As the news keeps rolling in about Ron Gonzales, his censure and moves to possibly oust him from office, I am struck by the lack of knowledge most young people in San Jose have about their own city’s politics. As I have been talking to friends, there are few of them who follow what is happening in the news, or even have a vague knowledge of Ron Gonzales and his scandal-plagued term as mayor. Is it apathy at its finest? Or has our city government been so appalling and crooked that it causes people to lose interest?
Most of my friends that live here are young, smart and professional. But the only friends that are in tune with San Jose politics are the ones that grew up in San Jose and have family ties that go back a generation or two. However, few of them get involved. Then, I have the friends that have never even registered to vote. Maybe there are no real issues for young people that really grab them or excite them—or maybe San Jose politicians have become so vanilla that they don’t beg to be noticed.
Has Ron Gonzales, even before NorCal, ever given any rousing speeches or gone out on a limb to provide compelling issues that people can really get their arms around? I challenge you to find one young San Franciscan that can’t tell you a few issues that their young and charismatic mayor has stood for, and I further challenge you to find a young person in San Jose that can tell you about issues that pertain to Ron Gonzales other than his affairs and garbage scandals.
Where is our Gavin Newsom? Why can’t we find someone with style and personality to grace the political scene, or someone that just has fire in their veins and gets young and idealistic people excited about their city again? If Gonzales is ousted and then replaced by someone else, will that person lack flavor, causing people to continue to ignore them? This is my plea: PLEASE, let the next person that graces the 18th floor of City Hall have some fire, some oomph, and some personality, or we have no chance to get the younger generation of voters interested in San Jose politics. We will then just continue with the course that is set now; destined to have this city run by boring politicians who cater to blue hairs and crotchety old businessmen—neither of which I want deciding the fate of my city.
“boring politicians who cater to blue hairs and crotchety old businessmen”
Single Gal – Apparently you are also out of touch with locl politics since our City Council caters to labor / working people as evidenced by the ” crotchety old businessmen” like Tom, Chuck and David are unhappy with our local government
So you are voting for Cindy since she is the youngest candidate and meets your criteria ” rousing speeches or gone out on a limb to provide compelling issues that people can really get their arms around ” ?
Gal, given the current field of candidates you are not going to get anything close to what you’re wanting on the 18th floor.
I’m with you. Where is our Gavin Newsom? I guess when you have a giant suburb popping out kids into boring, isolated suburban lifestyles, that leaves pretty slim pickings for a Newsom type to be found amongst them.
THIS TOWN IS ITS OWN WORST ENEMY
Good luck with that. There are few Gavin Newsoms in this world, and we’re hardly the first town to notice that.
Also, good luck finding those issues. As much as we want to be one of the 10 biggest cities in America just because our population says we are, that’s not happening. Some eons ago drew our city lines were drawn way outside of where they belong; so while the city contains a lot of people, we have no where near the population density of a New York, Chicago, or even SF.
Hence, we don’t have real big-city problems to deal with. “Safest big city in America”… SF working so hard to care for our would-be homeless… the call of SF sucking out so many of the artists, punks, etc. who are quick to leave this city behind… we’re basically a mid-sized business town and our politics reflect that, even when they pull to the left.
Ah, Single Gal. You can’t be as shallow as you portray yourself. If you are, then we are doomed as a city. Sure, a nice, young, firery candidate would fun to have, but that would not guarantee a competent candidate. Our younger councilmembers are certainly nothing to be proud of. Their youth, by itself, certainly does not qualify them for leadership. By your logic, a young, enthusiastic candidate is what we need—although you say nothing about qualifications or ability. It also sounds like you need to find friends who care more about their city. There is no excuse for being ignorant about the misdeeds that have occurred in this city over the past 7 years. If more people cared about the city this mayor and council could not have created the damage they have.
Get a clue and get involved. Elect qualified candidates regardless of their age.
OhNo sure sounds like he’s not too happy to be a grumpy old man. You were young once too, albeit clearly a while back.
SF has young vibrant voters. SJ has families and curmudgeons like OhNo, hence the difference in candidates.
Here’s a sampling of the young, vibrant, voters to be found in SF.
http://www.zombietime.com/sf_rally_september_24_2005/communists/
http://www.zombietime.com/hall_of_shame/
RGC—I am not as psychic as you so I can’t detect what you are from your brief writings. I can tell you that you are only half right—I’m not too happy but you are wrong about the grumpy old man (that’s really kind of silly anyway, isn’t it?) I ‘m not happy about the condition of our city government and when I read Single Gal talk about her ignorant friends who don’t care about what is happening to our city, I become more unhappy. I didn’t realize it was a function of age to care about corruption, mismanagement, etc. in government. Apparently you are much wiser than I (so based on your logic you must be REALLY old.)
