San Jose does not have to be like every other place. We are unique and we are blessed. The corruption and sleaziness of politics in the national, state, and other cities’ elections does not have to be tolerated here.
This was brought to mind by the recent arrest of a former young intern who worked for a councilman and a defeated candidate for mayor, and the heavy suspicions that he was encouraged, instructed, and/or “bribed” by certain people to engage in the type of political espionage that makes most citizens hate politics and despise politicians. It does not have to be this way in San Jose.
There are people who are responsible for this problem and they ought to recognize it. In too many recent elections, the developers and their assorted shills have flouted the contribution limits in our city and escaped any blame. “It’s only politics” has been their refrain. The Chamber of Commerce and, more directly and in greater amounts, the South Bay Labor Council and its many appendages, as well as the Democratic Central Committee, have used this motto and maintained that the ends justify the means. The affiliated blog site of labor—a salacious, anonymous and reckless one—was the instrument that encouraged the young “wannabee” politician and part-time employee to become a spy and to be arrested. Most disturbingly, they were looking for personal and, in their warped minds, embarrassing exchanges.
Have we descended to these sleazy depths in San Jose? Are these the “principles” that the labor movement is fighting for in our city, and encouraging neighborhood and church leaders to join them in? I think saner, wiser heads must be present there. I hope for better from them.
Surely, the labor leaders cannot be so crass or injured by the recent loss of the mayor’s office and three council seats that they will say and do anything to assert their authority now. I cannot believe that their sense of decency and judgment has been so blunted. I hope that they are not that cynical and devoid of ethical anchors. I want to believe that there are responsible elements there who will say “no” to this type of politics in our city.
Others must also abandon the “win at any cost” mantra that seems to pervade our city. We have to believe that the Election Commission, the Mercury News, Metro, KLIV and other opinion makers will demand that changes occur to restore a decent, ethical climate. Those who do not become part of the solution and continue to encourage, directly or indirectly, unethical and, indeed, illegal activity, are a part of the problem. At long last have we any decency left in the pursuit of power through politics in San Jose?
Tom, the Mercury’s (aka these days as Our Weekly Reader) Denver based leadership is not familiar with the terms decent and ethical. Take that entity off your list. It could easily be gone by the time we vote in November anyway.
I’ve long maintained that we cannot legislate ethical behavior, because it only legitimizes that which is not proscribed. We need to elect people of ethics and integrity and get behind their efforts to restore a “decent, ethical climate.” Tom’s right, our efforts need to be focused on electing people who will be part of the solution, and exposing those impeding our progress.
It’s time to make San Jose a model of what an honest political climate can be. It’s time that our representatives focus on what’s right for our citizens, not what’s best for special interests.
The following is reprinted courtesy of the Metro from today’s “Fly” column.
Labor of Love
San Jose Police are holding to the “lone gunman theory” in the case of Eric Hernandez, the teenaged council intern who is charged with forwarding hacked City Hall emails to an anonymous web site politically aligned with the South Bay Labor Council. According to the police report, Hernandez confessed to reading messages in the email account of Jessica Garcia-Kohl, former chief of staff and current girlfriend to Councilman Sam Liccardo. Garcia-Kohl had stripped Hernandez of his Council Chambers backstage pass after the former Cindy Chavez intern—who stayed over to help Chavez successor Liccardo figure out his computer systems—started eavesdropping on office conversations. Police spokesman Mike Sullivan says that Hernandez “appeared to be a disgruntled former employee.” What undercuts that theory is that Hernandez’s departure resembled a lovefest. “Dear Friends,” he enthused in his farewell message. “It has been a pleasure to work with you all for the past year. …I take with me the fond memories and opportunities that I had here as an intern with District 3.” The warm feelings were reciprocated. “Our superstar intern and future USC student, Eric Hernandez,” gushed back Liccardo’s August 2007 newsletter, “started his internship with Cindy Chavez, and helped to ensure a smooth transition of our team to the office. Eric’s long-term commitment and his dedication to helping us reach out to his neighborhood, the Washington neighborhood, were invaluable. … We are proud to have worked with you.” The police investigation appears to have come to a halt with Hernandez’s confession, expression of remorse and arrest. If the personal vengeance motive crumbles, however, police may have to look into whether Hernandez overstayed the transition to help Chavistas embarrass Liccardo and Mayor Chuck Reed. The blogged memo that triggered the investigation came from Reed chief of staff Pete Furman, who authored a memo fished out of Garcia-Kohl’s mailbox.
