It looks like the lines between the city’s visitors bureau and the labor-business coalition that runs city-owned facilities is being further blurred, if they exist at all. Until very recently, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, a quasi-public, hotel tax–funded organization, and one of the three entities that make up Team San Jose, operated the SanJose.org website.
The site made mention of Team San Jose as an “innovative public-private” partnership between the CVB, South Bay Labor Council and a group of local hoteliers, who joined forces to streamline the process by which out-of-towners can spend their cash.
But with the relaunch of SanJose.org, all distinction has been removed, and Team San Jose is given top billing—solidly defined as a nonprofit (wherein public and private may be innovative, but certainly are not distinct).
Dan Fenton, the affable head of both the CVB and TSJ, was unavailable for comment, leaving it to communications manager Sarah Hildenberger to try and find the fine line separating public money from private profit.
“About a year ago we were technically two organizations,” Hildenberger said. “Now we’re officially Team San Jose.” When we tried the telephone number on SanJose.org, we were greeted by a cheery electronic message that said we’d reached “San Jose Convention and Cultural Facilities” as managed by “Team San Jose in partnership with the Convention and Visitors Bureau, organized labor, [and] local hoteliers.”
Team San Jose has consistently failed to meet its goals, and the SJ City Council has consistently given it a pass..when it should have given it a fail. It’s like Johnny who can’t read being consistently promoted to the next grade.
It helps a lot to be connected, doesn’t it?
Why aren’t they running the Mexican American Heritage Gardens, Hayes Mansion and the Golf Courses too?
It might not even be too late for them to bid on taking over the municipal water service that they city was talking with SJWC about selling. They could take a loan from the pension system to finance the purchase and operate it like all their other winning business enterprises.
Possibly because the Mexican American Heritage Gardens doesn’t exist.
Sorry…bad with names sometimes. The place SJ Redevelopment (?) built next to Fong’s Tropicana shopping center with the performing arts theater and stuff.
Jose’s right. There is no Mexican American Heritage Garden. Therefore, under the pre-adolescent rules of discourse which govern his conversations, he’s technically allowed to smugly ignore the point you were making. It’s a little trick that helps leftists feel very clever and proud of themselves and it’s called “Gotcha”.
For future reference the budget busting facility you were referring to is called The Billy de Frank BLT AfroVietHispanic Cultural Awareness and Hungry Kids Empowerment Center And Mesothelioma Solutions Garden Brought To You By The City Of San Jose The Capital Of Silicon Valley.
Kind of a mouthful really.
Yeah, accuracy is such a bitch.
The reason TSJ and CVB are doing poorly is because Dan Fenton is only paid 320,000 dollars per year, pay him 800,000 dollars per year and they will succeed.
Same thing with the VTA, Michael Burns is paid a mere 330,000 dollars per year. Pay him 900,000 dollars per year, and bus and light rail ridership will sky-rocket.
I see that you all understand the problem here with Team San Jose… it’s Dan Fenton! **Surprise**!
As I have said before they are in bed with our “CORRUPT” Mayor Chuck “GREED”. As I pointed out many years ago, the used car salesman Dan Fenton is bilking the citizens of San Jose out of Millions of dollars at the hands of Mayor”GREED” and other Currupt Council members.
As I remember Pete Constant is on Team San Jose’s Board. Hmmm sounds like we have some conflict of interest here. How can a group like Team San Jose lose $20+ Million dollars and keep getting more money from the the City with no penalties…? Put Constant on your board.
Ok,let me try and figure this out…It shouldn’t be too hard, I figured it out! Someone is cooking the books,either on the city side or Team San Jose side or both.
Did you know that Dan Fenton had just last week fired his long time (CFO) Daniel Cunningham, I find this very interesting just after the Grand Jury report came out “scorching” Team San Jose’s about it’s accounting inaccuracies(Again) This is the 3rd or 4th time the Grand Jury has reported this.
I smell a cover up by the city at the hands of Mayor”GREED”.
Now let’s put up the smoke and mirrors from the City and Team San Jose to deflect the budget mess by blaming the city employees for the Millions of $$$‘s of problems brought on from guys like Fenton and layoff the hard working City employees.
That’s it everyone will go for that, the citizens of San Jose are stupid they won’t catch on! But look at the General Fund loss of $20 million by Team San Jose, you think that money could have been used to help settle the deficit and no employees would lose their jobs.
This is a true tale of Greed in action in our local government, It’s too bad the Fed’s won’t even look at the mess.
You know, I think Team San Jose should be “given” the contract(without any competition)to run the new A’s Stadium when it’s built. That way we can see it run to the ground by the likes of Dan Fenton.
Nice Job Mr.GREED,really nice! You owe the citizens an answer!
JMO and the rest you make very good points, keep up the good work!
Old Frank signing off~
Frank,
Did you know that Team San Jose has just laid off all of the City Employees at the Convention Center! How does this happen. I have lost many good friends that were City Employees. Now who is going to do all the work? Yes, Dan Cunningham was fired.