Hopefully you will help get new, exciting, and qualified candidates elected. Maybe not. Maybe you’ll just use your psychic abilities to predict the future.
The lack of charismatic candidates is because politics has degenerated into a business where insults rule, and intelligence is scorned. As long as this continues do not expect many people with vision, charisma, and intelligence to become involved.
Oh No –
Yeah, you read me like a book. All I want is a good looking candidate that has a box of rocks between his ears. How are you so perceptive? You must have a way with women that we’ve never seen.
SG
SG—That’s how I read it, too. If Oh No is wrong, you have a funny way of expressing yourself.
Single Gal, I agree. You are asking for someone who not only understands both business and politics but is charismatic and a leader – someone people gravitate to (not just the lobbyists). It would be refreshing to see that here in San Jose.
As far as getting people involved, times have changed and the internet – over the newspaper – is the best way to communicate to the young voters. I receive Linda LeZotte’s E-newsletter. If anything, it is reminder that you can get involved and your councilmember is just one click away.
Mark T
Everyone will have to explain it to me in words of one syllable, I guess; but it does not appear to me that bad candidates are the reason that ignorant, uninvolved young people are ignorant and uninvolved. They’re just not interested at this time in their lives. There’s a lot of apathy out there, but who cares?
However, it is clear to me that many people of all ages have given up on the system because politicians have but one thing in mind—get elected and re-elected so they can feed from the public trough.
We got rid of Terry Gregory, and then the fight between the Nguyens brought out a measly 7,000 voters, plus or minus. Most were undoubtedly Nguyens, Phams, or Trans. The rest of the vox populi went silent.
But what have we heard from, or of, or about Madison Nguyen since her “mandate”? Nada.
We no longer have leaders. We have followers running the show by what the polls tell them. So who are these pollees anyway? Has anyone on this blog ever even heard of someone who knows someone, who heard about someone ,who responded to one of these polls that run our lives? Except Richie R, of course.
Single Gal—you speak of “young people”. What age is that to you? How old are you and your friends? A range will do as a response.
I’m a middle-aged guy—59—who has always been interested in politics. I even made an abortive run for city council in 1988. Luckily for me, I lost. I remain interested in politics, despite the lack of leadership at all levels.
But in most parts of the U.S.A. people have simple needs/wants—police and fire depts. that serve the people well; roads reasonably well-paved; schools that educate, instead of getting bogged down in a myriad of mindless rules adminstered by bloated overpaid staffs at the district office; parks and libraries that are properly staffed and well-maintained. Boring stuff, perhaps, to the youth, but a staple to many of us geezers.
So, we get rid of Gonzo, then what happens? Our choices are the Marionette of the South Bay Labor Council, Cindy Chavez ( a young person herself by my definition, since her husband and my son were in school together back in the day); Dave Cortese, a scion of another local pol; and Chuck Reed. The latter two(both lawyers) have been trying (unsuccessfully in my view) to stake out the high ground on ethics issues.
Yet not one of them has taken a leadership position in this crisis. Commission another study, have more “process (Gonzo’s new favorite word) when the civil grand jury set it all out many months ago.
So, how many potholes would the $100k or so that went to the new investigator have filled? Quien sabe? But I get just a little bit torqued when the council has to commission yet another study to tell them where to go on any given issue. “It don’t take a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. ” We are bogged down in process, and get no results.
Well, I’ve ramble enough today.
It’s way past time for another Boston Tea Party.
San Jose is a cow town
We will have cow town politics until we finally change.
Gonzo should pay back the $100K that is cost the city to confirm facts he already knew where true.
What a sham! that 100K could have gone to a lot of better things.
I believe that what goes on in San Jose also reflects the on going sentiment in politics accross the country. Politicos do not reach out to the young, give them little to get behind and do not ask us what we think. It is true that San Jose needs some energy and a perverbial kick in the pants to bring San Jose an image. I say in 2006 bring in a youth movement to this city. The energy of the youth can give this city a reason to feel excited. If we keep choosing politicians who are simply worried about their image and getting re-elected then we will be stuck with what we have.
I guess the simple question which has already been asked is: Where is our Gavin Newsom?
