Tracy Press

The City Council candidate from Tracy's Southside lays out his campaign platform at a Monday evening gathering.

Larry Gamino

At a campaign kick-off rally Monday evening that drew a few dozen supporters to El Castillo Restaurant at Sixth Street and Central Avenue, the retired railroad worker-turned neighborhood activist also suggested a light-rail line be built to connect Tracy with Stockton, Manteca and Lathrop.

He seeks to become the first councilman from the neighborhood south of the downtown railroad tracks — known as the Southside — since Ray Morales, the owner of El Castillo, who also introduced Gamino, 55.

"Larry is a doer," Morales told the crowd. "He gets things done."

Gamino has become more involved in civic affairs in recent months. He revived the dormant Southside Improvement Association and has lobbied the City Council to repair potholed streets and broken curbs and sidewalks.

Eventually, he leapt into the council race, where he will face incumbent Councilman Steve Abercrombie, Councilwoman Irene Sundberg, home inspector Larry Hite, and retired police Capt. Mike Maciel.

The 1974 U.C. Berkeley graduate complained that the council has for decades "took their eye off the ball. They looked at new development, which is great, but we need to take care of existing communities."

The restaurant is a stone’s throw from a new transit station the city will construct next to the Bow Tie railroad tracks, a spot "where the past meets the present," he said, and "holds some of our answers for the future."

He embraced the idea that Tracy encourages the county to build a new south county courthouse downtown, a suggestion by mayoral candidate Celeste Garamendi, who was in attendance.

And Gamino said the city should work hard to better educate its young people, and perhaps even adults that lose their jobs. Gamino said the city should push to educate students in eco-technology, robotics and solar energy, a move that would keep kids busy and cut crime by "attacking the roots of poverty."

"Now is the time to keep our children in Tracy by providing high-paying good jobs," he said. "This is a race about shared values. We’re on this train together, and it’s only building up speed."

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (8)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comments

...
written by Jensen , August 12, 2008

I like it!

...
written by Tracy RealNews , August 12, 2008

I thought Larry worked to revitalize the SouthSide. Won't this embracing of Garamendi's "courthouse idea" work against all those efforts?

I suspect that it will not go well for Larry embracing the idea of a courthouse in the downtown. More concerned about what we haven't heard about Garamendi's "courthouse ideas". Lot's of issues there.

Worry about the social element in the downtown. Parking. Traffic. Jail. Etc.

Have a vision of a peaceful downtown.

Have a vision of a downtown free of any Bail Bond stores...


http://www.flickr.com/photos/inkyhack/825251792/


... like Modesto or other cities.

...
written by Tracy RealNews , August 12, 2008

Larry,

Suggest moving the courthouse to Chrisman. Put the courthouse where the DMV is - since the DMV is moving over behind the mall. A courthouse closer to other Government buildings. That's a much better affiliation than a downtown courthouse/holding-cell/jail-cell.

Get the courthouse (and jail-cells) out of the downtown. That would be best for the Southside too!

...
written by Jazbone , August 12, 2008

Get some corporate jobs in Tracy...what ever you can do to entice a corporation or two to move to Tracy should be done. It would have a HUGE impact on the economy in the town.

...
written by amy , August 13, 2008

I hope he will look at both party platform and look at it carefully before listening to any one sided issues?

-amy

...
written by Tracy RealNews , August 14, 2008

Just found out that the DMV office is moving over behind Home Depot. Going to be near Winco. Behind the Car Dealerships. Great place for the DMV. The old DMV location, in Tracy, will be a great consideration for the Courthouse. Keep our downtown peaceful and get the courthouse out of there. Why won't Garamendi ever do what's best for Tracy?

...
written by Dave Hardesty , August 14, 2008

...
written by amy , August 13, 2008
"I hope he will look at both party platform and look at it carefully before listening to any one sided issues?"

amy

According to Celeste's web site, Larry is listed as a supporter of hers so it appears he has already made his decision in that respect.

At least that was what her site said a month ago. I don't often go there so I don't know what it says today.


Dave Hardesty

...
written by Steve Reshakis , August 14, 2008

Gamino sounds like a Liberal.he wants to reverse policies that he says have favored building homes over community.

what the heck does that mean??? doesn't community mean familys in Homes????
why does the south side have "Community" but Familys in a New house don't ??? thats left-speak for I will spend tracy tax dollars dressing up the south side, just so it can be trashed again in a few years, then call for even more money...etc. etc. etc.
and with "fellow traveler" Celeste Garamendi...they will bankrupt Tracy.