It is a standard human impulse to see a brave new and optimistic world when a certain era is closing. From the conclusion of a project, to the end of a school year, to a change in jobs, all are a time of reflection and satisfaction. Much is leaving; much will abide.
Yet, what is the powerful emotion now in our city that seems to gather such a combined feeling of giddiness and hope? Images of the Allies liberating Paris spring to mind, or the toppling of Saddam’s statue in Baghdad, or the reclaiming of the White House by Bill Clinton. All are pictures that we can form and hold in our minds clearly. That past is now gone, except for the most important part: we are a good and strong and resilient people here, and can surmount most anything.
When I read the beautiful Christmas postcard by Leonard McKay reprinted on this site Monday and thought about the GIs thinking of a San Jose white Christmas, it evoked many such powerful impressions and vivid portraits. Much abides, indeed. There is more hopefulness now than I have experienced in a long while. I pondered what would be the enduring image that will symbolize the end of this era. The answer came back strong: the smiling face of children at Chavez Plaza—the middle of a fine city at the center of the greatest entrepreneurial revolution in the history of the world, a revolution that has changed how we live, work, play, and dream—the vision of a hopeful future and another chance.
Right now, we have been given another chance to get things right. It is a truism to say that as San Jose goes, so goes our very special valley. It takes no leap of fancy to see the years ahead as setting a new platform for inspiring and exciting changes in our world; the future starts here on East Santa Clara St. near a dome on the ground. Here’s hoping that it elevates us to the sky.
Thanks, Native, but it is imperative that in the new era of hope, we do not forget the trauma and disgrace of the past – and they made their own bed – remember to remember at City Hall is my hope – it may save future trouble for all of us in the city. TMcE
Yesterday’s and today’s pieces were just fine. SG echoed the way many of us feel—it’s too soon to just “get over it” but we also need to look to the future. The dark days of Gonzales will not just disappear because we want them to, since the damage he caused will take months, if not years, to repair.
I agreed with what SG had to say and I agree with what Tom has to say—the thoughts are not mutually exclusive.
Here’s to remembering the past and improving the future.
Least we forget how we almost became a barista free city.
“Least we forget how we almost became a barista free city”
What ? – Barista – Person who makes and serves coffee in a coffee bar
We have dozens of coffee shops & Starbucks, Peets etc – unless you mean City Hall – which has no coffee shop
Our labor friendly City Council with their unreasonable and business unfriendly policies still has downtown and CH empty store fronts
Jane Jacobs, RIP, in her infinite wisdom, talked movingly about how it’s the million little things that make a city great, not its big projects. It’s the guy selling stuff on the street corner, not the big-domed city hall. It’s walking by eccentric small local shops, not the big new chain restaurant. It’s bumping into the kids coming out of their ballet lessons, not the visiting Important Symphony From Someplace Else’s show.
While I appreciate Tom’s and other’s enthusiasm for the potential changes given our new mayor, something in Largess of the thoughts (comparing San Jose’s political climate to end of WWII? Or, for the matter, putting Bill Clinton’s election on par with the liberation of Paris?) worries me deeply. In our collective wealth and intelligence, I fret that we are too anxious, too impatient, (and dare I say it—too arrogant) so that we always want to Do The Big Thing (a building, an event, a plan, an election) and don’t have the patience and caring to attend to the million little things (community centers, street design, small business assistance, better schools, better parks) that will really make a difference.
I, too, see the future (and past) in Xmas in the park, but the lesson I draw from it is how what we build organically, from the ground up, always does better than that which is centrally planned by our appointed elites.
Happy Holidays to all!
What?
Go to post #36 on
Single Gal and Is Manny Diaz For Real?
Dear San Jose:
Liked Tom’s line…“The vision of a hopeful future and another chance.” There is hope for our city’s future, but we have a lot of hard work to do.
Last Monday was the last meeting for the Reed Transition Team-Government Reform & Ethics Committee (of which I’m a member). I believe that the citizens of San Jose will be pleased with many of the reform suggestions that our group advanced. You know that the political climate at city hall has changed when one of the first acts by the mayor-elect is to difuse his own power by giving a diverse group of citizens the responsibility of advancing policy suggestions and reforms to the city council. Reed seems to be about sharing power rather than “collecting it.” (Politicians seldom do that).
On January 9th, the citizens of San Jose get their city back!
Pete Campbell
#7. There is no post #36 for yesterday’s Single Gal. It ends with #33.