You wrote an opinion piece on ‘Winning at any Cost’, and forgot to mention one of the primary examples of this today:
The naming of Saigon Business District.
I think the answer to your last question is certainly no. There is no decency left in politics. It is a win at any cost campaign in every election in the last 20 years. Does “Swift Boating” have any meaning. It is a sad commentary on our society. It is a sad situation and we can do better in our city. HJ
We need to scrutinze the IT policies at city hall that allowed an intern to have access to the email passwords. If the IT staff at city hall is unwilling to secure the IT infrastructure, there will be plenty of opportunity for more mischief.
You say “…Surely, the labor leaders cannot be so crass or injured by the recent loss of the mayor’s office and three council seats that they will say and do anything to assert their authority now.” I say, “Yes, they can.”
Labor in this town has long forgotten what their mission used to be—protecting workers, fighting for safe work places, good wages and benefits, etc. Today those are only afterthoughts. Labor today wants only money and power. They only want to collect those dues for their trust funds and they will walk all over the workers if they have to. It is sad. The unions of my grandparent’s days are long gone. Now, it is win at any cost and if the worker gets screwed in the process, so be it.
Labor doesn’t care about San Jose or what is best for the city. They care about themselves. Why else would they enter into the nonsensical circus surrounding Little Saigon? And what is their solution—an election that would cost $500,000 or more. With that kind of problem solving firepower Labor would do best to rethink their mission, start doing something positive for San Jose and for their workers.
Tom,
Can you give Phaedra an opportunity to respond? She is afterall the ringleader. She has effectively replaced Cindy Chavez as the “speaker” for the labor faction on the council. She was even trying to tell councilmembers how to fix the Little Saigon problem.
AD
So far, we seem to have a single perpetrator, who may have acted on his own initiative. A little early to label it as widespread corruption, Tom. If it turns out he was put up to this by SBLC, then a housecleaning there is in order. Few people ever heard of this guy before last week, and we’ll all forget him by next week. It seems a bit premature to call this some huge trend back to slime in SJ politics.
“We have to believe that the Election Commission, the Mercury News, Metro, KLIV and other opinion makers will demand that changes occur to restore a decent, ethical climate.”
Wasn’t Reed going to handle these ethical situations?
#3 is right. To expect the Mercury News to demand changes “to restore a decent, ethical climate” is expecting too much. The drastically shrinking Merc has yet to get to the bottom of the role that DA George Kennedy may have played in Reed’s election. Kennedys decision to bring criminal charges against Gonzales after the mayoral primary took out candidate Chavez and crowned Reed. When does the Mercury News look at the decency and ethics of that? The Merc has such a huge plateful of decency and ethical issues that it may be a six page free weekly tabloid in competition with Metro for bottomfeeder ads before it gets around to our issue today.
I think that part of the problem with City Hall is that people take themselves way too seriously…The council aides act like they’re on the council, and the members of the council act like Roman Senators…yet, they are incapable of delivering basic city services.
In yesterday’s Mercury News (Mr. Roadshow column) we read that the city of Sunnyvale has back up batteries for everyone of its traffic signals…San Jose has none…can’t afford it. Here’s just another example of how the former administration (Mayor Corruptus) spent money on ceremony rather than substance. Instead of investing in the city, his administration invested in its own self-promotion. Unbelievable.
Finally, yesterday, I wrote that I think that the Mercury News died the other day. To learn that Steve Wright is leaving (perhaps their best player) reaffirms my position.
