San Jose Inside

For the Labor Day holiday, we’re taking a break from posting.  Enjoy the holiday and we’ll resume our regular schedule tomorrow.

Breadth of Experience Tips Scales to Despot

Immediately following the controversial appointment of City Manager Del Borgsdorf as Chairman of the Board of United Way Silicon Valley, the Board made what headhunters are calling a “coup” by hiring former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, as president.

The big news of the day, as reported by Deborah Lohse and Barry Witt in this morning’s Mercury News, is that Carl Mosher has resigned as the city’s envronmental services director to take a job with the County of Sacramento.  His new boss asked the reporters “Should I know about that?” when asked about the Norcal investigation.

I have a modest suggestion for our city manager.  (No, not that one. That one should come from his bosses on the San Jose City Council.)  This one is genuinely intended to help rectify some of the immediate problems at City Hall. It is comprised of four words: concentrate on your job.

I’m the proud father of a fourth grader and first grader.  Yesterday, I took both of them to school.  As they are just beginning their educational journey, I think it appropriate that I share the things I’ve learned about the importance of a good education.  It might be helpful to San Jose Inside readers, too.

By Guest Blogger Randy Hahn

Have you ever thought about doing an Ironman Triathlon? I haven’t. Oh, once, on a bet, I ran a marathon. But that was a bet (which I won incidentally…my time was 4:28:00 in case you were wondering). But I’m talking IRONMAN here. A two and a half mile swim followed by a 112 mile cycling race and then a full blown 26.2 mile marathon for dessert. Ironman is right. Or, Ironwoman in my case.

“Holdouts and Scoundrels” Delaying Complete Pullout

As the city of San Jose celebrates a smooth withdrawal of her bureaucratic settlements from the old First Street homeland, certain officials were warning of the potential for a violent finale with holdouts made up of zealous civil servants encamped in makeshift cubicles.

Jerry DiSalvo to sculpts the pieces he makes in a make-shift studio on his back lawn, according to Mayra Flores De Marcotte in the Willow Glen Resident.

There have been a number of questions since San Jose adopted the title of “Capital of Silicon Valley” in the eighties.  Some say we were undeserving or that we just assumed the title. There was truth to both accusations. I like to quote the words of our late and unlamented Senator, S.I. Hayakawa, who, when roused from his slumber during the debate over the return of the Panama Canal, shouted out: “Give it back? Hell, we stole it fair and square!”  It was a pithy, accurate comment, analogous to the current situation with WiFi in our city.

Here’s the candid situation:  if you talk to local business leaders, they will tell you they’re concerned that the scandals will hurt the city’s ability to attract business.  Many civic leaders wonder how quickly the city’s once outstanding national reputation for good government will be regained, if at all.  Everyone it seems is counting on a new mayor to put the city on the road to recovery.

By Guest Blogger Les White

I have been thinking about the current state of city government in San Jose.  While I have not been close to the activities other than to talk to a few “insiders” and to follow media coverage, I have read and heard enough that it has caused me to reflect on the past and what worked for me while I was City Manager of San Jose in the post-Measure J era some dozen or so years ago.

Without Any Accomplishments, The Supes Are Left With No Choice In Effort To Win Back Interest

In what is being regarded as an unprecedented marketing move, the County Supervisors have voted with their pom-poms and decided to “put the romance back into county politics” by announcing several unique giveaways, gimmicks and special events in a desperate attempt to interest anyone in what they are doing.

They’re in a new building, but some old business is sticking around.

As I read the weekend paper, it was so apparent, once again, that those who do not remember history are condemned to see it repeated on the front page of the paper.  They will suffer the consequences of failing to act on known information.  Such is the case in the controversy over Watson Park, once the site of a garbage dump and a 125 foot incinerator that was in use until the 1930s. It is now the location of Empire Gardens School, a popular park,  soccer field, and community garden, and much is – or was – planned for this beautiful neighborhood at the end of Jackson and Empire Streets on Coyote Creek.

OK, technically it isn’t a guest blog, but several readers forwarded us an e-mail that he sent out a few weeks back and we thought we’d share it with you.  Enjoy!