Pierluigi Oliverio
West San Carlos: Part 2
Apr 22, 2013, by Pierluigi Oliverio Politics, Business Comments (6)
This is a portion of a parcel on West San Carlos Street that will be converted into an affordable housing complex with some retail space.
Last month, I wrote about West San Carlos Street as one of the major boulevards in San Jose. West San Carlos is the strategic link between our city’s downtown and the Santana Row/Valley Fair area. A major parcel on West San Carlos is the site of the former Fiesta Lanes bowling alley and retail/auto center. The City Council voted this month to remove the final hurdle in the transformation of this strategic parcel by funding the construction of a housing complex that would be exempt from property tax. The vote was 10-1 in favor of approval, with my vote as the only one against this proposal.
Either Increase Airport Revenue or Reduce Expenses
Apr 15, 2013, by Pierluigi Oliverio Politics, Business Comments (19)
San Jose’s airport has undergone a $1.7 billion makeover, but now those bond payments are coming due. (Photo by atmtx, via Flickr)
The economic viability of San Jose’ airport (SJC) is in a precarious position. Bond payments are now due for the $1.7 billion dollar airport expansion, and, ultimately, the payment could fall to the general fund if airport revenue cannot cover what is owed. In order to avoid a bailout by tapping into the general fund, it is important to run the airport in the black. There are two ways to do this: either increase revenue or reduce expenses.
San Jose’s 5-Year Sexual Harassment Anniversary
Apr 08, 2013, by Pierluigi Oliverio Politics, Culture Comments (41)
Today represents the unfortunate five-year anniversary of a very painful situation for the city of San Jose. As reported previously in the San Jose Mercury News, 2008 was the year city officials terminated, or at least tried to terminate, a firefighter on charges of sexual harassment against female co-workers.
JP Morgan is San Jose’s Payday Lender
Mar 25, 2013, by Pierluigi Oliverio Politics, Business Comments (8)
J.P. Morgan the man is no longer here, but the global financial services firm he founded has a firm grip on its Letter of Credit with the city of San Jose.
Last week, I participated as the alternate for Mayor Chuck Reed on the oversight board for the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency (SARA). The primary focus of the meeting concerned the approval of a one-year extension to the existing Letter of Credit (LOC) with JP Morgan bank. This extension had already been passed by the City Council, but it was still up to the SARA Oversight Board to approve the extension as well.
San Jose Seniors Should Come First
Mar 18, 2013, by Pierluigi Oliverio Politics, Business, Culture Comments (11)
This development in San Jose, Cinnabar Commons, was built with money set aside for affordable housing. (Photo by /\/\ichael Patric|{, via Flickr)
San Jose has spent approximately $1 billion on affordable housing, which has produced tens of thousands of units being built within our city limits. The city has always done more than its fair share in this area. In fact, San Jose has carried the region—to its own economic detriment—by shouldering most of the affordable housing needs, resulting in fewer jobs.
In Case of Emergency, Law Enforcement Communications Options Limited
Mar 11, 2013, by Pierluigi Oliverio Politics, Business, Culture Comments (13)
The Sheriff’s Office and police in different Santa Clara County cities would have difficulty communicating in real-time in the event of an earthquake or terrorist attack. (Photo by Jason Rojas, via Flickr)
The day begins like any other in beautiful Silicon Valley: children are on their way to school, commuters are stuck in traffic, etc. Our carefree existence then suddenly gives way to a terrorist attack at a high-profile technology company. People are killed, injured, power is out, phone service is down, and a pursuit is underway for those who have set out to harm us. Police and fire departments across the region and in neighboring counties attempt to communicate and provide mutual aid, as an “all hands on deck” approach is required to tackle the catastrophic situation as it unfolds. But in this scenario, one of the main issues is that there is no way to for all personnel to effectively communicate with other agencies in real time.
West San Carlos
Mar 05, 2013, by Pierluigi Oliverio Politics, Business, Culture Comments (9)
West San Carlos provides an eclectic mix of businesses to San Jose residents.
West San Carlos (WSC), with its cool vibe and eclectic mix of businesses, is not only a destination in-and-of itself, but it also plays a pivotal role linking downtown San Jose and Santana Row. This area also happens to fall within both the city and county jurisdictions. This dual jurisdiction has historically thwarted development, and has made consistent code enforcement difficult. But with recent annexations, there now exists the opportunity for positive private economic development to happen on WSC.
Measure D: Add It to the Tab
Feb 25, 2013, by Pierluigi Oliverio Politics, Business, Culture Comments (19)
The service industry will experience the biggest change as a result of San Jose’s minimum wage increase, which goes into effect next month. (Photo by Adam Croot, via Flickr)
The new minimum wage law, Measure D, will take effect March 11, 2013. Many business owners I have spoken with plan to cover the increase in payroll costs by raising prices, reducing the hours of current employees and, in some case, simply eliminating positions altogether. But there is another option.
A Model for Police Compensation in 2013
Feb 11, 2013, by Pierluigi Oliverio Politics, Business, Culture Comments (14)
Negotiations between the city of San Jose and the Police Officers Association continue to be contentious. (Photo by Thomas Hawk).
Much has been said recently about law enforcement budgeting. One of the shared community goals is to increase the actual number of police officers. In addition, another shared community goal is for pension reform. In my opinion, these two objectives are inextricably linked.
On Gangs and Doing the Right Thing
Feb 04, 2013, by Pierluigi Oliverio Politics, Culture Comments (15)
Neighborhood Watch programs serve as one tool for communities to combat gangs. (Photo by hsivonen, via Flickr)
The Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force held its fifth annual community summit Saturday, and more than a hundred San Jose residents were in attendance. For me, much of the information presented at the meeting served as an unfortunate reminder of the havoc gangs create in our communities.
About the Author
Pierluigi Oliverio represents District 6 on the San Jose City Council. His “City Hall Diary” appears on Mondays. He can be contacted at:
pierluigi.oliverio@sanjoseca.gov
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