Pete campbell
In following the Little Saigon issue we see the perfect example of winning at any cost. When the Vice-Mayor discovered that the other candidates for the County seat supported the Little Saigon issue he changed his position immediately. Claiming that he was deceived by Madison. Now he’s a changed man and in full support of the Little Saigon group. In the Editorial he wrote in the Sunday Murk News, he even went as far as trying to compare this group to the ragtag militia of the American Revolution. This is the type of individual that needs to be removed from public office permanently. His theatricals during the TET parade were embarrasing and disgusting for a Council member. His new motto is, do and say anything for a vote.
#8- Steve, Amen to that!
#9- Terry Dolan, RIGHT ON! I was born back East, and was raised on Unions. They certainly aren’t the same out here! A friend of mine applied for a Union job at Safeway out of desperation to pay his bills. The Union dues were outrageous, and the pay was crap, and no benefits! Wow!
#13- Pete, “The council aides act like they’re on the council, ” Truer words have never been spoken. Some of the Chiefs of Staff or Council Aides get pretty power drunk. I think that is in part because people roll out the red carpet for them, and because they meet with the public INSTEAD of the Councilperson. Council Members rely heavily on them for background, and research. While relying on them for research and background is understandable, it in no way makes the way some of these folks behave acceptable.
I once had a Council Aide laugh in my face when I mentioned several illegal outdoor pet fair ads being advertised by a large organization in the Metro. She busted out laughing saying something to the effect of,” Illegal ads are in the Metro all the time, including ones for prostitution, not much can be done about that!” Instead of acknowledging the violation of an illegal event by a very well know organization, she turned it into something stupid. Sad fact is, these self-righteous little twits, are actually the people these Councilpersons rely on getting public input from! YIKES!
Great posts both #13 and 15. I felt the same way about the battery back-ups for traffic signals. That’s what happens when you have leadership that has been in love with creating more suburban residential sprawl instead of fostering commercial development that would have generated the funds for such battery back-ups, just like it has in all the cities that have them.
Hmm, maybe the Council could hire a consulting firm for a cool million to study how to trade the half-billion dollar City Hall for traffic light backup batteries?
Tom,
I love your first sentence, great ! long overdue.
The vote taken at the Mexican heritage Monday night was so unamerican, as was the obious old guard that was responcible for it’s demise, struting and calling for a new Executive Director and board.
Many of us were not given. nor approuched with sticky dots and some had no clue that sticky dots were being passed around, and all of this under the noses of the city Manager and mayor, etc.
It felt as though the fix was in and it was back to the old way of doing things at the Mexican heritage Plaza and Gardens. It was As Ugly as It gets folks.
It stunk, and every one was flirting around as though every thing smelled like roses.
More to come!
The Village Black smith
“Like sands through the hourglass,
so are the days of our lives”
SJI Editor (#5) and JMO’C (#11),
Let’s not count on getting to the bottom of the young man’s motives, at least not beyond a circumstantial interpretation. Once Eric Hernandez gave the cops a confession he gave them an excuse to ignore investigating his reasons—something that is difficult to do even when motivated, and not necessary for prosecutorial purposes, anyway. But let’s be realistic here, any vigorous effort to get to the truth about why he did what he did would unavoidably result in the cops stepping on toes likely to generate yelps in the council chambers—a prospect not at all pleasing to the police chief.
Nonetheless, I think the circumstances of the case will help us decide whether to accept the “lone hacker” theory. Consider:
– Hernandez was, by all accounts, a well-liked young man who previously performed his job in a competent and conscientious manner; a young man at a very impressionable age who became an intern to experience politics and learn how from those who do.
This is the first element of the story that makes it difficult to believe that he would decide upon a course of action without direct or tacit approval from those to whom he was politically/psychologically allied. If we are to accept that he wasn’t corrupted by others, then we are left to conclude that he is either a reckless idiot or a sociopath just out to hurt people—and there is no evidence of either.
– Absent appreciative others, none of Hernandez’s underhanded actions could possibly have brought him any direct benefit or recognition. Had his actions caused someone political ruin, Hernandez, who was about to go off to school, was not going to be in position to benefit—unless he was operating on a betray now, reap the benefits later deal.