San Jose is an oversized burb that needs to change, it might even benefit us to let some communites go that we unjustly annexed in the A. P. Hamann “Dutch Years”1950s, without those communites support or even a vote. We went from a town of 20 square miles to a town of 178 square miles, by comparison San Francisco has stayed the same size at 49 square miles. Alviso, Cambrian Park, Evergreen, etc the list goes on… we almost got Campbell and Cupertino but they incorporated themselves to be cities to avoid San Jose from getting them as well. If would think that it would be ideal if our city’s zone of influnece were only 80 to 100 square miles not 178. Its time that San Jose’s Sphere of influence is reduced to a more manageable level. Evergreen for example could be its own city, as well as other neighborhoods. The major benefit of this would be elected officials who know that they can’t get away with the same stuff Ron G has gotten away with, or we could have a system where we have more direct local control.
I think that people here are getting a little hung up on the age thing. I think that the bigger issue – one that I think Single Gal was trying to make – is that you same the same old career politicians running. They try to find any open seat that they can to land. What we need is someone who genuinely cares about the city and wants to improve it AND is willing to run for an office and stick their neck out a bit?
My friends tend to be more worried about their jobs and families and not the bigger picture of the direction of the city. It is narrow minded but if they don’t feel as if they are being adversely affected now, they will not act. It probably won’t be until they are “older” and kicking themselves for not getting involved before because it is going to bite them in the ass!
Institutions such as SJS and SCU need to do a better job of making people aware and active in civil issues and not just churning out high tech workers. They used to – why not anymore? Is Gen X and Y just lazy? I don’t want to say yes but….
What are the requirements to run for mayor?
Single Gal,
I would like to congratulate your young, smart, professional friends for their ignorance of local politics. One of the great things about this country is that we have enjoyed, for many generations, a social and political stability that has provided young adults the freedom to pursue career goals, to entertain wild dreams, to live and learn. I would hate to think that those who’ve yet to really experience life are spending any time at all worrying about things like misguided mayors or garbage contracts. Better for all of us that they use that third decade of life making themselves ready for those important next two (as well as getting themselves over the first two).
Young adults should spend their time acquiring adventures, professional credentials, and prospective spouses. That is how they can best serve society, how they can best ready themselves to someday parent their children, prosper in their careers, embrace responsibility, and guide the nation. It is folly to think that we need their voices and energy now—now when they lack experience, perspective, stability. There are plenty of “young” people in their thirties, forties, and even fifties to bird dog city hall or organize a political campaign.
One thing San Jose does not need is a Gavin Newsom, a mayor of modest accomplishments, unless one considers making headlines and a fool of oneself achievements. Yes, his homosexual show weddings got the city’s gay population a lot of notice, but so did the AIDS crisis.
I remember that when Mayor Newsom declared that state marriage laws didn’t matter, the Bay Area applauded him enthusiastically, never giving a thought to the ramifications of an administrative branch official thumbing his nose at the law. Tell me: how many of you liberals would have cheered had a pro-life mayor or governor stood-up so defiantly for his particular version of morality?
Anyone notice the murder rate in San Francisco? Is the horror taking place on the streets of Bayview easier to digest when the city is led by a pretty boy with a fake smile and a well-practiced, c’mon-adore-me gaze? Has he done anything about it that has worked (and by worked I mean something more lasting than a photo opportunity).
How many homicides do you imagine Newsom’s handpicked, clueless police chief solved in her career? Or, for that matter, how much respect do you believe his doughy, thirty-something fire chief enjoys in city fire houses? Given a choice between giving the public competence or himself media attention, Gavin chooses the latter every time.
Look at the mess Mr. Media just made with the police video incident. He and his scarecrow police chief sounded a citywide alert and scrambled the media the moment the issue came to light. No time to waste investigating things: “get the media here and fix my makeup!” Politically correct hyperbole soon blanketed the city like a thick, wet fog. Oh the outrage, the homophobia, the racism and sexism! The bottom-feeders were out in the streets the next hour, lined-up with their condemnations and demands.
“A dark day in this city’s history?” Uh, no. In reality, much ado about nothing, to borrow a line from another born showman. Now it’s the lawyers’ turn to line-up and salivate. The city’s coffers have been laid open!
I hope Gavin really does like Heather, because the two of them might be spending a lot of time together in civil court.
What an idiot.
Great comment Single Gal. I can see Newsom headed in the direction that Ronny only wished for.
