Mayor Chuck Reed latched onto President-elect Barack Obama’s mantra of Hope as he delivered his State of the City Speech this morning. His Obama-esque message of optimism may have been an effort to cushion the blow of new austerity measures as he outlined the city’s $60 million shortfall and plans for imminent layoffs.
The mayor’s 30-minute speech, greeted with a subdued standing ovation, was more tempered than last year’s, in which he unveiled a wide-ranging green agenda. This year’s news: Budget cuts, layoffs and redirection of funds from the collapsed American Musical Theater to other struggling arts organizations. Reed shied away from announcing grand initiatives or big building projects that frequently marked his predecessors’ annual addresses.
Regardless of the economic crisis facing the city, Reed buffered his speech with optimism. The mayor confidently predicted “the best days are ahead of us.” Mentioning Silicon Valley’s resilience to economic cycles, the hybrid-driving mayor championed energy-saving technologies as a centerpiece of his economic vision.
He pointed out San Jose’s marks of accomplishment in the last year, which included adding 25 new police officers to the streets, as well as reducing gang violence.
He steered clear of recent police-related controversies over profiling, entertainment-zone policing and the sacking of the city’s police auditor.
A few people mentioned they were a little surprised to hear the mayor mention the president-elect, whom Reed rdid not support. Councilwoman Nora Campos, in a typically critical post-speech press interview, pointed out that Reed had been reluctant to move a council study session, which was scheduled during the historical Jan. 20 inauguration.
Nora, what have YOU done for us lately? Bitching and whining don’t count.
Like him or not, at least Reed was straightforward in his assessment of the current environment. Our city is in no position this year to embark on any “grand initiatives.” As for “big building projects,” how about BART, High Speed Rail, and the convention center upgrade? Aren’t those significant enough?
It’s hard to look at the state of the budget today and conclude anything except that we should put the bulk of our efforts into solving that one issue.
And I’m glad he waxed optimistic, as opposed to going all Jimmy Carter on us!
Those of us seeking to find a candidate to support against Chuck Reed’s re-election campaign could go farther, and do worse, than take a good look at Nora Campos as a possible candidate. She’s done wonders for her council district. She has a couple of off-putting flaws in presentation that could be easily fixed if she can take advice, but she’s got the knowledge and experience to bring the qualities to residents that Reed promised (transparency, sunshine, etc.) and has failed to deliver on.
Even if she couldn’t win this time, it would put her in the leading role for next time. Reed isn’t looking too healthy lately, and it is very clear that he doesn’t enjoy his job, so it is not unthinkable that he would chose to be a one-term mayor.
Ron Gonzales should have considered being a one-term mayor, and running for the open job of State Treasurer at the end of his first term. Why he didn’t take that task on I’ll never know—he’d be a state Constitutional officer right now, well liked, and respected. Instead he stayed around for the Lilliputians at the Merc to tag him and tie him down. Well, it would have helped if he had kept his campaign promises, too.
As ethically emaciated as his Mayoralty, Reed decided to be modest in his speech. Reed has a lot to be modest about. He has hidden documents, evaded his campaign promise of transperancy as much as he seems to be evading nourishment (sign of dire times at the Reed compound), and Reed has chosen keep away from the common people. Depressed, evasvice, and filled with lowering expectations, the Reed Mayoralty slouches towards King and Story to be hatched not born.
#3 Dale: Why not just elect Phaedra and cut out the middle man(woman)?
My gosh, Dale (#3), are you serious about Nora? There are those who would say, “If she had an original thought, it would die of lonliness.”
It is never easy to tell valued employees that they are going to lose their jobs. I wish they would cut some of the grossly over paid “experts” in the City Manager’s Office, and some of the useless programs they have that are sucking the budget dry.
As to Council Member Campos complaining about the Mayor refusing to cancel or reschedule a study session so that they could participate in the Inauguration, I’m sick of this entitlement attitude. We don’t pay them to do anything other than their jobs. If they want to go to an event then they can do what the rest of us do when we want time off, either go without a day’s pay, or use our own vacation pay. No more freebies care of we tax payers.