There exists no evidence to even think that Hernandez would do anything, let alone something as serious as breaking the law, that wasn’t in his self-interest. Everything he previously did as an intern was with the intent of gaining experience, making useful connections, and impressing important people. In other words, Hernandez lived and breathed his own best interests.
– Hernandez confessed and accepted full responsibility for his actions.
Is this consistent with the actions of a demented young man looking to hurt others? No. Were he the type to enjoy hurting others, he sure had an opportunity to have some fun and sic the cops on someone else. But he didn’t. Instead he kept his mouth shut and took the fall, as they say in organized crime. And there is always a benefit to be had in that.
I am of the opinion that someone took an impressionable young intern with a bright future and turned him into a soldier. Too bad they’re going to get away with it.
mmmm….You might want to reconsider your assumption that KLIV is somehow “ethical,” or even fair for that matter.
KLIV endorsed Hon Lien, the world’s worst, most unqualified candidate, and they endorsed her because she was…….a Republican. KLIV can hardly be called “ethical” when they endorse a candidate for City Council who only registered to vote when she ran for BUSD Board, had never served on a city commission and may not have “lived” in San Jose.
If we want real change we need to stop pointing fingers at others, because none, including those who run this blog, are so pure that they have not contributed to the political divide in our city.
Oh puhlease. Tom, you sound horribly pious.
I read both blogs on a daily basis (yours and the “reckless” one you refer to above) and feel like they are both representative of healthy politics and differing views. God forbid we might live in a city that has so limited a political landscape that all we have to read is filtered and one-sided commentary. And yes, that is all these two blogs do: provide commentary.
As far as political blogs go, I think both of them do an extraordinary job with discretion and restraint (be thankful you don’t live in San Francisco!).
So chill out Tom. Politics in San Jose are healthy and thriving and it’s about time someone provides some articulate counterviews around here – whether we agree with them or not.
Dear #20 – All my comments and my public positions are well known and consistent with my current ideas. “Purity” is often discussed, but my public record on city and state politics has always been on the side of REFORM, in office or out – people in San Jose, can and will make judgments on me/them, and I have always been comfortable with the results. TMcE
San Jose Inside does contribute to continued evolution of ethics as a guiding force in San Jose.
It makes an effective and notice contribution and this blog and its editors should be respected for that.
The draft of the novel I am writing about the players of Silicon Valley politics, MISSION CITY, does give a lot of respect to San Jose Inside’s efforts, as the efforts of many of the players on the city’s commissions and politics in general.
Tom,
You said,“Others must also abandon the “win at any cost” mantra that seems to pervade our city”. Also said,“restore a decent,ethical climate”.
San Francisco was considering extending the BART tunnel underground. Tunneling using the same tunneling process VTA plans to use in downtown San Jose. S.F. consultants came in with a cost estimate to tunnel at $1 billion per mile for a 1.9 mile extension.
VTA and the VTA Board of directors have been spending $2million per week on BART consultants doing research. The 16 mile extension from San Jose to Warm Springs has a 4.9 mile tunnel within the 16 mile route.
The San Francisco cost estimate for tunneling( if correct), will double the cost for San Jose to build BART. Per Liccardo and Reed our cost for the 16 mile route will be $6.1 Billion. If we apply the SF cost of $1 billion per mile, times 4.9 miles, our cost for tunneling would go to $4.9 billion, pluss the cost for the additional 11 miles.
We have 5 San Jose City Council people sitting on the VTA Board. Why haven`t these people disclosed the cost of $1billion per mile to build BART. Costs are up.
Our City Council people should as you say,”… must abandon the “win at any cost” mantra that seems to pervade our city”. They should, “restore a decent, ethical climate” by bringing the truth forward. Why hide the truth from the residents?
This is what residents mean when they say they don`t trust our politicians.
I would just like to rise to the defense of one of the most ethical men in San Jose, business or politics.
