Pete Campbell

Pete Campbell

Posts by San Jose Inside

Redevelopment On The Line

The budget deficits at every level of government have created an atmosphere where everything is up for review. There are no longer any sacred cows when it comes to government spending. Taking a second look at the value of redevelopment agencies has become a current hot topic for discussion.

Read More 34

Advice to Billionaires

Two weeks before Mark Zuckerberg was named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year,” The Mercury News reported on Zuckerberg’s intention to donate much of his wealth to charity. I’d like to offer the following suggestions to Mark, and to any other billionaires looking for charity investment ideas.

Read More 4

The Case of the Broken Drinking Fountain

In a small city park in West San Jose, there’s a drinking fountain that’s in need of repair. The fountain’s water source has been shut off, presumably until repairs can be made. The water fountain has been “closed” at Gullo Park for not just the past few weeks, or even a month, it’s been unusable for most of this past year.

Read More 15

Merc Gets it Right

Every now and again the Mercury News editorial board hits a home run. Shortly after the election, the Merc issued a strong and thorough editorial about the city’s problems as they relate to city employees and their unions. “It’s time for San Jose city employees and union leaders to drop the ‘scapegoat’ label. It’s wearing thin, and nobody outside of union circles is buying it.”

Read More 69

San Jose’s Police and Fire Unions Lost More than an Election

Forget Meg Whitman…San Jose’s police and fire unions were the biggest losers in this past election.  Meg Whitman can take another $140 million out of petty cash, but San Jose’s police and fire departments may not soon be able to recover from the damage that they have done to their reputations. Frankly, I’m not sure that the rank and file have any idea how much damage they have done to their trust relationship with the San Jose public. The rhetoric employed to try and defeat Measures V and W will likely not be forgotten for quite some time.

Read More 100

Pensions, Pensions, and Pensions.

Everyone’s talking pensions and benefits these days.  It’s the elephant in the room that can no longer be avoided.  Even the Mercury News Editorial Board has found religion on the subject, endorsing the passage of Measures V and W.  “As to pensions, there’s a recognition across the nation that the level of public sector pensions is not sustainable…spiraling towards bankruptcy serves no one.”

Read More 43

Chuck Reed’s Endorsements: What Does the Mayor Want?

San Jose’s Mayor Chuck Reed is perhaps the most popular and powerful leader in the Bay Area.  Reed was re-elected mayor by a landslide.  No serious challenger took him on for the very simple reason that it was clear that he couldn’t be defeated.  It’s only a matter of time before Chuck Reed’s name will be mentioned as a candidate for state or national office in the next election cycle.

Read More 25

Remembering Father Jim

Last Wednesday, Father James Mifsud, Pastor of Queen of Apostles Church in San Jose, passed away. He was 75 years old.

A wise man once said that “Heroes create joy.” Father Jim created a lot of joy for a lot of people. He was a hero, mentor, guardian, and friend to many thousands of people. James Mifsud stood for the integrity of the individual and looked for the divine in every person.

Read More 5

San Jose Police Union’s Latest Shot

The San Jose Police Officers’ Association got their money’s worth out of the full page ad that they took out in last Sunday’s Mercury News.  The story received a lot of coverage from other media outlets and was the lead story for several Bay Area television stations

Read More 15

SJPD Policy on Immigration Law Enforcement

On Sept. 2, the San Jose Police Department issued a press release that explained the department’s policy on enforcing immigration laws. “Much discussion is taking place across the country concerning what responsibility local police departments have to ensure compliance with immigration laws,” it reads. “While the San Jose Police Department stands ready to work with any law enforcement agency to pursue violent suspects, regardless of a suspect’s immigration status, the Department has a longstanding policy of not arresting persons based solely upon their failure to comply with Federal immigration laws.

Read More 45

Campbell Mayor Lectures San Jose

“It’s Not Fair To Make Public Unions The Scapegoats…Unions Are Not Devils,” writes Evan Low, mayor of the City of Campbell, in a recent opinion piece published by the Mercury News. “In these tough economic times, we cannot stereotype or demonize one another or strictly adhere to political ideologies. We need to look at what’s fair and what’s right considering the limited resources we have…”

Read More 27

Could The A’s and The Sharks Play At The Same Time?

“A’s Wait For New Home As Cities Play Hardball.” So read the sub-headline of a recent front-page story in the Mercury News. The paper provided an overview of the three proposed ballpark sites in Oakland. It seems that some civic leaders from the East Bay are making an eleventh-hour push to keep the A’s in Oakland despite the fact that Mr. Wolff has expressed a strong interest in moving the A’s to San Jose.

Read More 31

Bay Area Endures Wave Of Violence

For some reason, the Bay Area has recently been home to a number of violent and senseless tragedies.  In San Jose, on the night of August 17th, three people suffered injuries in two stabbings that the Mercury News reported may have been gang related. “In the first incident…three teenagers were standing near their vehicle in the parking lot…when they were jumped.”

Read More 20