Tom McEnery

Tom McEnery

Posts by Tom McEnery

Filling a Void

It is time for San Jose to grow up and make a decision, as a community, as to what iconic symbol should grace the northern end of Chavez Plaza.  Perhaps it is also time to revisit the southern end of the park, and the disappointing rendering of Quetzacotl.

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A Second Downtown

In Development 101 we discussed the great growth area of Evergreen. There are three others: the virgin Coyote Valley, North First Street’s rich industrial base, and our downtown.  What happens in each affects the other, but perhaps none so much as our spiritual, cultural and historic center of Downtown San Jose.

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San Jose Development 101

There are a number of critical decisions in the planning and development area that will be decided in the last year and a half of the Ron Gonzales’ administration.  Much has been written – including a blog by Councilman Dave Cortese yesterday – on the long term implications of growth in Evergreen.  It has been the area of tremendous action and political pressure in San Jose going back to the seventies.  Remember Willie Sutton’s comments on why he robbed banks.

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Importance

Every once in a while it is critical to step back from the sound and fury of the day to day happenings and take stock of who we are and where we live. I have read a great deal this week, but mostly fiction and, of course, Sanjoseinside. Pass the straight line because the two are definitely different.

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Ethics in San Jose 101

George Bernard Shaw once was asked if he liked the bagpipes. Shaw, hesitated for a moment and then responded that the bagpipes were a horribly difficult instrument to play – it’s a pity that it’s not totally impossible! You might think that discussing the ethics of San Jose City Hall is not just difficult to discuss – but, well, it’s nearly impossible. Let’s look at recent history.

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I Am Somebody

“Every time I try to get out they pull me back in.”  So said Al Pacino playing the aging Michael Corleone while chewing all the scenery he could reach in Godfather Part III.

Move over, Al.

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The Next Mayor

The 2006 Mayor’s race is shaping up as a strong assault on the current administration of Ron Gonzales by Chuck Reed and the other announced candidate, Dave Cortese. In stark contrast to most of the recent elections for Mayor, it is clear that this race will be a referendum on the Gonzales style and substance, and few punches will be pulled by Reed or Cortese.

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The Real Downtown

As I watch the discussion and debate about the new policy for increasing the allowable uses in North San Jose and the creation of the “new town” in Coyote Valley, it reminds me of the old carnival shell game – switch them around and find the real downtown. These developments may or may not be in the best interest of our citizens, but the final decisions on them will inform much of our future evolution and possibly elect the next mayor.

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The San Jose Motto

I took my semi-regular turn on the Ronn Owens show on KGO yesterday, and along with the usual talk of the Sharks, BART, and various other San Jose issues, the suitability of the San Jose motto reared its dubious head.

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The Greatness of a City

It seems that many people enjoy discussing the relative merits of San Jose as a city of significance. While I personally dislike the word, “great” and never used it in my time as Mayor, I’ll play along for a while.

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The Kool-Aid Dream Acid Test

It is wonderful to dream—one of the freest and most enjoyable things in life.  Yet, dreams can be destructive and deflating if they substitute obsession, cant, or hype for reality. Dreams must not become your master.

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