San Jose definitely suffers from SF Envy. We are the bigger city yet we get less recognition; let’s just accept that no one with charisma would want to be Mayor of San Jose. I think we should put intelligence before charmisa anyway. Guidelines for choosing our next mayor:
Cannot be a former city council member ( where people learn to be corrupted)
Cannot list “Educator” as a former profession (teachers are ok – leave the pretention out and make sure you list what grades were taught)
Should be able to order a meal in a Mexican restaurant
( I recommend Chacho’s or Blue Monkey)
Should have never been bankrupt
Cannot have a better golf handicap than Annika Sorenstam
Should be willing to take a polygraph test
Should live in Santa Clara county ( Los Gatos is really just a suburb of San Jose anyway…)
Should have a college degree in some meaningful discipline ( Political Science doesn’t count)
Any of you hopefuls out there able to meet this list of requirements?
I guess since Another SIngle Gal says I have a funny way of expressing myself, I will go ahead and take that as a compliment.
When I ask “Where is our Gavin Newsom” – I don’t really mean that I want another Gavin, I just mean that we need someone that gets people excited, involved, interested again. I think that, no matter what you think about him, you can say he does that.
And youth or not, I am about 30 and so are my friends, it is sad when people don’t care because they feel there is nothing to care about in politics. I don’t think it should take until you are older to care about your city. I think that a good mayor would make sure that EVERYONE gets involved.
And let me just beat some of you to the punch:
Single Gal you are ___________. (Fill in one of these, stupid, self-involved, ignorant, shallow, yadda yadda yadda.)
How sad that Single Gal’s requirements for the next Mayor are “some fire, some oomph, and some personality…” over qualities such as intelligence, character and ability. Politics is not a video game or rock concert and the politician’s job is to govern, not entertain.
Perhaps Single Gal should consider running for office. It might be an interesting learning experience for her to find out how many, or how few, San Joseans share her views about the qualities of good leadership.
I was just commenting this a.m to Gil Hernandez about the absence of finfan for a while. I get into the office, and bang, there he is.
Steve #28: Hey next time my friends of PT & The Cruzers are playing at Bosco’s Bones & Brew in Sunol, let’s meet Single Gal up there and drink and talk politics and dance.
Now that the City Council has unnecessarily stopped the investigation, it’s time for the DA to kick into high gear.
This afternoon’s Council meeting was a sad example of hide and seek by Cindy and the Council majority. Cortese and Reed were up front in their criticism of the Mayor and the need to get to the bottom of this disaster. It is now obvious that there is much to hide. The three major questions left unanswered, as summarized by Chuch Reed, are (1) did any money exchange hands, (2) was the open meeting law of the State violated and (3) did Norcal defraud the City? Pretty significant issues to leave hanging. It’s not enough to simply “move on” and provide City staff with ethics training.
It’s now your turn Mr. DA. “Where there’s smoke there’s fire”
Watching the censure proceedings on cable yesterday I found it very pathetic that on the big screen in the chamber was the SJ logo and below it a banner reading “10th Largest U.S. City” as if this is some kind of adverstising angle. I really doubt that Detroit was doing this when they were 10th largest. WHO CARES? This town isn’t acting like a big city and putting that verbiage at the bottom of the logo proves it. The fact that people need to be reminded of this town’s size speaks for itself.
Local (#27).
Hmm…it’s interesting how two people can read the same words and come away with different conclusions.
Her post speaks for itself. Perhaps you should re-read it. You will not find any references to honesty, integrity, character or experience. You will find references to charisma, style and that indefinable quality known as “oomph.” I will conceed the one indirect reference to intelligence. The rest sounded like a job description for a game show host.
Like you I also watched yesterday’s long council meeting and am in a foul mood over the poor outcome. However, for my money the best representatives on the dais were the uncharismatic Chuck Reed with his oh-so-unstylish flag tie and the lacking-in-oomph David Cortese. Gonzales, on the other hand, had a nice suit. Very stylish.
MC – Thank you for your reply. I had just read the replies where Single Gal clarified the “intelligence factor” issue. It would be nice to see you guys give political novices the benefit of the doubt – myself being one of them!
Glad you appreciated Ron’s style…haha…my obervation was the facial expressions and chair respositioning when they talked about taking away committee responsibilities.
We have two types of posters….Frustrated finfan stated an opinion and even developed a counter arguement. Mal Content on the other hand, well, missed Single Gal’s point, thought she had no common sense and wanted to attack her for the misunderstanding. Hmmm….
Let’s just state clearly….any candidate for office should be intelligent and capable (code = they must have rocks between their ears). Let’s call it a prerequisite. Now, Mal Content, try reading the blog and comments and then comment all you want!