Speaking of a new era in 2007, take a look at today’s Metro, page 15, which begins to raise interesting questions about the nature of the June 2006 charges against the mayor (criminal versus civil) and the timing of the charges.
Had the DA commenced civil charges against the mayor when the DA had all the Norcal information (May 2005), the mayor would have been out of office by December 2005.
The Mercury News has avoided these questions (nature of the charges and timing of the charges) like the plague. Who knows? The new era may be more exciting than we thought. It’s certain to contain surprises.
Read more carefully, Native #9— It isn’t yesterday’s SG, its the one on Manny Diaz.
A nice breath of fresh air after yesterday’s “kick ‘em while they’re down item.”
Maybe this will set a more positive tone to this blog. Especially after yesterday’s very impolite piece from Single Gal.
Thanks Tom.
#9 Native…
Go back through Single Gal’s posting until you find the one entitled . . .
Single Gal and Is Manny Diaz For Real?
Then scroll down to #36
#13, you make a good point. Why are they all so angry? Could it be that Single Gal turned them down for a date?
Single Gal writes something with some edge and she gets 35 posts. Tom posts something positive and gets 12 posts and half of them refer to SG. There is a beautiful story by Leonard and a handful of posts. Go figure – SG isn’t the only one that likes drama!
San Jose is to see a new dawning—- January begins a new era of open / transparent government. But, there still remains the “GARBAGE” left from the previous administration. It will be like the farmer who has to put on his boots, grab his shovel and head to the barn to clean out the piles of manure before it rots the place.
I’m afraid there will be a lot of shoveling to be done and very little money to buy all the needed tools. Perhaps if “$11 million” were able to be returned, some of the tools could be bought.
Concerned Citizen
What I do believe about Mr. Reed in a positive way is that he will not allow city attorneys to hide under their desks, like the city attorneys in Santa Clara are doing, while one council member conducts private negotiations with a sports team. As a frequent critic of Mr. Reed, I will commend him for being the type of elected official that would tolerate the antics of Santa Clara Council Member Kevin Moore to freeze out the public in Santa Clara, and the other cities like San Jose, when it comes to this “stadium” he is proposing.
Viewing porn in San Jose public libraries? What’s to get so worked up about?
“Chief librarian Jane Light says it’s a matter of free speech.”
Nancy Pelosi has an agenda for the first 100 hours. Chuck Reed should have an agenda for the first 1 minute of his administration.
That first 1 minute should consist of walking across the street and terminating Jane Light.
I gotta agree with Novice. Ms. Light has gone completely over the edge if she believes some sicko has the free speech right to view pornsites in front of kids in a public library. The pervert isn’t speaking.
We are so far down the road between what is really speech and what the courts consider to be speech that I don’t know if we can ever recover a sense of sanity and balance on that question. Sitting in a public library masturbating is SPEECH?!!!
Sorry, Ms. Light, it’s a crime—indecent exposure.
And I’d just love to hear what the ACLU would say in defending the “rights” of these perverts to view porn and masturbate in public libraries, whether kids are around or not.
When are we going to tip the balance between the rights of criminals and perverts and the rights of society and our children?
Tom, Please check these links out about sex predators in our libraries.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=i_team&id=4808374
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=i_team&id=4815686
Tom,
Can you help explain why this is happening in our libraries? This kind of activity really concerns me, and to know that the city is basically turning their head the other way to ignore this problem… This is sick! I hope that Mayor Reed does more than just move the computers to another room for these guys to do their dirty work on my tax $$$$‘s
Keep up the the good work!
Frank
Gentlemen, I agree with you both and really think that something needs to be done beyond the news cast investigations… This is a seriuos problem and safety issue in our city libraries. I would hate to run across one of these fellows on my visits to the library, Not to mention use a computer keyboard after one of them. I mean this is really sick and disgusting. I have spoken with some of the librarians in my local branch and they indicated that they have to put up with this sick and illegal, criminal activity because of pressure from library administrator Jane Light. I was told that there used to be a unit of City of San Jose Library Security Police Officers that did a great job of dealing with these types of problems according to the library staff. I inquired to what happened to the unit of officers? I was told that they were let go or transfered by Jane Light because of budget issues a few years ago. I’m sure there are other reasons why Ms. Light may have got rid of them Well it sure looks like they really need those fellows at the libraries NOW! Very sick reality. What’s next? “Porno Night” on big screen at your local library branch???
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