San Jose Inside today purchased the abandoned domain of the shuttered political blog San Jose Revealed. Internet users browsing to sanjoserevealed.com will now be directed to the San Jose Inside article revealing that the anonymous hit site was operated by former South Bay Labor Council political director Philip Bump.
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In Defense of the Arts
Six years ago, I found some friends and formed a band. Two years ago, I joined the board of a local theater company. And last year, I took the opportunity to fuse my passions by applying for and being appointed to the city of San Jose arts commission. The common reaction when I tell people about my moonlighting gig goes something like: “What does an arts commission do in a city with no culture?”
NHL Lockout Kills Season, Local Businesses
UPDATE: The NHL announced on Thursday the cancellation of regular season games through Jan. 14.—Editor
Does no one understand math? The myopic individuals responsible for the NHL lockout have already lost more money because of the work stoppage than they will recover in a settlement.
County Updates P-Card Policies; Alvarado Moves to Shirakawa’s District
While the District Attorney’s Office and Fair Political Practices Commission continue their investigations into Supervisor George Shirakawa, the county has moved forward with updated policies on P-Cards and expenditures. Also, sources have confirmed with San Jose Inside that Teresa Alvarado, a potential candidate to replace Shirakawa if he is forced out of office, is moving to District 2.
Campbell Leadership Breaks New Ground
Campbell’s reputation as a sleepy town once known for prunes and Western wear shops—and more recently for its Oktoberfest and Mardi Gras parties—might need an update, as it can now be argued that it has become one of the Bay Area’s hot spots for progressive politics.
Council to Discuss IPA Pay, Nguyen Reappointment as Vice Mayor
In its last meeting of 2012, the City Council on Tuesday will discuss issues varying from lease agreements and property sales to pay increases for the independent police auditor and council/board appointments for 2013.
Three Ways to Improve Electoral Math
In a state of more than 18 million registered voters and a city of nearly one million people, it’s easy for any one person to feel insignificant. That’s why it’s important to remember that we’re all in this together; that our collective opinions add up to something greater than ourselves; that this grand experiment called “democracy” works best when we all stand up to be counted.
Birds, Dogs and Debt! Oh My!
The City Council discussed shooting birds at the airport and the city’s $5.2 billion debt at last week’s meeting. How much time and attention did each topic receive?
Pyle’s Audit Request Denied at Rules
In one of her final requests as a San Jose councilmember, Nancy Pyle asked the Rules committee on Wednesday to let the council discuss an audit regarding staffing levels and employee bumping to different positions due to layoffs, resignations and retirements. The committee told her to kick rocks.
Time for San Jose to Grow Up
It is high time San Jose joined the big leagues and moved to a strong-mayor form of government. The recent response by City Manager Debra Figone to Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio’s public suggestion on who should be the police chief is simply another example of the bush-league government system that regulates elected officials to second-class status.
Park in the Sky or Pie in the Sky?
Planning departments across the USA commonly create “specific plans” and/or “master plans” for certain streets and neighborhoods within a city. San Jose, not unlike other cities, has many of these same plans. Most of the time these plans are put together with the best of intentions, but they end up sitting on a shelf due to their inherent lack of practicality or feasibility.
Unland Still the Police Union President
Jim Unland had his leadership of San Jose’s police union questioned internally as well as in the press the last couple weeks. But when the Police Officers Association’s election—held over the course of several days—came to a close Tuesday morning, Unland easily retained his position as president of the POA, defeating officer Jon Baker by a wide margin, according to a POA source.
Protest Planned for School Board Meeting
Parents of Alum Rock Union School District students, community members and Somos Mayfair plan to protest in advance of tonight’s school board meeting and the potential appointment of a new board member. The protest, which is scheduled to start 30 minutes before the 6pm board meeting, hopes to sway trustees Esau Herrera, Dolores Marquez and Andres Quintero from appointing a new board member before Karen Martinez joins the board in December. Martinez won a trustee seat in this month’s election and the county does not certify results until Dec. 4.
Affordable Housing Study Session
The City Council had a study session last week devoted to affordable housing. The session covered how San Jose could build more affordable housing, even though it has already publicly funded and completed roughly 21,000 such units in years past and has 1,500 additional units currently in the pipeline. As a point of comparison, other cities have done little during the same time period.
‘You Won’t See a Repeat,’ Merc Editor Says
STORY OF THE WEEK: The Mercury News provided a brief statement to San Jose Inside regarding an inappropriate email the newspaper’s opinion editor sent to a political candidate. The statement not only reflects on how the paper views its mission, but the state of media in the South Bay.
Lame Duck School Board Scrambles to Appoint New Member
Will school board and council loser Patricia Martinez-Roach, shown at left with unsuccessful council candidates Brian O’Neill and Steve Klein and labor leader Cindy Chavez in June, get appointed to Alum Rock as a consolation prize?
Alum Rock Union School District trustees are making moves to fill a vacancy left by Darcie Green’s departure. School board watchers believe the existing majority has settled on one of two candidates: Patricia Martinez-Roach, who lost two elections this year; and Javier Gonzalez, who was passed over for a county education post. The apparent fast-tracking of the process has created a firestorm in the community.
