Boulanger's Complete Response to Patch's Letter

The following is the letter Hercules Patch sent Gerard Boulanger and his answers, which are shown as indented material below.

Mr. Boulanger:

In an effort to be absolutely accurate in our reporting on your candidacy for the Hercules City Council, Hercules Patch is requesting that you provide answers to questions we have outlined below.

Although we fully understand the recall campaign in Hercules has become acrimonious and some candidates have seemingly engaged in “smear” tactics related to your candidacy, the fact remains that when individuals run for offices of public trust, voters have a right to know about their personal backgrounds and qualifications for the position. Public officials and those seeking public office must subscribe to a higher standard of conduct than regular citizens and, by virtue of the fact they have thrust themselves onto the public stage, are subject to more intense scrutiny.

At the same time, the news media has a responsibility to inform the public of information in a totally accurate and disinterested manner in order that voters can make intelligent choices at the polls. The news media’s role, in essence, is that of a watchdog – a public surrogate, as it were – responsible for monitoring the activities of government and those individuals involved in government or wishing to become involved in government.

While you seem to suggest in your recent statement on Hercules Patch that information was obtained by an opponent in his official capacity, we can assure you that Patch has been in possession of this information for several weeks.

However, now that aspects of your background have legitimately become the subject of public debate (no matter how they were raised) and in reviewing information we possess, there are, in fact, many inconsistencies in public statements and information you yourself have disseminated in one form or another. Many of these inconsistencies are found in information you have provided to Hercules Patch, the Official Voter’s Guide, the League of Women Voters, your Hercules volunteer application and your LinkedIn website page.

Beyond our request for clarifications, we are asking for your response to several additional questions raised by Hercules Patch's research and examination of other public information, because much of it goes directly to your credibility and qualifications to hold public office.

We request that you clarify the inconsistencies and provide candid answers to the additional questions:

You have stated that you served as a CITY COUNCIL member for 12 years (1981-1993) in France and have variously described the area as a “district,” “city” and “suburb” of Paris. You have also variously stated that the “city” where you served had a population of 85,000+ and 115,000. You have also stated that you were a PLANNING COMMISSION member for a “city” in France from 1989-1995.

However recent news reports indicate that you have identified the two communities in which you served as a public capacity as Aulnay-sous-Bois and Le Pavillions-sous-Bois. But you have not fully explained precisely what functions you performed. Will you provide precise dates and details of what position(s) you held and the dates?

What was the official name of the public body upon which you served? 

It has been suggested that you served on what could be considered a “Joint Powers Authority.” If that is the case, were your stated positions as City Council member and Planning Commission member separate and distinct?

To answer this I need to go into some detail about French government.  The French way to run a large city is very different from what we have here in the U.S.  In France, Cities are under the supervision of the department (county), which is itself under a higher supervision of the region (like a small size state in the U.S.).

French cities manage their town in a context of a very heavy centralized government where infrastructure, schools, roads, transportation, courts, welfare, health/hospitals, senior homes/services, sports facilities, public records, vehicle registration, passport/ID, economic development, ... are services provided by the city and where the city has to lobby with the “county” and/or the “state” to get full political attention ($) to maintain and develop them.

In most instances, a political partnership with the “county” and/or the “region” has to be found to push a specific project or financing.

This is a permanent political fight. The larger the city, the worse it is.

In France, we do not elect a person to be a council member, but residents elect a local political party which may or not connected to a nationwide political party.

Each party has a chance to be part of the city management according to the percentage of the votes they got.

City council meetings in a city the size of my previous town are not held the way they are in the U.S.: they are more like a public financial report.

In the case of propositions or resolutions for expenditures, development happens when the appropriate city departments partner with the “county” or “state” depending on the fiscal importance of the proposition.

Each major proposition/development has to be lobbied by the local political party if you want to be heard and succeed. The more political connections a city has with the “county” and the “state”, the better. Knowing that 3-5 parties (average) are around the council table, the name of the game is to promote your project to a higher level than the city you want to have a chance to impose it in, in the discussions with the political opposition in your own city hall.

I was involved in local politics from early 80’s until late mid 90’s. At first, I did not mention my town. Why? I did not want to bee seen as either a democrat or as a republican since Municipal election in the U.S. are not politicized and the last thing I wanted was to have a political label on me and potentially lose votes because of that. I guess it won’t hurt me today too much to say that I was part of a moderate “center” party. Using the terminology of Democrat or Republican won’t be good enough.

I was involved in my city at a political level for 12 years helping to develop political connections for specific projects after my working hours (non-paid).

I used the terminology of city council and planning commission member in my bio because what I’ve done for my town and for the business development is the best comparison I could find. I understand some residents may consider my statement as an embellishment of my services, but in my opinion, I think it’s the best way to describe my contribution for my town and for the “district” made of 2 joined cities.  I worked an average of five hours a week on various projects.

My main accomplishment was to be part of the political pressure to obtain funds from the European Economic commission to help extend a large automobile manufacturing factory (Citroen) located in our city limit. 

I consider my contribution similar to that of serving on a planning commission in the U.S. and my contribution in my city hall as comparable to what a city council member does by working with the City manager.

My intention was to tell the residents of Hercules that I am able to do the job because I feel I have already done it. Translation and transposition of politics is sometimes difficult. Maybe I should not have mentioned that part of my life at all. I have updated my website bio: https://sites.google.com/site/gerardboulanger4hercules/biography

You have stated that you were a project manager “at Alstom (Nuclear Power Plant).” Our research indicates that Alstom is a company that manufactures and supplies components for the energy and transportation industries and does not actually own or operate nuclear plants.

