Posted by B Minkin, a resident of the Sylvan Park neighborhood, on Jan 4, 2013 at 10:25 am

Tom Means is correct in stating that businesses will do the right thing — but what is right for businesses is sometimes the wrong thing for residents. The enthusiastic embrace of developers has often led to a poorer quality of life for the rest of us.

Although Tom Means has consistently adhered to his philosophy, this way of thinking has been detrimental to the families in my neighborhood.

I am happy that this philosophy will have less representation on the city council with his departure.

Posted by Kman, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, on Jan 4, 2013 at 2:28 pm

This is a sad day for Mt. View.

Thanks Tom for your service, you provide to me that you are a man of logic and reasoning, one who did not succumb to the emotional nannies like the majority of the other counsel members.

Tom, i don't know you, but I liked what you stood for. The country needs more great men like you.

You will be missed.

Posted by cindy, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Jan 4, 2013 at 3:18 pm

So Tom I have a question.

You wanted the smoking ban because the city got money. 14 thousand was suppose to be used for ash trays. I don't see any new ash trays downtown.

I never really got that one. I have walked downtown every day for years. I would see cigs all over the ground and would say to my husband, why don't they have more ash trays?It would not be such a mess. So, when you could smoke there were no ash trays. Now that you can't smoke the city is suppose to spend 14,000 on ash trays. Makes no sense to me. It is still a mess.

Posted by Steve, a resident of the Sylvan Park neighborhood, on Jan 4, 2013 at 4:36 pm

Thank you, Tom, for your service. Things are unlikely to improve with your absence.

The sad state of governance in Mountain View is summed up in one simple sentence:

"otherwise...you just depend on staff to tell you what to do."

The city manager and city staff do a wonderful job of running the city. Unfortunately, they are running it to their best benefit, excluding that of the citizens. They are two very different directions, and if our council can't stand up to the hired help, we'll continue to be ruled instead of represented.