That would be the proprietor of the KLIV, Robert Kieve, who has been in that role essentially since 1967, and has been a great positive influence in the development of San Jose in a number of important roles. He makes no secret of his political leanings, he was writer for Ike in the 1950’s.
It is not unethical to support people that another person doesn’t like, and to say it is, is wrong. While I agree with the writers opinion of Hon Lien, supporting her did not violate any ethical rules that I am aware of…
One of the things about local politics in San Jose that I believe our former Mayor laments is a sense that the underlying spirit of collaboration that produced the flowering of our Downtown with the Convention Center, Hotels and Arena, built the Light-Rail and got the damned freeways finished has been replaced by a confrontational politics led by its extremes.
This is new…
The Reed-Chavez race was emblematic, though the blame belongs not to the candidates but to the surrogates, to the extremes. And this is new and dangerous.
In local politics we will always have more in common than not, we after all live here together… It is a mistake to superimpose the demands of larger agendas, be they ideological, political or economic over the real and daily needs of our Citizens. While all politics may be local, local politics need not be as partisan. involving as it does the more mundane matters of governance, war and peace are not at issue and the atmosphere should reflect that…
So chill…
RG Johnson
San Jose Voters For Democracy
Phong Trào Cử Tri San Jose Đòi Dân Chủ
P.O. Box: 0, San Jose, CA 95151 – 0015
Phones: 408-679-8902
http://www.SJVoters4Democracy.com
March 4, 2008
Honorable Mayor and Council,
For many months, the Vietnamese American community has found the pattern of behaviors of Councilmember Madison Nguyen to be suspicious. It appears that Nguyen had violated Brown Act as part of her securing a majority support from the Council to adopt her proposed name “Saigon Business District”, as evidenced by the television interview with Councilmember Forrest Williams made by Vietnam Liberty News TV.
With the publication of the attached email and other evidences, we now have discovered that Councilmember Nguyen had directed City staff to meet privately with the developer of “Vietnam Town” mall, Mr. Lap Tang, and his staff. Councilmember Nguyen also instructed city staff at the Redevelopment Agency to name the area “Vietnam Town Business District” after Mr. Tang’s mall. In addition, Mr. Lap Tang was to be given the right to design the banner and the monument and an additional $100,000 of taxpayer money for the benefit of promoting his shopping mall.
Councilmember Nguyen’s action on this issue raises many disheartened issues about whether it was simply a matter of quid pro quo favor for a personal friend and political supporters or whether there’s more. It raises question of whether Nguyen had exerted undue and improper influence on City staff, in particularly, those at the Redevelopment Agency, to adhere to her instructions. At the very minimum, it also raises questions about her ability to understand that it is not appropriate to reward a public benefit to a private interest regardless of how supportive that person might be to her political future.
The most alarming aspect comes from Councilmember Nguyen deleting or intentionally omitting these emails when we requested them from her Office. If she has nothing to hide, then why did she and her staff delete or omit these relevant emails?
In order to bring closure to the issue, we as a community need to know the truth, the full truth of the facts surrounding her decision and why she would intentionally delete or omit these emails from the public record request.
Sincerely,
Barry H. Do, Spokesperson
Cc: Lee Price, City Clerk
Please click this link to see string of emails.
http://sjvoters4democracy.com/pdf_files/shortemail.pdf
The third paragraph in the article entitled “A Sense of Decency” contains this statement: “… the developers and their assorted shills have flaunted the contribution limits in our city and escaped any blame.” Surely the statement should read that they “flouted” rather than “flaunted” the contribution limits!
#27
Don
You are correct. Thank you for pointing it out.
PANDEMONIUM AT CITY HALL
At the Council meeting on March 4, 2008, after more than 6 long hours of listening to over 400 hundred people asking for the name Little Saigon, Council member Nguyen put forth a motion to rescind all votes on November 20,2007 and June 5, 2007 items. She said: “I want to have a clean slate”. Mayor Chuck Reed agreed:”………..Please continue reading by clicking the following link
http://sjvoters4democracy.com/e/pandemonium.htm