As we watch the first few installments of Ken Burns’s epic and laudable series on World War Two, it is time to consider again and to be mindful of our history—international, national and local. A recent Mercury News editorial is very clear and succinct on this topic. They point to the important and correct decision of the Alum Rock Union School Board in naming schools after Superintendent Tony Russo, a man who dedicated his life to doing good and being an exemplary role model in the education field, and Jim McEntee, an exemplar of decency and courage who encouraged those in public office to be better and more feeling in all things. These were indeed two people to honor and respect, but what of the others?

As mayor, you have the responsibility to make changes, provide vision and get things done. Rarely have we had a mayor of this city who could claim to have all three of those qualities. And, yes, the small things like fixing potholes, listening to the neighborhood associations, and being an accessible mayor are all important too. However, at the end of the day, it’s the “big things” that you will be remembered for.

City Hall Diary

Open space is a very important quality-of-life issue. With so much development happening everywhere, we need to remember to include open space in our plans. I attended two outdoor events this week that reminded me about how important open space is, especially where there are trees. Both of the events were located in pristine areas.

Will Rebuild by Raising Funds for Arts Groups and Politicians Locally

An incarcerated flimflam man and an indicted political fundraiser have filed papers with the Secretary of State in order to form a nonprofit corporation which has effectively put the pair in business in California where they will dole out money for a living.

Police officers are entrusted by the public with an awesome responsibility: the power of life and death. In a city of one million it is inevitable that officers will use weapons in the course of their duties. It’s part of the job and something that is accepted by the citizens whose laws are enforced by the police in their name. Any time an individual officer decides to use any weapon—whether gun, baton, Taser, fists, boots, or karate—that results in death, the act must be just and justified. It seems to me that the best way to assure the public that their law enforcement representatives are making correct decisions in applying lethal force according to the circumstances, and are operating within the law in doing so, is an automatic oversight enquiry by an independent auditor who reports to our elected representatives.

After a brief trip outside of the U.S., I was pleased to see that 1^stACT’s efforts to revitalize our downtown are meeting with great endorsements. With the strong support of Bruce Chizen of Adobe and the solid leadership of Connie Martinez, it seems like the future is quite bright. The business and arts community that care so much about our city center have every reason to be optimistic and it does not hurt to have the Knight Foundation chipping in a few million. The city, Mayor Reed and RDA honcho Harry Mavrogenes are also stalwart supporters. It is a vision that we can all rally around.

This past weekend, I returned to the San Jose Improv Comedy Club, a place that I have written about before and have encouraged people to go to. I had such a great time that I thought I would tell you about it. 

After a nice dinner and a few Mai Tais the size of a small cat (yes, I know, I drink too much), my friends and I hit Jamie Kennedy’s 10 p.m. show. I chose the late show for a few reasons, but mainly because I know how a comedy show can turn and the audience can loosen up when the headliner comes on closer to 11 p.m. at night. 

City Hall Diary

Large organizations often wrestle with enterprise software implementations. They are often promised big returns, quick implementations, user friendly programs and then—the real “kicker”—that costs will not exceed a certain given price.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Cite Dignity, Embarrassment, Shame and Stupidity

In a move without precedent in the city’s history, San Jose City Council Members Pyle, Campos, Williams and Chirco, have decided to relinquish their posts rather than suffer the humiliation of professional ridicule, personal disparagement and possible public stoning.

Much to nobody’s surprise, the San Jose Grand Prix is dead. Apparently, it committed suicide. The laughably dubious reason given by the organizers for its demise is that downtown development is happening at such a scorching pace that the property where one of the main grandstands is located is going to be built on and there isn’t another location for the race’s premium seating structure. The Grand Prix directors say that they have always been aware that the construction on the property would happen. If they had done their homework, then they must have also known that it would mean the end of the race. Did they keep this fact to themselves? 

You may have missed it, but recently the police forces of San Jose and other cities in Santa Clara County merged with the Sheriff’s Department to form one large and coordinated police unit. This new Metro-County Police Force will allow a level of service unequalled in local or even California history. It will be responsible to a 13-member board consisting of both elected officials and appointed citizens with a law enforcement background.

A fact that I wouldn’t normally like to admit I am willing to admit to you for the sake of an article. I actually planned on attending tomorrow night’s Justin Timberlake concert at the Shark Tank. I was excited as I (another humdinger) watched him perform on the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night and was actually looking forward to a night out of dancing and being entertained. Regardless of what you think of him, his music, or his taste, he is an entertainer, and they are a dying breed in this world.

City Hall Diary

Grocery stores are an important element of our neighborhoods. They remind me of libraries and parks: a place that is usually open and serves everyone. Some of my fondest memories of childhood include grocery stores—whether it was cooling down on a hot day in the freezer section or spending my paper route money on snacks. Of course, those were the days when one dollar could get a kid four candy bars (which led to my 38-inch waist in elementary school!).

Lead Poisoning Caused Temporary Spinelessitis

Just days after Supervisor Don Gage vowed to shut down the county fair if it didn’t turn a profit, he was singing its praises after it lost $416,000, the most since 1998. A few hours later, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital where he was diagnosed with a rare form of spinelessitis caused by lead poisoning he suffered from the made-in-China, Mattel Big Big World 6-in-1 Bongo Band toy that he keeps on his desk.

The report in the Mercury News yesterday that mandatory water rationing in Silicon Valley may soon be a reality is not unexpected. The decision of the judge to limit the flow of water through the Sacramento River Delta—which supplies 50 percent of our needs—to protect an endangered smelt is largely due to inadequate rainfall this past year and the crumbling delta infrastructure that desperately needs attention. There is only so much water available even at the best of times, but we are in a drought year and there could be many more to follow. It isn’t unheard of and the situation could get a lot worse.

On a “quiet” Sunday night in downtown San Jose—the evening of August 26—over 30 police officers were called to quell a large disturbance at the Scores/Raw nightclub on South First Street. While the officers were dealing with the ugly scene and arresting 12 patrons, another customer cut loose with a semi-automatic weapon directly into the crowd and toward the officers. Miraculously, no one was hit.