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.
Higher Fees or a Fair and Competitive Bidding Process?
May 14, 2007 by Pierluigi Oliverio Comments (16)
City Hall Diary
It is 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday May 8. I just finished attending my second community meeting of the night. The day has flown by!
My day began at 9:30 a.m. with a long closed-session meeting followed by a “Good Government” event at Adobe. I then went to the 1:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon city council meeting. The garbage rate increase was on the agenda today. Although many people attended the meeting, I felt that this item should have been heard at night.
The Golden Rule
May 12, 2007 by Pete Campbell Comments (17)
Are the People of San Jose Ready to Change the
Rules?
The “Golden Rule” in politics is simple: “He (or she)who has the gold, makes the rules.” San Jose’s gold does not belong to its people. And the people certainly don’t make the rules.
Kutras Won’t Take Blame For Squirrel Attacks
May 11, 2007 by John McEnery IV Comments (4)
Budget Cuts to Mental Health Services in Question
Varmints are in the news again this week as renegade squirrels descended on a sleepy South San Jose school on Wednesday and attacked several students and a room mom during snack time.
The Rising Price of Garbage
May 10, 2007 by Jack Van Zandt Comments (17)
The 28 percent hike in garbage rates for single-family homes approved by the San Jose City Council by a vote of 8-2 on Tuesday seems to have been a very unpopular move. The increase averages about $5.65 per month, raising the current rate from $20.15 to $25.80 for about 55 percent of the city’s residents. (Putting it into perspective, the increase equals about 20 miles’ worth of gas in one of those jumbo SUVs that can be seen with the naked eye from the moon or an iceberg lettuce side salad at an average overpriced Silicon Valley restaurant.)
A Not Too General “General Plan”
May 9, 2007 by Tom McEnery Comments (19)
In the wake of some of the worst land use decisions in the history of our valley, we are faced with a real dilemma: do we use our General Plan as a guide to budgetary decisions and building a better city or do we take the expedient route of rationalization and profit? As they elect a new leader in France, I am reminded of the legendary, but never-spoken line of a doomed queen, “Let them eat cake.” Well, for too long we have been given such cavalier and foolish judgment in our land use decisions. The demands of the few—the privileged class of political insiders—has predominated over the needs of our citizens.
Single Gal and Why Do We Care So Much?
May 8, 2007 by Single Gal Comments (25)
As I was watching the Sharks lose another game to the Detroit Red Wings this weekend, I thought about the feelings of disappointment, lack of confidence and heartbreak that San Jose’s only sports team is putting us through for another year in a row. Then I thought about how those athletes must feel? Do they take it as hard as we do? Is a sweet victory greater for them than for us? And, in turn, is a horrible defeat, like the one on Saturday (and Wednesday for that matter), worse for them or for us?
Lowe’s Sales Tax Revenue Should Fund Historic Preservation
May 7, 2007 by Pierluigi Oliverio Comments (37)
City Hall Diary
During my first month in office, I have attended various community meetings. The residents at these meetings continue to share that they want their parks maintained, swimming pools opened, traffic calming measures funded, historic neighborhoods preserved, bike lanes installed, trails completed and the list goes on. Most, if not all, of these needs require money. Streets don’t pave themselves and speed bumps to calm traffic don’t just bubble up from the street.
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