<body><div>The Santa Clara City Council decided to give $10,000 to a Diwali Festival even though the application for a Community Grant missed the deadline and the organizers haven’t given City staff all the required information for large City events.The event is in 3 days in Live Oak Park.The 49er Five voted for the expenditure. Mayor Lisa Gillmor and Councilmember Kathy Watanabe voted against the expenditure.The action was controversial for a lot of reasons, including evidence that the festival is being used by a political candidate to illegally promote herself.Councilmember Suds Jain pushed this onto the agenda at the last minute. When Jain pushed for the Council to take action two weeks ago, the festival organizers hadn’t even submitted a grant application.Jain’s funding request is a violation of the Community Grant Process.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3dH3FT_0vk8hqSo00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3dH3FT_0vk8hqSo00" width="1114" height="339" ></figure>The City’s grant program funds groups like the Parade of Champions, Santa Clara Lions Football, and the Santa Clara Women’s League.Santa Clara News Online received some texts during the meeting for community group leaders who were not happy. They requested anonymity so that their group’s funds would not be threatened by Jain or City staff. “The staff makes us follow the rules but because Jain is pushing for this event, they get the rules waived and special treatment,” wrote one leader.“If any other event were this late or this screwed up, it would be rejected by City staff,” said another group’s leader.City Staff asked for standard information about the event logistics but the group failed to provide it by a September 20 deadline.Key questions like event security, insurance, and county permits are still unknown.According to Councilmember Kathy Watanabe who reviewed the budget, the event will lose $27,000 without the City’s $10,000 grant.Political ActivityThe event’s major promoter is the Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce and their CEO Harbir Bhatia. She is also a District 1 City Council candidate.During public testimony, another District 1 candidate Satish “Sunny” Chandra testified that flyers for the event were distributed with her campaign brochures inserted inside. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=26jFUH_0vk8hqSo00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=26jFUH_0vk8hqSo00" width="1164" height="570" ></figure>He held up a folded festival brochure and then unfolded it to show Bhatia’s political brochure.Watanabe said that she talked to one of the canvassers and he told her that they were being paid by the Santa Clara Weekly. Wow.She also demonstrated that Bhatia’s political brochure was folded inside the festival’s flyer.“I just can’t support a political event or anything that has the perception of a political event,” said Gillmor. “I want to support the Diwali event because I think they’re wonderful, wonderful events. But this has been turned into something different and I’m sorry to say that.”Like this:<ul><li>.</li></ul><h2>Published by rhaugh2154</h2>Father, writer/editor/journalist (santaclaranews.org), wrestling promoter (www.wfcwrestling.com), motorsports marketing, 2q37 rare disease advocate! View all posts by rhaugh2154 </div></body>

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Santa Clara City Council Gives $10,000 to Diwali Festival in Violation of Community Grant Policy and Evidence of Political Activity

The Santa Clara City Council decided to give $10,000 to a Diwali Festival even though the application for a Community Grant missed the deadline and the organizers haven’t given City staff all the required information for large City events. The event is in 3 days in Live Oak Park.