San Jose Inside

Controversial Land to Become Terrorist Training Camps

Continuing their fire sale of San Jose properties, Divco West, the real estate investment and asset management company that made millions in San Jose on a scorched earth and people policy, sold their large and controversial land holdings in Coyote Valley to a branch of the Islamic Liberation Front (ILF) for an undisclosed sum.

Once again my favorite annual San Jose festival is here. The next 11 days will be filled with many exciting events and the showing of over 150 films from 34 countries. This year’s theme is “Discover” and the lineup is very impressive. The venues, as usual, are Camera 12, California Theatre and the San Jose Repertory Theatre.

San Jose does not have to be like every other place. We are unique and we are blessed. The corruption and sleaziness of politics in the national, state, and other cities’ elections does not have to be tolerated here.

This was brought to mind by the recent arrest of a former young intern who worked for a councilman and a defeated candidate for mayor, and the heavy suspicions that he was encouraged, instructed, and/or “bribed” by certain people to engage in the type of political espionage that makes most citizens hate politics and despise politicians. It does not have to be this way in San Jose.

Last week, I was fortunate to go to Hawaii with some other single gals and spend some time on the island of Oahu. As part of our trip, we were able to spend a few days enjoying the Outrigger Canoe Club right outside of downtown Waikiki. The Outrigger has an indoor gym, a private beach, a restaurant and volleyball courts among their amenities—kind of like a country club on the beach.

City Hall Diary

Many people ask what my biggest surprise has been since becoming a council member. I have shared that my biggest surprise has been closed session meetings. “Closed session” meetings are private meetings which include the mayor, city attorney and city council. The city manager and two other attorneys who record the minutes are also present. Sometimes, depending on the subject material, specific city staff will also join the meeting, but the public is not allowed to be present.

Presumptive Favorite Claims Relationship Not Romantic

A bombshell story yesterday coming out of La Oferta, San Jose’s Hispanic newspaper, linked county supervisor hopeful George Shirakawa, Jr. with former McCain lover/lobbyist Vicki Iseman, in what might be the only thing stopping a Shirakawa coronation in his race to succeed Blanca Alvarado in District 2.

Under the city charter, the city auditor has independent authority to carry out examination of finances, documents and operations of any city department, other than the office of any elected official (too bad about that exception). A well run and honest city auditor’s department, as we have in San Jose, is the citizens’ best guard against corruption and financial malfeasance as well as overspending and misspending of public money by civil servants. To be effective, the auditor must remain separate from political control and be able to “strike at will,” something that is recognized in the mandate of the city charter.

When it comes to the difficult task of reversing the dismal budget record of the city, help from whatever quarter is usually welcome. But lately, I find the deathbed conversions of the editorial board of the Mercury News and tardy concerns of the South Bay Labor Council to be a bit Wednesday-ish. During the dismal decisions of the last fifteen years or so—the conversion of industrial land to housing, the attacks on the Coyote and Almaden Valley urban reserves, the showering of new benefits on public safety employees, and various other moves—there was a notable silence, or at the most, weak concern from both.

I understand that being in the public eye makes you a target, but the news that Sam Liccardo’s former intern, Eric Hernandez, was arrested for hacking into the City Hall e-mail system still caught me by surprise. However, as I read the story, it was clear that something just didn’t add up. Why would an 18-year-old be so angry with his former boss—Liccardo Chief of Staff Jessica Garcia-Kohl—that he would intend to hurt her and expose her relationship with Sam Liccardo? Just because she denied him access to a few rooms? Why would that make Hernandez fly off the handle? That doesn’t seem logical.

City Hall Diary

This week at council we discussed the upcoming 2008-2009 budget process. 
 
The budget for San Jose is a year-round process tracking the revenue that comes into the city, like sales tax and construction and conveyance tax (C and C), and expenditures that come from the General Fund (non-restricted money), or capital expenditures (restricted money) like building new libraries. 

First Step in Becoming Autonomous City

Federal Realty Investment Trust continues to add to its tremendously successful Santana Row and bolster is byline, “700 shops, 200 restaurants, 19 spas, 10 hotels, 1 Little Saigon,” by focusing on ethnic consumers after deciding to incorporate a Vietnamese business district to its mix of uses.

A Voice for Those Who Have None

Mortgage meltdowns, soldiers leaving for war, higher rents, additional rents for pets, large pet deposits, natural disasters, allergies, animal behavior problems, the high cost of living, and people moving out of the area have created victims rarely acknowledged. People are surrendering their unwanted pets to shelters and animal rescue groups in record numbers. Over the last 18 months, thousands of additional healthy, adoptable animals have been killed in our local shelter because there is not enough space in shelters or with animal rescue groups to handle this growing catastrophe.

Something being proposed in Florida and Michigan for the Democratic primary selection is often utilized in golf where it’s called a “mulligan.” It is, indeed, a very human reaction and a plausible escape route. But beware the easy route—it’s full of peril. We have seldom seen it in San Jose politics before, but in the battle for “Little Saigon,” we may have another look at the concept of the “do-over” and the results may be anything but satisfactory.

So Super Tuesday came and went, and are we any closer to knowing who might run against John McCain in the presidential election? I have watched the analysts take apart the data and put it back together every which way they can. I have read all the articles and seen interviews with both Obama and Clinton vowing to forge ahead. All signs are pointing to the fact that this election is far from over and, in reality, has only just begun. The real question is: was there really a point to voting in the primary? 

City Hall Diary

As some of you many know via Sal Pizarro of the Mercury News I have grown a beard. I stopped shaving the morning of the mayor’s State of the City speech. I joked with Sal that I was not going to shave until we fixed the structural budget deficit. Getting our city’s finances in order is the number one priority and will take hard work and more community outreach. By that time, my beard will end up competing with Moses or the members of the band ZZ Top.