This summer could the busiest we have seen in a while in downtown San Jose, and that is good news for a city trying to become the cool, hip and fun place we all know it can be.  If you throw aside concerns about city subsidies and the way many events came to be here and just enjoy, this could be the summer where many people who never visited downtown San Jose before, come for the first time.  But, what will their impression be when they get here?

SUV Driven by Joe Guerra is Carrying Ron Gonzales

Several dozen CHP Officers have been involved in a low-speed car chase down Hwy 101 since early this morning, apparently trying to stop a city-issued, white Ford Bronco that is being driven by Joe Guerra and carrying Mayor Ron Gonzales.

It is clear from yesterday’s special meeting that the only thing the city council can do to the mayor in the wake of his indictment is whack him with a wet noodle, take away his gas allowance, and allow him only bread and water. There is no provision or process in the Charter to remove the mayor from office, and the council apparently cannot now pass an ordinance addressing impeachment and apply it retroactively without violating the mayor’s civil rights. What is also clear is that, if there was such an impeachment procedure in place, the council would now invoke it in light of the mayor’s refusal to resign, and he would be history.

The action is now largely finished and the captains, the kings and one mayor are ready to depart. It is time to look ahead. What lessons can we learn from the tragedy of Ron Gonzales and this painful era?  Some have suggested that it was preordained—we all carry the seeds of our own mistakes and tragedies within us—but the public portions of this episode did not have to be this way.

OH MY WORD!  Those are the only words to describe how surreal it was to hear that Ron Gonzales and Joe Guerra were actually arrested for their roles in the Norcal scandal.  I knew that things were corrupt at City Hall, as we have been hearing on this site and throughout the mayoral campaign, but I guess I never really thought that it would catch up to them this way. 

Although I wrote two satirical pieces for publication today, one before the indictment that dealt with moonlighting, and one after, which dealt with the arrests, neither of them felt right, nor appropriate, on this sad but inevitable day for San Jose.  Therefore, we will continue with this open thread throughout today and the weekend.

When you come right down to it, $2.6 billion is a lot of money no matter how you cut it (except in Bush’s illegal Iraq war where it would last a mere 10 days). That’s the amount of the new fiscal year’s budget approved by the city council on Tuesday, not without disagreement from some members. LeZotte and Reed voted against accepting the mayor’s budget message, LeZotte and Cortese voted against the overall budget, and LeZotte, Reed and Cortese voted against extending the telephone line charges to fund 911 responders.

As I wrote last week, in an enjoyable foray into Civil War analogies (politics is a bit like war, you know), Chuck Reed has the high ground, forging a campaign of principles and clarity and fiscal responsibility. Yet, the ground can shift treacherously, increasing uncertainty from a primary to a general election. The bones of many contenders and future winners lie bleaching in the suns of an expanded electorate’s changing views between June and November.

Reading about the Hayes Mansion brought to light the issue of city subsidies and the way San Jose has handled this important matter.  The city now spends $4.2 million per year to keep the Hayes Mansion in business. No, that is not a misprint—$4.2 million a year.  I understand that the Hayes is a historical building and in this “new” city with new buildings popping up each day (with no historical significance whatsoever) we need to protect and keep those buildings both beautiful and a part of our city’s culture. But that is not what is happening in this case; in running this hotel and conference center, we are paying for what seems to be a bottomless money pit.

New Flights Established After Defeat of Measure A

In hopes of increasing the number of passengers traveling by air, the newly-christened Mineta San Jose Inter-County Airport has added several routes to the most heavily commuted areas in the valley.

While we wait to see what changes are in store for the Mercury News—recently sold to Denver-based Media News, who take over this summer—we should also be concerned about the impact on local arts and culture in the wake of parent company Knight Ridder’s departure from San Jose. The absence of its $2 million annual expenditure, $750,000 of which is earmarked for arts and culture, will create a huge financial hole in the valley and bring hard times for some who have depended on its support. Unless others step in to help fill this philanthropic hole, the city-logo proclaimed “10th Largest U.S. City” has a big problem.

A little-known Union hero of the Battle of Gettysburg was Brig. Gen. John Buford. On the first day of that epic struggle to determine the fate of the United States, he had the judgment to seize the high ground outside of the town and, with it, the victory was all but assured—only the deadly bloodletting was to follow for three horrible, tragic days. Well, it’s only June, but never too soon to begin the speculation on who will have the high ground in the election for mayor next November. In this campaign, the key issues will be ethics, growth and vision. Chavez is attempting to make it a schools and neighborhoods choice, but she has a daunting task.

So now that we’ve all had a week to digest the events of last Tuesday, my question is: “Where do we go from here?”  As you know, I strongly supported David Pandori and his ideas of change and reform.  I thought (and still think) he would have been great for our city.  And many other citizens (those who actually took the time to vote) did too— unfortunately, just not enough of them.  But it’s all playing the game of “coulda-woulda-shoulda” at this point. 

Smear Tactics Try to Brand the Decline-to-State as “Unfit to Serve as Mayor”

A last minute smear campaign by a group of adolescents calling themselves the Children’s Musical Theater Veterans for Truth, has proven to be the deciding factor in Michael Mulcahy’s failed bid to become Mayor of San Jose.

I can’t resist bringing up a few items in light of Election Day’s results. First and foremost: Where were you missing voters? I went to my downtown polling station at 3:30 p.m., where there are nearly 1300 voters registered, and I was voter number 88 for the day. The poll workers were bored stiff. Is there no sense of civic responsibility any more? I know that many voted “absentee,” but still—88 voters in more than eight hours of polling! According to the official Santa Clara County website, 229,172 voted out of 747,644 registered, including absentee. That’s a little higher than a 30 percent turnout throughout the county. 106,436 ballots were cast for mayor, somewhat less than 30 percent in the city. This is pathetic. Under the circumstances, do we get what we deserve?

Well, the votes are all in and the winners and loser are clear.  To the extent that people did not participate, they and we lost; to those who did, and read San Jose Inside, thanks for what you do and the diligence you apply to it.  Adlai Stevenson once said that, after a loss, it was like stubbing your toe—it hurts too much to laugh and you’re too old to cry. We should all cry for the depths that our city has fallen; we should decry the timid and dishonest campaigning for the top spot in the city.  Current council members should have the sense to understand repudiation and be ashamed for their active or tacit part in the past disgraceful performance of this council.