Watchdog Groups Fear Censorship
Hot on the heels of Google’s successful implementation of their internet-censoring product in China, Mayor Gonzales has ordered the popular new totalitarian version of the search engine’s “Great Firewall” software to be immediately installed on his City Hall net servers. All internet searches originating within the city will now be routed through this new google.com/rg network.
Fearing denied access to information and more Brown Act violations, several watchdog groups have called for immediate action by lawmakers and pleaded with city council members to take action against an increasingly repressive regime. Hunger strikes have started in haste and already one PACT member has torched himself in City Hall Plaza.
“They are using a cyber-sledgehammer of censorship to control their agenda and dodge indictments,” claimed one PACT member. “This is a shameful betrayal of transparency and open government.”
In fact, a recent, exhaustive internet search of the words “norcal,” “guerra” and even “san jose mayor” by the research department here at electronic publishing behemoth SanJoseInside.com, produced no results. Many fear that this “abhorrent” behavior is the first step in many that may ultimately lead to the censorship of council minutes, breaking news and even pornography. “My God, this is serious!” was the reaction of one citizen when told of the possibility of life without the free distribution of “Coeds Gone Crazy” pictures.
Some thought that the choice of Google to control information reaching the public realm was just a cost of doing business with a dictatorship. “If you voted for this guy once, than shame on you,” said a Starbucks-sipping latte junkie. “If you voted for him twice, than shame on me…wait, that doesn’t work.”
What? No competitive bids?
I’m shocked!
Meanwhile, here’s what taxpayers shelled out for Gonzo’s farewell State of the City Speech:
http://www.community-newspapers.com/archives/wgresident/20060215/wg-news3.shtml
Worth every penny, eh?
It’s ironic that most of the $70k went to pay for a “transparent tent.” HizzRonner finally found a way to bring transparency to City Hall.
Maybe one reason why Gonzo thinks he is above the law is because of his many trips to China.
I guess his one too many meetings with the communist central party have gone to Gonzo’s head. He must think that he is Mao ZeGonzo, ruler of the San Jose people and the garbage contracts of the valley.
“In 10 years, Gonzales predicts that San Jose will have a baseball stadium; a BART station; better schools; the ongoing “safest big city” title; a more extensive public transit system; and direct flights to London, Beijing and Rio De Janeiro.”
Gonzo’s predictions must be under the influence. of bull sh*t.
Baseball is dead
Bart to SJ is dead
How will we pay for the extensive public transit system, certainly more taxes and useless initiatives that have no accountability?
Direct flights to London, Beijing, and Rio?
What does this have to do with the state of the city, we can already find direct flight to those cities from a modern and great airport like SFO.
A real airport, not half-baked like SJ Airport.
Mal #1: Unfortunately David Cohen, now an employee of Knight Ridder, and his minions got it wrong on thei header. “The City” didn’t pay for it, the taxpayers paid for it.
JMC – I wonder who David C. will be working for after El Observador buys the Merc? (Ha! Wouldn’t THAT be something!)
Dear San Jose:
I really can’t comment on the Gonzales/Google/China connection, but I did hear that the Mayor is considering building a “Great Wall of San Jose” in an effort to bring more people to the downtown. The “Great Wall of San Jose” will be built with gold plated bricks and is promised to “really shine!”
The seniors at the Alma Senior Center have volunteered to give up their lunches in an effort to support the building of the “Great Wall.” The seniors at the Alma Center have finally come to the realization that in San Jose, the public trust should be put towards promoting the city rather than maintaining its institutions!
Pete Campbell
P.S. Has the Mayor’s Budget Director apologized yet?
P.S. P.S. If the city really does build a “Great Wall,” I want to be paid for submitting the idea. (Perhaps RDA funds could be used to pay me).
Sorry to disappoint you Pete, you are not on the approved payoff list
San Jose’s City Council approved Rules Committee procedures, written in pencil with Ron having the only copy, prohibits anyone except current and former politicians and their family, close political friends, mistresses, loyal city government political appointees and large campaign contributors from receiving any city funds, contracts, awards or appointments –
but you probably guessed that by now
SJI: how about keeping track of organizations and individuals as they endorse candidates for Mayor of San Jose?
Here’s a news clip from the Willow Glen Resident highlighting the top news in 1998:
FISCALINI ENDORSES MAYORAL CANDIDATE RON GONZALES
After passing up the chance to run for mayor, Councilmember Frank Fiscalini endorsed the person he considered to be the next-best candidate—Ron Gonzales.
“Ron has both private sector and government experience to bring to this role. He’s been there and done that,” Fiscalini said. “That’s important, because if you haven’t been there and done that, you can’t take a year or so to learn on the job.”
Opposed to negative campaigning, Fiscalini refused to say anything about candidate Pat Dando.
Susan Hammer stood with Gonzales as he received Fiscalini’s endorsement. “One of the things I like best about Ron is his wife, Alvina,” Hammer joked.
DeCinzo’s recent cartoon in the Willow Glen Resident summarizes what many neighborhood and community organizations have strongly expressed about underfunding of basic city services and recent City Council spending priorities
http://www.wgresident.com/wg-op-decinzo.shtml
Have a great weekend in San Jose
Pete Campell’s Great Wall of San Jose is a stroke of genius. Free parking within the wall? A rather draconiun use of Eminent Domain will be required to make way for the wonder, so there will be the usual whiners complaining about their Victorian homes being leveled. The wall could be locked up at 2PM to secure order. Silicon bricks would be more appropriate than gold, and individual contributors could have their names inscribed on a brick. Slogan: Be a Part of San Jose
While doing some research on the mayor using the google.com/rg network I entered the name “Alvina.” All I got was this:
Your search – Alvina – did not match any documents.
The Great Wall of China has already been built around San Jose it is called Eastridge, Valley Fair, Santa Row, Century theaters and on and on. What we see is growth run wild. If we allow someone in the Mayors office who is pro growth, open the coyote valley to developers (home builders) then the wall gets larger.
So name one Mayor candidate who is not aggressive pro growth and will require all developers who make very large profits to pay for city development impacts that later public taxes will have to pay to fix the problems they created or we will suffer more traffic congestion, overcrowding and other impact problems.
The difference is only between where it will be built – not building better or paying for development impacts at the same level as other local city impact fees since San Jose’s low impact fees and large credits / tax subsidies are political paybacks for campaign contributions
Labor and large high rise tower developers support downtown and infill development and more government construction projects for union jobs while the other developers without high rise capability support aggressive suburban and low rise infill development.