When I was a kid growing up in the mountains of southern California in the 1960s, one of the most magnificent sights, then common, was to see a full-grown California condor soaring overhead. My father, a professional pilot, and I used to fly alongside the giant birds at 8,000 feet where they would soar in thermals for hours without flapping their wings once. We wondered how they learned to do that. Then, all of a sudden, the condors disappeared—victims of the huge influx of humans greedy for space and resources. It happened so fast. Now, forty years later, these amazing birds are making a very slow return and our state is all the better for it. The unfortunate thing is that the condor’s long-term trip to the nearly-extinct species list didn’t have to happen.

Well, the glass seems half empty—way empty. Lew Wolff will not bring the A’s to downtown (hey, Rick, gambling here in Casablanca!).  The Rep is in perilous condition and other groups are crying “help” and lining up to get a bit of succor.  The city leadership is looking like the interim government in Baghdad.  Our grand prix took a beating on the P.R. front not seen since Nixon’s final days.  Phew—what a few months! Look for a plague of locusts on the horizon.

Just as our discussion about the possible public bailout of the Rep Theater was catching steam, it appears other arts groups in the city realized that this may be their chance to catch a break and get some help themselves.  The discussion about what organizations and businesses are eligible for public funds each year, and which ones are not, needs to continue here and at City Hall.  If the city continues to pour money into arts groups and public events that they feel add to our quality of life, but who don’t have solid business plans and only hope to be successful on their own some day, we could repeat the fate of the San Jose Symphony.

Supervisors Welcome the Challenge to Revitalize the Theater

In an attempt to put a positive spin on the County’s defeated music hall proposal, the supervisors lauded the city after a unanimous council vote effectively turned the management of the beleaguered San Jose Repertory Theater over to the county.

If the above title sounds like one of Juan Miro’s paintings, you get my drift. Surrealism became tangible in San Jose this week with multiple manifestations. At least the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors came to their senses and stopped the concert hall project for the fairgrounds. I guess they finally realized that Kevin Costner’s “if you build it, they will come” rationale to spend himself into bankruptcy in the movie wasn’t a good idea in (sur)real life. The intentions may have been good, but the pie-in-the-sky entertainment-center vision and financial plan were fatally flawed. The unfortunate results, had the concert venue gone ahead per the county’s plans, would have made the problems at the Rep Theater seem like a piece of cake by comparison.

It is said that in war, truth is the first casualty. I have often felt that it is the same in political campaigns—where the stakes are lower and the attention slimmer.  We will see how much this axiom holds true in the currently forming battle for mayor of San Jose.  The result will determine a lot: most everything about our evolution as a city and region, our national reputation, our ethics, and the wellbeing of future generations yet unborn.  Now, that is raising the stakes a trifle.

The news this weekend, that the San Jose Repertory Theatre is looking for a $1 million bailout, brings up a lot of issues for debate and questions that need to be answered.  Is the city constantly putting money into things that they don’t monitor?  Why the shock and surprise of the city council on the financial problems of the theatre, one of the premier performing companies in the country? Has there really not been any improvement in communications with and within City Hall? Norcal redux, anyone?

Wants to Focus on Current Political Election

Council 3 Candidate and Human Being, Manny Diaz, has decided to quit his job with NASA Ames Research in order to concentrate on his council race against opponent Sam Liccardo.

Ballots for the November runoff election will likely have to be reprinted to include the word “former” in front of his career description of “rocket scientist.”

I don’t know about you, but I find the assaults by bands of petition signature-gatherers at the front door of Trader Joe’s or Safeway to be extremely intimidating. Now, I won’t sign any petition until I have read the text of the proposed initiative and have decided to support whatever it is, which means that I don’t sign petitions most of the time. However, refuse one petition, and the signature gatherer will whip out a different petition, and another and another. Often, these people are very aggressive, and I have observed scores of shoppers signing these documents without as much as a thought or question.

You know that the situation is a bad one when your choice is to give a contract to an indicted and decidedly unscrupulous garbage company, who has a reputation that smells to high heaven, or take the chance of garbage piling up in the driveways of San Jose’s residents. There is no good alternative.

How did we get here? There has to be some answers.

All the talk here on the site last week about a write-in campaign got me thinking (I know, don’t hurt yourself Single Gal): Could a write-in campaign really work for the election in November?  Would it really be possible to write in a candidate (like Pandori) and hope that enough people who wasted their votes on Mulcahy would vote that way on Election Day?  Call me crazy (which many of you have and will continue to do), but I really think it’s not as far-fetched as it seems.

SanJoseInside.com has acquired a previously sealed mayoral grand jury testimony and posted a partial transcript below.

The testimony begins with Deputy District Attorney Julius Finkelstein questioning Mayor Ron Gonzales about his role in the Norcal deal.  WARNING: it is shocking, sometimes offensive but mostly sounds like Aaron Sorkin’s movie A Few Good Men.

Anyone who is a regular reader of Leonard McKay’s columns knows something of our once-idyllic valley before it was paved over and covered with seemingly endless, sprawling housing developments and strip malls. Residents of Santa Clara County have seen the population nearly double to two million since 1970 with no end in sight. With profits to be made, the county is in real danger of losing its remaining open spaces to greedy developers who care nothing about the quality of life of those of us who live here. The Santa Clara County Land Conservation Initiative on the November ballot aims to insure that an adequate amount of our open space remains that way for future generations.

When it comes to advice, almost always listen to your mom. Sometimes you might not believe her, but give it a bit of time. For instance: “When you see a crowd, go the other way.” Just think how many problems you would avoid with that simple act.  “A stitch in time saves nine”—now that’s actually an old wives’ tale, but mom said it too. Get on things early, fix them, and save a lot of pain. There is no shortage to the things your dear mom could save you from if only you would listen

Recently a new shopping mall, San Jose Market Center, opened up right outside of downtown on Coleman Ave and Taylor Street. It boasts retail giants such as Target, PetSmart, Office Depot and Cost Plus, while also offering services such as nails, tanning and even dentistry.  But the interesting thing is now that restaurants are popping up in the Market Center (Panera Bread, Red Brick Pizza, and soon Unamas and Chili’s), people are leaving downtown for the ease and the convenience of the mini-mall.  Is the death toll sounding once again for downtown?

Swing for the fences!