Can you explain precisely what your duties as a project manager for Alstom were, and at which nuclear power facility?

Have you had any dealings with Alstom since coming to the United States? Did you play any role in assisting Alstom in submitting a proposal to provide equipment and/or services to the Hercules Municipal Utility?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alstom

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areva

Alstom is a large French multinational corporation providing, among other things, nuclear power plants for France (59 units) and to many other countries. Alstom also makes TGV (fast trains).

Alstom provides the turbine part of a nuclear power plant while Framatome/Areva provides the reactor part of the plant. I worked for Alstom for 13 years and was in charge of a project to design the large moving parts of the turbine. My job was located at Le Bourget. I left that company in 1986 and never had a single connection with them since.

A potential connection with the HMU? That’s almost hilarious!  Did someone suggest my ultimate goal is to build a nuclear power plant instead of the Waterfront?

You have stated that you were in charge of “…business development relationships between the European Commission and PSA…” (PSA PEUGEOT CITROEN.)

What were the specific dates of this service and what were your specific duties? Can you explain why the European Commission might not have a record of this?

I addressed that above.

You have stated that you were a GIS Marketing Director for AutoDesk Europe.

Will you provide the dates of that employment, your precise position and responsibilities and the location(s)?

I joined Autodesk,  a Fortune-500 Co. located in San Rafael in 1986. I was located is Basel – Switzerland where the European offices were before they relocated to Geneva years later.

I had several positions: Technical Mgr, Sales Mgr and Product Mgr for France, Business development for South-West Europe, GIS Marketing Director for South-West Europe (1994-1996). 

You have stated that you are the CEO of IPHV in San Francisco and have stated that IPHV is a subsidiary of a company that you will not identify for “confidentiality reasons.”

Will you identify what the acronym IPHV stands for? Have you received any income from IPHV during 2010 and, if so, was IPHV identified as a source of income on your Form 700 filing?

I am in charge of implementing a brand new business model, a long process in the patent world. I have not received any income yet. I intend -at one point, if that business works- to replace my carpet cleaning activity by such a non-physical work.

Since it’s confidential, at least for now, I should not have mentioned that in my bio. That was a mistake.

You have stated that you received two undergraduate degrees or certificates (taking into account the French educational system) from Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers and have variously stated that you received an MBA and “equivalent of an MBA.” You have also stated that your MBA (or equivalent) was awarded in 1977 (to Patch) and in 1978 (on LinkedIn).

Will you provide us with the precise names of the degrees (or certificates) you have received and the dates upon which they were conferred?  

While I worked for Alstom, I was in a work-study program where  2-3 days a week, I took courses in Thermo-dynamics and Mechanics of Fluids.   The CNAM provided me courses or “units of value” in those fields as well as a business course.

I followed the courses between 1974 and 1977 (1978 is a typo mistake on Linkedin).

The statement I made on my bio was done on my assumption that studying in college until the age of 24 represents the equivalent of a degree in the U.S. The Education system is very different in France.

Now, do I have a degree? No. Did I receive an education similar to a degree in the U.S.? Yes.

My intention was to explain the Hercules residents that I studied for some years after high school.

You have stated that you were a “Grand electeur” for the French Senate.

What were the dates of your service in this position? Which Senator appointed you to the position?

A “Grand Electeur” is not a job or a service. It’s a privilege given to a few citizens recognizing their work or services.

In France the Senators are not elected by the people in a nationwide type of election like in the U.S. They are elected only by the “Grand Electeurs”, a group of 145,000 French citizens.

I was proudly declared “Grand Electeur” in 1993 by Mr. Jean-Claude Abrioux, the Deputy of my district as recognition for my services. At that time about 5 persons only in my district received that honor.

See the attached scan of the document. NOTE: If you publish it, please remove my birth date information, thank you. 

[Hercules Patch has the documents to which Boulanger refers and will consider publishing them if warranted.]

Here are additional questions we are requesting that you answer:

You have stated that you own a business in Hercules, which we believe to be Hydra Tech Systems.

Could you explain why your name does not seem to appear on any official documents connected to this business enterprise and why the only record of this business appears to be a Fictitious Business Name filing made in 1998 by your wife, Elizabeth Anne Sivesind?

Can you produce any documents showing your connection to the business as owner?

Yes, my wife is the official owner of that business. I should have corrected that and I will soon.

Have you ever been known under any name other than Gerard Max Renee Boulanger and/or Boulaunger in either France or the United States?

No!!!

You have stated to the League of Women voters that you are a United States citizen, although this statement has not appeared in any other campaign literature.

When did you first enter the United States and when and where were you naturalized?

I did not read anything about the citizenship of other candidates or incumbents literature either.

As you know, to get approved as a candidate by the County to run for a municipal election, you are supposed to fulfill specific requirements. One of them is to be a U.S. citizen. I am proud to be a US citizen and my French family is proud of me too.

To the Hercules residents: I understand that my initial bio posted on my candidate website could have been interpreted as an embellishment since both translation and transposition of education and municipal services are difficult to import in the U.S., if not impossible. If I have created confusion, I am sorry about that.

Having said that, I wish the campaign had been about the issues Hercules is facing today.

I wish Mr. Kuehne had accepted responsibility for his actions and inactions instead of campaigning exclusively against me.

At the time we are laying off 25 city staff and policemen and cut services, Mr. Kuehne still says, “I was not there”, which I consider a statement residents will severely condemn June 7.

We believe your response to these questions will clear up any misconceptions the public might have about your background and set to rest the political rhetoric that you claim is damaging your reputation.

Due to the proximity of the election, Hercules Patch will expect your answers within 24 hours.