San Jose Inside

Racial equality in our schools and communities is elusive, but a work in progress. The achievement gap is real and it has not budged significantly for the half century since Dr. King delivered his famous speech. On Sunday, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial will be dedicated to the American people in Washington D. C. The facts are stark and our work to “Build the Dream” must be re-energized. This new national monument to MLK is a great opportunity for us to do just that.

The City Council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday to determine if the city should conduct an audit of the San Jose Redevelopment Agency’s incubator programs. As San Jose Inside first reported, a study buried for two years shows the RDA spent more than $30 million on start-up companies that often provided a poor return on investment.

Tuesday’s City Council meeting should get interesting when public hearings are held on recent recommendations by the redistricting advisory commission, as well as sewer service and use-rate increases.

Stepping away from City Hall and community centers to talk about the budget and retirement benefit reform, Mayor Chuck Reed, labor leaders and a couple Stanford University scholars will be meeting Monday night to take an in-depth look at the city’s pension crisis.The event is open to the public.

When I read or hear an economic report about building permits, housing prices, consumer spending, jobless claims, GDP, inflation, stock prices, etc., it always leaves me wondering: What does this data mean to a city? Well, based on current numbers, San Jose shouldn’t expect any significant increase of our No. 1 revenue source, property tax, for several years.

Despite having strong support from voters, Chuck Reed does have his critics. Capitol Weekly in Sacramento is not one of them. The publication recently picked its 10 best mayors in California, and Reed made the list.

Faced with its 11th straight year of a budget shortfall, the city of San Jose is considering selling off and/or converting land used by public golf courses to prevent further cuts to libraries and community centers come next summer. Mayor Chuck Reed and other city officials will be holding the first of several community meetings at 6pm Wednesday at the Mayfair Community Center.

At a July meeting of the Milpitas Planning Commission, Mark Tiernan, the recently ousted chair, was heard hissing at fellow commissioner Noella Tabladillo, telling her (and anyone within earshot) that she couldn’t be trusted. Tiernan is convinced that Tabladillo was part of a “coup” that forced him out three weeks ago, and that Mayor Jose Esteves orchestrated the whole thing.

“It’s hard to improve public education—that’s clear,” Warren Buffet says. “If you’re picking stocks, you wouldn’t pick this one.” Even Bill and Melinda Gates must question whether their $5 billion multi-year investment in public school reform has been worth it.

The City Council will meet Tuesday to discuss a variety of topics relating to Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. Included in items to be discussed are: an advertising concession agreement with Clear Channel, Inc.; leasing space agreements with airlines; public transit for the airport; and development of land west of the airport.

Increasing the tax base helps government provide services at levels that meet most residents’ expectations. At the national level it’s clearly impossible to grow the economy to pay off the national debt. At the state level, the current rate of economic growth is unlikely to keep the budget balanced this year. However, at the local level where budget deficits are not allowed, an increased tax base could go towards providing services to residents and thus restoring key positions.

Councilmember Sam Liccardo submitted a memo late Thursday calling for an audit of four incubator programs funded by the San Jose Redevelopment Agency. The request responds to a 2009 study—unseen by most city officials for two years—which finds that RDA spent more than $30 million on business-building incubator programs which, it says, showed very poor returns on investment.

Redevelopment agencies in California will have their day in court, and a decision on whether or not the 398 active entities will be allowed to continue operations will reportedly be made by January.

A story sensationalized last weekend by the Merc’s Sean Webby stops just short of blaming the recent violent-crime spike on SJPD Chief Chris Moore’s business trips. “As San Jose’s homicide rate soared,” Webby writes, “police Chief Chris Moore was out of town on business 12 times.” He goes on to report that “some argue” an absent chief can destabilize a police force battling crime and sagging morale. Maybe so, but who exactly is arguing this (or even saying it under their breath) is unclear.

Anyone surprised to hear that Norm Kline plans to run against District 6 rep Pierluigi Oliverio will not be surprised to learn it’s just a rumor. Kline, the planning commissioner, former Saratoga mayor and SJI blogger, is probably gearing up to run for something, but not PO’s seat. That would be Steve Kline.