The Merc profiles our D3 campaign

Excerpts from 2/16/24 San Jose Mercury News coverage, by Devan Patel:

Smith said voters {in 2025} are digging more into specifics and how candidates can drive results — a promising sign for the independent candidate and policy wonk, especially as big money and influence from power players and business labor interests filter into the crowded race.

“I think people are really fed up with being told who to vote for and I do think that the independent streak of D3 is ascendant again,” Smith said. “People are focused on policy and less on personalities and network affiliations in 2025.”

“I understand how the rules and regulations work in government … and I understand large budgets and large teams through IBM,” Smith said. “You don’t rise up the ranks at IBM without learning how to play well in the sandbox with others. I can offer a small business perspective because I’ve started three small businesses downtown and I understand our community because I’ve started four local advocacy groups.”

Smith said that City Hall has spread itself thin by focusing on too many areas and programs, resulting in limited effectiveness. Instead, she’s focused on four key priority areas — bigger, faster, more cost-effective homelessness solutions, fiscal responsibility, spurring downtown business, and improving the citizen input process. If done well, she said, that can have a multiplier effect on some of the city’s other challenges.

Smith has been at the forefront of calling for San Jose to build up its shelter capacity — well before she threw her hat in the political race — and supports the mayor and the housing department’s vision to end unsheltered homelessness, which has contributed to fires, blight, dumping and other code enforcement and public safety issues.

San Jose’s projected $60 million shortfall this year and $30 million shortfall in 2026 also means that the city needs to be more fiscally responsible.

Smith said she’d like to see the city adopt a zero-based budgeting approach — where every expense each year requires justification — and do better in following up on the city auditor’s recommendations. She said, too often, San Jose keeps throwing money at problems and needs to take a more data-driven, results-oriented approach to deliver results to taxpayers.

Those principles have earned Smith the Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility Board endorsement.

“I’m the one that can bridge the divisions,” Smith said. “I ran the gauntlet last time, and I came in second place, and I can do it again easily and come in first this time.”

The whole story is available at:

Merc — Irene Smith Independence & Policy Approach

Forward with independence & policy,

Irene