(Sorry I watched the long council meeting today so I am a little grumpy…)
Single Gal, you are “sooo desparate.”
But I have the solution to your problem
.
(or at least the political aspect
Take a page from the illustrious history of the great community of Sunol, where once Bosco the dog presided as mayor.
Think of the possibilities. A dog is loyal yet friendly once they get to know you. Dogs have both style and personality (unlike marmots, or cows). They are full of energy, except when
they are sunning themselves on the back patio after leftovers. It is impossible to remain neutral to a dog. A dog campaigning for mayor would receive the instant attention of young persons across this fair city. Who would deny such an wonderful and might I add corruption-free candidate their support for the city’s highest office? And San Jose would finally be put on the map as a city with new ideas, new aspirations, young blood. Not even SF has
ever had a dog mayor (though they might
have had an emperor or two, but that was a long time ago and no one remembers any more).
I would gladly vote for a mayor and council full of canines to replace the current lot of scoundrels, thieves and liars.
I hope the SCC DA’s Office does something about this and comes in and starts a real criminal investigation. I wonder what they could find?
Ron G’s hand in the cookie jar?
Bye Quakes have fun in HOUSTON!
Mal Content –
I feel sorry for your wife or girlfriend.
Some people in here cannot understand some things. OF COURSE I want the Mayor to be intelligent. OF COURSE I want them to be honest. OF COURSE I want them to be a stand up person. This all (I thought) went without saying.
I am making a different point that I want more than that. And the public needs to see more than that.
I appreciate that you are in here sharing with the rest of us your opinions, but man, some people just want to be pissed off at someone, so I guess here I am!
Well, now we know that many councilmembers have much to hide. They have voted to kill the NorCal investigation without knowing the answers to most of the questions. Tell the Mayor’s office bye, bye, Cindy. We can’t have another Mayor who refuses to face the truth. This place is pathetic. Single Gal, maybe you can get your friends to read a paper, read a blog, something, so they will become concerned with the sorry state of our city. If they don’t help to take back our city it will continue to be an embarrassment.
SINGLE GIRL WHY DON’T YOU RUN. YOU SOUND VERY INTELLIGENT AND INTERESTING AND COULD GET YOUNGER PEOPLE INVOLVED. OTHERWISE QUIT COMPLAINING IF YOU’RE NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION YOU’RE PART OF THE PROBLEM AND YOUR FRIENDS INCLUDED. I ALSO TAKE OFFENSE AT THE BLUE HAIRS, I LIKE THEM, AND THE OLD BUSINESS MEN I WAS ONE OF THEM.
Thanks HJ, but you don’t have to yell!
SG
All the young people that I know are too busy making their $$ and/or raising their kids. They will wake up one day and realize that they should have gotten involved because the city has gone to hell in a handbasket (even though the esteemed Susan Hammer doesn’t seem to think it is…)
What happened to San Jose State and Santa Clara producing civic minded leaders like they did in the old days? Or Bellarmine for that matter? I am inclined to say the Me Me Me generation is just apathetic. Time to get off our asses and do something!
SG: If those are the qualities you want in your elected leaders then OF COURSE you should make that point. Don’t expect your readers to be psychic and somehow assume the points you fail to make. Take the time to write an extra sentence.
You feel sorry for my wife or girlfriend??? Hmm, how did that enter the discussion? I simply commented on the views you presented, nothing more. I did not attack you personally.
That being said who, exactly, is responding in a “pissed off” manner?
They produce those type of leaders in San Francisco.
Mark T,
You are so right that the SJ logo and below it a banner reading “10th Largest U.S. City” as an advertisement to whoever? Was very ridiculous and sad. I completely agree that you will not find any city out there saying in there official logo 4th largest city or even with Chicago 3rd Largest city. It is just plain sad and a really bad ad for the city or town of San Jose. I agree WHO CARES?
They should probably include suburb too!
Am a Gavin fan myself, SG… and I do believe something’s coming!
PL # 42:
Oh, yeah, Gavin’s great. He and his politically correct police chief appointee are presiding over the greatest homicide rate in SF recent memory, and what torques them the most?—an insensitive video.
Listening to Heather Fong proclaim that this was “the saddest day in the history of the department” was a sickening joke. Sadder than when a cop dies in the line of duty, Heather? And Gavie just stood behind her nodding in agreement.
I don’t think highly of Gonzo, but Gavin’s not it either.