A few weeks ago, I attended MacWorld for my company.  As I was driving to San Francisco, fighting traffic every step of the way, I had a thought: Why am I driving to San Francisco for this show? 

After I paid my $23 for parking (and we think we have issues here) near the Moscone Center and got inside the convention center, I was awed by the size and scale of this show and the sheer volume of people attending.  I know, our rinky-dink convention center does not have the capability of hosting a show anywhere near that size; but why should that be?  Why can’t we get it together as a city to make our convention center a place where these world-class shows can come? 

The Truth Behind San Jose’s New City Hall

The new City Hall complex at Fourth and Santa Clara was built with the promise that it would save the city money.  But the truth is, much more money could have been saved if an honest and intelligent approach had been applied to the process.

University to Move to Houston to Be Closer to Dynamo

In yet another blow to San Jose’s fragile psyche, plans by developer Lew Wolff to return professional soccer to San Jose by building a new $80 million stadium on the campus of San Jose State University were dealt a blow yesterday as SJSU President Don Kassing announced that the university would be relocating to Houston.

I would like to start by taking a different direction in the budget debate and bring up the matter of saving money at City Hall through conservation and converting San Jose into a green city fit for the 21st century. With a $3 billion budget, even a fragment of 1 percent saved would be a lot of money that could be used for other purposes. I know that steps have been taken in this direction, but a lot more could be done. Every city function should be regularly reviewed and monitored to reach and maintain maximum efficiency. I see lots of gas-guzzling SUVs and pickups with the city logo driving around. They should be replaced by hybrids or other alternative fuel vehicles as they wear out. All city buildings, works and public transportation should be converted to take advantage of modern technological innovations in cleaner, alternative power. The airport takes a huge portion of our budget and it should lead the way in conservation and green conversion. San Jose should actively set an example for our citizens and other cities around the country. This is the center of world technology. Let’s use it and show what it can do! 

It seems that on this week of a great man’s birthday, we should remember the wonderful quote that reminds us that “the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.” It is particularly pertinent to our situation now in San Jose.

OK, so I have to admit, when I heard the news last week that David Beckham—footballer and purely perfect human being to boot—was joining Major League Soccer to play for the LA Galaxy, one thought immediately popped into my head:

WHY DON’T WE HAVE A TEAM HERE ANYMORE?

This week, we thought we would focus in on what the priorities of our city government should be, given its limited resources. We daily columnists will all be weighing in on our regular days with some thoughts of our own. To get the ball rolling, we want to give our bloggers an open forum to express their views first. So we hope that you will take the opportunity to tell us what you think today.

Shoppers Skeptical as Several Cannibals Found Eating Outside Tommy Bahama’s

Upscale shopping center Santana Row—70 shops, 20 restaurants, 5 spas, 1 hotel, 24 hours—has now added, “10 security check points” to its slogan in a bold, and some say overreaching, plan to rid the mall of violence.

Where would our South Bay community be without the philanthropy of David Packard, son of the late Silicon Valley giant? I asked myself that question yet again last Sunday after attending a screening of the 1920 silent film, “The Mark of Zorro,” with expertly assembled and performed live organ accompaniment by Dennis James (always great) at the California Theatre. The film was preserved and the showing was supported by the Packard Humanities Institute; the theater was completed and the vintage Wurlitzer organ rebuilt with funds from the same foundation. Indeed, it is doubtful whether the restoration of the California Theatre, home to Symphony Silicon Valley and the San Jose Opera, would have happened at all without Packard.

Between Andrew Bales and Single Gal, it seems that the subject of the week is “whither San Jose’s cultural scene.”  But, before that, the swearing in of our new mayor deserves a big mention.  Chuck Reed’s big event was just what you would expect of it: solid, dignified, hopeful.  From the casual and friendly manner of Mayor Reed, his wife Paula and his staff, to the impressive administration of the oath by a genuine hero—his daughter, Air Force Major Kim Campbell—it was just the antidote to a dismal recent municipal history. A good time was had by all.

Yesterday’s excellent guest column by Andrew Bales reminded me of when I was having lunch with my uncle the other day and how we got onto the topic of culture in San Jose.  We talked about the theatre, opera, symphony and ballet, and how all of these various local arts groups have had a difficult time sustaining themselves in San Jose.

This week, a speaker at the Rotary Club noted that we all have to be prepared to do everything differently.  The world is moving on and everything we thought right once is likely to be passed over by other advances.  Long ago, there was a musical entitled “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off.”  The title seems apt now. 

Millions Flock to “Charlotte’s Web” to See Supernatural Occurrence

San Jose was hit with a much-needed Christmas miracle this season that has sent millions of visitors, tourists, and skeptical gawkers into downtown with their spin-off dollars landing in happy restaurants and welcoming hotels.

Like just about everyone else, I am glad that we have a new regime at City Hall in the mayor’s office and on the council. However, in the euphoria of the demise of the old and arrival of the new, we shouldn’t forget one of the biggest accomplishments of the past few years: the Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr. Library joint venture between the city and San Jose State University and the process that is creating the new and vastly improved San Jose library system. This is a legacy worth celebrating.

If our new mayor brings his efforts to bear on three areas of municipal government in the New Year—ethics, development and the budget, and our downtown—the citizens of our city will be very well served. 

In honor of the New Year, I thought I would come up with New Year’s resolutions for other people since setting them for myself has proven to be as successful as the Pavilion Shops. So, here is what I envision that a few select people should vow to change in 2007.