial value in keeping your word both as a person, and then especially as a politician! So basic. This is a dyed-in-wool London Breed backer, remember? A lieutenant of liars. From what we’ve seen, he is a broken pile of monied interest that will never admit anything, even when we can see it in plain sight. Disturbingly, he’ll call us “tinfoil hat” pejoratives if we have the temerity to notice his lies and call them out. That’s just unacceptable.
We can’t work with that. Fired. We’ll get someone who represents the district – No more transplant carpetbagging with “non-profit Google” backing all but exclusively.
He came into office calling for recalls; may his exit be as swift as Ed Jew’s. Remember, the recall funds have already been spent, it is happening. The only way to waste that money as well as the opportunity to have real representation in the Sunset some day is to fail to vote out an unabashed baldfaced liar.
Yes on A – because the alternative is a continuation and furtherance of unacceptable BS and lies. Period.
LikeLiked by 1 person