Neighborhood Business Districts
May 28, 2007 by Pierluigi Oliverio Comments (19)
Happy Memorial Day
The backbone of San Jose is made of its neighborhood business districts. District 6 has three viable ones: Lincoln Avenue, The Alameda and West San Carlos. These neighborhood business districts provide tax revenue for our city. In addition, they are a compliment to the residential neighborhoods they border.
Migden’s Erratic Driving Forces Mandatory Neurological Testing of Politicians
May 25, 2007 by John McEnery IV Comments (8)
Eye-Hand Coordination Screening Rejected
In a test case that has the eyes of the nation focused on California, a newly formed state oversight committee has mandated that all elected officials undergo neurological testing as a result of the ping-pong match State Senator Carole Migden was having with her car, the Highway 12 guardrail and other vehicles for no apparent reason.
Council Errs in Hiring Consultants for MHC
May 24, 2007 by Jack Van Zandt Comments (42)
The San Jose City Council voted on Tuesday to hire two consultants for the Mexican Heritage Corporation (MHC) at a cost to the taxpayers of $100,000, compounding the errors in judgment they have already made on this issue. One of the consultants will be hired to “help” the MHC develop a business plan and fundraising capabilities. The other will take the pulse of the community and advise the MHC on how better to serve the public.
Does Size Matter?
May 23, 2007 by Tom McEnery Comments (56)
It was in the spring of 1989 when San Jose’s population passed San Francisco. I remember it well because I was with San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos when it happened. We were in Beijing, Tiananmen Square to be exact, and the reporters were apoplectic while the Chinese were frenetic.
Single Gal and “The City”
May 22, 2007 by Single Gal Comments (49)
I spent the weekend in “The City” (you know, the other one, San Francisco), much to the surprise of my friends who call the “Foggy City” home. Some were ready to disown me because it has been about six months since I last made my way up 101 to spend some time there. I had to stop and think about why that was and all I could think of was: It’s a gigantic pain.
The Dialogue Has Started
May 21, 2007 by Pierluigi Oliverio Comments (27)
My first post on San Jose Inside spoke about the lack of maintenance the San Jose parks were receiving, particularly the historic Municipal Rose Garden Park.
As I mentioned then, I met with city staff and residents to do an initial walkthrough of the park and I saw firsthand the disarray of the park. Shortly thereafter, I submitted a memo asking the council to consider a “pilot program” for outsourcing maintenance at the park. My pilot proposal was heard on May 15 during the evening meeting.
San Jose by the Numbers
May 18, 2007 by Pete Campbell Comments (12)
Budget Figures Tell the Tale
Ah, it’s springtime in San Jose. The sun is out, the birds are chirping, and the roses at the Rose Garden are…well, never mind.
It’s also budget season, and the preliminary budget numbers coming from the San Jose city government are not exactly encouraging. The sources for the information that follows are: The City Manager’s Budget Message, The 2007-2008 Proposed Operating Budget, and the city’s transportation department. Read ‘em and weep:
The San Jose Unified School District Bond Refinancing Scheme
May 16, 2007 by Jack Van Zandt Comments (33)
Is it Legal and Ethical?
The until-now little-known scheme of refinancing school district bond debts for capital expenditure and refunding the difference to the districts known as “cash out” is being challenged in court by a local group, Citizens for School Bond Accountability, chaired by Jill B. Escher. They have exposed that the San Jose Unified School District is skimming the difference created by lowering interest rates through refinancing the 1997 Measure C bonds in 2005, earmarking the considerable sum of $20.4 million for new projects rather than returning it to the taxpayers.
Change is in the Air
May 16, 2007 by Tom McEnery Comments (38)
The departure of Susan Goldberg from the executive editor position at the Mercury News is a loss for the community. She helped chart the way through some of the most difficult days in American media history, and the times they were indeed changing. I guess Cleveland needs her much more that San Jose did. Goldberg’s exit is the third major loss to the community from the ranks of the Mercury, following the much lamented departures of Tony Ridder, CEO of the media conglomerate, and David Yarnold, who single-handedly made the editorial pages relevant again, elevating the outcry over corruption at City Hall to a much needed fever pitch. I hope we see Goldberg again soon.
Single Gal and the Guadalupe River Park Trail
May 15, 2007 by Single Gal Comments (14)
Ok, I know this topic has been discussed before, and sometimes it takes a while for me to get certain things through my thick skull, but how hard is it to complete the Guadalupe River Park Trail? I mean, this isn’t the transcontinental railroad we’re talking about here, though I think that may have been built and completed faster than the few miles of trails we need in San Jose.
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