The city of San Jose may cut small businesses a few more breaks under a tax amnesty that sunsets this spring before doubling down on enforcement. The deal—if moved on to the City Council’s March 5 meeting by the Rules and Open Government Committee on Wednesday—allows businesses to pay what’s past due through March 29 and, in exchange, the city will forgive any interest and penalties. Another item going before the Rules committee Wednesday is Councilmember Xavier Campos’ proposal to add Guadalajara, Mexico to San Jose’s Sister City program.

President Obama’s State of the Union address will reportedly focus on growing the economy and jobs while shrinking the deficit. There are several ways these goals can be achieved, but in the long term the goal of growing the middle class must include strengthening publicly funded education.

San Jose released its annual list of city salaries late last week, reminding us once again where the bulk of the municipal budget goes. Like most municipalities, payroll accounts for the city’s single highest expense. San Jose shelled out $596 million, or 62 percent of this fiscal year’s budget, on payroll for its 5,500 employees. This year, retired Sgt. John M. Seaman topped the list, receiving total compensation in the amount of $308,345.

A phone survey found that San Jose residents wouldn’t mind paying more taxes if it improved public safety and city services that have been cut in recent years. City leaders will hear a report of those findings at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Also on Tuesday, the council will discuss a disputed $350,000 bonus for Team San Jose and whether or not to join San Francisco’s Prop 8 amicus brief that is going before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In the first five months of the fiscal year, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s on-call and overtime pay for doctors took a staggering leap, going from an average of less than $20,000 a month in 2011-12 to $967,000 this fiscal year. The Board of Supervisors will discuss the $1 billion health agency’s drastic uptick in costs—4,835-percent increase in per-month, on-call wages— as well as other issues at Tuesday’s meeting.

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.

Mayor Reed should come out of the closet. No, not that closet. I’m talking about the closet inhabited by local politicos who call themselves Democrats, because it suits their electoral ambitions despite plainly conservative fiscal—and social—values.

The deadline for semi-annual campaign disclosure forms covering the last half of 2012 came due last week. The documents provide a clearer picture of how winning and losing candidates raised money and how they spent it—or misspent it—in the final weeks of the campaign. We also tracked a number of political action committees (PACs). The most interesting findings: How much money was wasted in trying to defeat Councilmember Rose Herrera, a potential quid pro quo between the ChamberPAC and a person quoted in its ballot statement against minimum wage, and hangover debt for losing candidates Jimmy Nguyen and Robert Braunstein.

Mayor Chuck Reed noted Thursday night that he was delivering his seventh State of the City speech. Next year he’ll have one final opportunity to get it right.

One of the most generous gifts in San Jose State University’s history will push the school’s journalism and communications department closer to the forefront of the digital age. Bob Rucker, head of SJSU’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications, announced Wednesday that a Jack and Emma Anderson, a couple who owned the press where the Spartan Daily student newspaper was printed for 20 years, left $8.7 million in their will to help the school advance its digital marketing, new media and social media storytelling.

Santa Clara County’s Civil Grand Jury—a watchdog of local government—needs 19 new jurors to serve during the coming fiscal year. Every year, the grand jury fields citizen complaints and chooses which to pursue as investigations. Reports from the past two years have included a look at funds used for the construction of San Jose’s City Hall, the treatment of female inmates at a county jail and wasteful spending at Valley Medical Center. The deadline to apply is March 8.

Rich Robinson looks back the good, the bad and the ugly of Super Bowl weekend in New Orleans. While the game didn’t go as hoped for San Francisco 49ers fans, the ambience and the food didn’t disappoint. But one local historical attraction glazes over the most shameful period in our nation’s history.

More than a million people in and around San Jose could soon see a large increase in the price of water if a private utility that controls service for 80 percent of the city gets its way. The San Jose Water Company wants to raise rates by 44 percent over the next three years, bringing the average monthly water bill from $67 to $96 when the final increases go into effect, and overall revenue to more than $47 million. But what exactly do residents get in return? Far more than they need, according to a report by the Division of Ratepayer Advocates.

San Jose Parks Foundation, as I mentioned in my first column, was born out of an enlightened look into the future. Funding for parks and trails has been cut to the bone and sometimes worse. Urban and suburban parks are essential economic factors in every municipality. They often are invisible in the economic picture that most of us have.

San Jose needs to grow up more than out, according to city leaders who want to extend high-rise developer incentives another few years. Other items going before the Rules and Open Government Committee on Wednesday include budgeting, lowering traffic fees and a potential name change for the San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant.

San Jose’s casinos increasingly require more police attention, according to an annual audit of the two permitted card rooms going before the City Council. Other items on the agenda include an update on Measure B litigation and an audit of Team San Jose.