Quality not Quantity

Posted by Pierluigi Oliverio on Monday, September 08, 2008

City Hall Diary

San Jose’s population has grown by leaps and bounds and the city has provided more housing—including both market rate and affordable housing—in Santa Clara County and the Bay Area than any other municipality. Once a city filled with orchards, San Jose is now a sprawling suburb and still growing. Although you may see open space in the city, much of it was zoned for housing 2-20 years ago and just hasn’t been built on yet. 

CONTINUE READING . . . (0 Comments)

Labor Day

Posted by Pierluigi Oliverio on Monday, September 01, 2008

City Hall Diary

Labor Day is a time that many of us celebrate with BBQs and rest. It’s a day to acknowledge the work of everyone in our society. However, many people work on Labor Day, including but not limited to 9-1-1 dispatchers, grocery store clerks, nurses, and sewage treatment plant workers, etc.

CONTINUE READING . . . (8 Comments)

Raising Money Year-Round

Posted by Pierluigi Oliverio on Monday, August 25, 2008

City Hall Diary

From my experience in running for elected office, one of the difficult hurdles was raising money. Now I don’t have a problem “asking” for money per se. However, the difficulty for me was “who” I should take money from and who I shouldn’t.  Who I take money from during an election can equate to access and/or even the perception of personal favors later when in elected office. 

CONTINUE READING . . . (13 Comments)

Rebuttals in San Jose

Posted by Pierluigi Oliverio on Monday, August 18, 2008

City Hall Diary

Rebuttals? No, not at the 2-minute public forum at council meetings but, rather, for ballot statements.

CONTINUE READING . . . (8 Comments)

Ballot Mayhem

Posted by Pierluigi Oliverio on Monday, August 11, 2008

City Hall Diary

After nearly four hours of back and forth, the council emerged with measures for the November 2008 ballot. The first is the reduction and update of the telecommunications user tax. This would allow the city to capture new telephone technology like Voice of Internet Protocol (VOIP). The second is a reduction of the 911 system support fee which would result in stronger legal footing of our 911 fee that pays for the 911 call center. Years ago, the 911 call center moved from the California Highway Patrol and was given to local government to oversee, with no funding, of course. The money collected is to be cost recovery only for 911 call center staff and equipment. It appears that if both do not pass it would hurt the city with a loss of $48 million annually.

CONTINUE READING . . . (16 Comments)