I’d like to ask how much the Water District spends each year on advertising and outreach? Water District ads encouraging people to conserve are on all of the time.  (By now, I think we’ve got it!)
— Timothy Wright

The budget for marketing campaigns has varied depending on the seasonal need. For example, the “Save 20 gallons” water conservation campaign was released in 2009, following a 15 percent mandatory conservation call by our board of directors.

While participating in last week’s Game Changers 2012 event, which focused on Silicon Valley’s economy and was sponsored by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, I had the sinking feeling that public education was in a baseball “pickle” and down to its last out.

It is clear that the budget deficit this year and in future years cannot be solved only by pension reform. Even if the city stopped matching the employee contributions at the current rate of 250 percent to the average employer match on a 401K of 3-6 percent, taxpayers would still have a multi-billion dollar unfunded liability from commitments to current and future retirees already vested. Why beat around the bush when we know taxes will have to be raised to afford the pension obligations and maintain bare minimum services laid out in the city charter?

Tuesday’s City Council meeting will feature a status report on the city’s general fund, but no action will be taken in regards to declaring a “fiscal and service level emergency.” Consideration of that item has been deferred until after Oct. 31.

San Jose’s city council established guidelines Tuesday for the city’s medical marijuana regulatory program. As expected, the council stuck to many of its earlier ideas—a cap of 10 collectives, on-site cultivation of cannabis only and strict zoning regulations—and will move toward finalizing its decision at a Sept. 27 session. The city’s program would then go into effect a month later.

It looks like Palo Alto is about to follow in San Jose’s footsteps and is gearing up for a battle that could generate the same kind of acrimony seen last year during the Measures V and W election. The Palo Alto City Council approved a proposal this summer to put a measure on the November ballot that would repeal binding arbitration between the city and its public-safety unions.

A small ceremony was held on Saturday with little fanfare, but it was big on Americana style. An eagle scout was honored for his project that constructed a new sign at the Willow Glen Community Center. Volunteer work done by this scout and others helps augment the government’s work in the community during these tough budget times. Also, some suggestions on what the council should do this week when it takes its first decisive actions on how to regulate medical marijuana.

The hot topic at Tuesday’s City Council meeting will be medical marijuana, and a soon-to-be administered regulatory program that has critics on all sides. While the Planning Commission has recommended a more lax approach to the council’s direction, the city’s administration appears unwilling to budge.

By the looks of a flyer that was circulating in the state’s capitol this week, the D7 Crew ain’t nothing to mess with. In reality, though, the D7 Crew is a group of freshmen Democrat and Latino State Assembly members whose end-of-session party invitation rose “Capitol eyebrows,” according to a headline in the Sacramento Bee’s political blog, Capitol Alert. The group of Assembly members includes San Jose’s Nora Campos.

Hewlett Packard CEO Leo Apotheker’s move to exit the consumer computer business could bring more bad news for San Jose’s budget. The Palo Alto computing colossus currently pays San Jose and the arena’s management firm $3.25 million annually to hang its sign at the HP Pavilion’s entrance. Of that amount, $1.25 million goes directly into the city’s general fund. But with the agreement set to expire at the end of 2015, and HP’s plan to spin off its line of PCs—like the “Pavilion” models—the Shark Tank’s proper name seems unlikely to stick.

This week, as scripted by federal law, most of us enjoyed a national holiday lobbied for by the labor movement in the late 19th century. The intention of labor leaders was to create a commemorative day where the average American worker was recognized for their contributions to the nation and its people. But too many Labor Day celebrations on Monday were without the flourish and pomp paid to labor that I grew up with many decades ago.

Is San Jose really on its way to becoming known as Sin City? Sgt. Jim Unland, vice president of the police union, recently made that claim in a post on the San Jose Police Officers’ Association’s blog site, Protect San Jose. Mayor Chuck Reed dismissed the moniker, but he acknowledged that San Jose needs more police officers. Meanwhile, Police Chief Chris Moore is under fire for the 140% increase in San Jose’s year-to-date homicide rate as well as his frequent trips outside of the city. Could it be that almost everyone in public safety is now losing the public relations battle?

Camping is a time to enjoy nature and the adventure of the great outdoors. Last week, I attended a community meeting about San Jose Family Camp. There were approximately 25 residents who all appeared to be Family Camp boosters. They expressed support for Family Camp, recalling fond memories that for some dated back approximately 30 years. But in these tough budget times, Family Camp might need to be outsourced or eliminated.

In an effort to keep readers better informed about and involved with community issues, San Jose Inside is unveiling several new features in the coming weeks. Our Q&A series allows readers to become reporters and ask questions. If you’ve ever wondered why a certain question wasn’t posed, this will be your opportunity to step forward and ask. This week, Santa Clara Valley Water District CEO Beau Goldie has agreed to answer your questions.

This is the first installment of a new San Jose Inside feature that allows readers to pose questions to public officials. This week, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed has answered 10 questions selected out of hundreds that were submitted by San Jose Inside commenters. The topics range from pensions and public safety to a proposed ballpark. The next public official to be interviewed by readers will be announced on Friday.—Editor

The local bail bond industry has taken aim at a county program that lets people get out of jail for free.  A group calling itself California Coalition for Pretrial Accountability is now building a war chest and “intends to lobby key decision makers” to eliminate the “Own Recognizance Release Program” (ORP) and other pre-trial services.