The two biggest issues facing San Jose so far this year—pension reform, the future of redevelopment—will be discussed at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, and the public forum concluding the session is likely to get lively.
The debate over reforming retirement plans for city employees, most notably pension plans pertaining to police and firefighters, is likely to take center stage, while the issue of San Jose trying to secure and protect its current redevelopment projects is also on the agenda.
Redevelopment, however, could get tabled until the following week’s meeting, according to Mayor Chuck Reed. Reed said he expects many of the issues to be pushed back until after the mayors of California’s 10 largest cities meet with Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday. San Jose officials already took some steps last week in protecting current projects in an emergency meeting.
And for those who enjoy a good appointment, Councilmember Madison Nguyen will be confirmed as Vice Mayor.
Read the San Jose City Council Agenda, Jan. 25, 2011 here.
” Redevelopment money fight heats up as state controller announces it will audit 18 agencies” – January 24, 2011
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/01/state-controller-to-review-finances-of-18-redevelopmente-agencies.html
” Turning up the heat on cities and counties in California, state Controller John Chiang announced Monday that his office will scour the books of 18 redevelopment agencies across the state to make sure dollars are being spent as the law intends.”
” Chiang also pressed that view in a statement:
“THE HEATED DEBATE OVER WHETHER RDAS ARE THE ENGINES OF LOCAL ECONOMIC AND JOB GROWTH OR ARE SIMPLY SCAMS PROVIDING WINDFALLS TO POLITICAL CRONIES AT THE EXPENSE OF PUBLIC SERVICES HAS LARGELY BEEN BASED ON ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE,” Chiang said.
“As lawmakers deliberate the Governor’s proposal to close RDAs and divert those funds to local schools and public safety agencies, I believe it is important to provide factual, empirical information about how these agencies perform and what they bring to the communities they serve.”
“THIS REVIEW WILL GO FURTHER, LOOKING NOT FOR ACCOUNTING FLAWS BUT WHETHER FUNDS ARE BEING SPENT IN A LEGAL MANNER.
The controller will also ask for information on salaries and benefits paid to staff members and elected officials governing the agencies, something it has never before requested, Casaleggio said.”
Wow – finally San Jose Redevelopment is going to be audited by state to see if RDA funds are spent in legal manner
– Guess Jerry Brown is serious
Any bets as to outcome of state audit ?
Will we be seeing early RDA retirements, directors and managers quickly leaving for new jobs in other cities ( Director Environmental Services ) and states ( City Manager ) to avoid answering questions etc as we saw during end of Gonzales’ reign of terror before Ron and Joe got charged by DA with wrong doing but got off since in mid 1980 under McEnery’s Council removed penalties for city wrong doing – lying etc
Private sector union workers in other states are waking up to the fact that high government employee pensions and high state taxes are making their private industry union jobs go to other states
If you are in construction, manufacturing or working other private union jobs many of unemployed former union workers will find your next job in right to work states: Texas, Nevada, Georgia, Florida, N & S Carolina with low government worker pensions, low taxes, low home prices and mostly GOP Governors
California’s high costs, high taxes, out of control government employee pensions with Democratic Governor owing his election to unions will not be solving state’s government pension or unemployment problems until Legislature makes California ” business friendly ” and lowers taxes to be competative with other states
California private industry union employees will soon wake up to fact that government employee union’s control of Legislature and greed caused jobs problems
FDR noted that “a strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to prevent or obstruct the operations of Government until their demands are satisfied. Such action, looking toward the paralysis of Government by those who have sworn to support it, is unthinkable and intolerable.”
We would not be surprised that he would have the same ” unthinkable and intolerable” opinion about current government employee pensions
> FDR noted that “a strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to prevent or obstruct the operations of Government until their demands are satisfied. Such action, looking toward the paralysis of Government by those who have sworn to support it, is unthinkable and intolerable.”
FDR said THAT?!!!!
Interesting.
I’ve seen a lot of Democrat conventions in my time, with obscene, craven adulation and stupendous deification of the holy and glorious FDR, but somehow, this quote was never mentioned.
Public employees were excluded by law from unionizing until JFK struck his Faustian bargain and opened up the public sector to the failing unions in the 1960’s.