Starbucks and Prolific Oven Fall to Labor Peace Agreements
On the heels of a vote that supported labor peace agreements over caffeine, the San Jose City Council made the controversial decision to allow themselves to be replaced by labor council bosses in all future votes pertaining to labor issues.
As the San Jose Mercury News recently suggested in their editorial, the price of guaranteeing labor peace may be a bit too high this time.
“On a daily basis, we have 35-40% of our city workers napping before 2:00 p.m.,” a high-level bureaucrat was quoted as saying. “With that Starbucks in the lobby, we would have increased productivity while decreasing the amount of drool on conference tables.”
Rather than defending their overwhelming proclivity to support anything labor, council members have decided to literally step aside and let the labor leaders take the heat themselves.
Political analyst Larry Gersten said that although he was concerned that the “citylabormembers,” as they are being called, would take over fulltime council duties without being directly elected by the public, he saw it as the next natural step. “Labor has always had an advantage in these local elections because of the influence they have with their workforce,” he said. “They can set up a whole separate campaign headquarters, completely staffed with paid help. That is quite an advantage…I guess the next obvious step was that the city would literally be run by them.”
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, the south bay labor leader slatted to step in for the mayor, didn’t want any uninformed panic. “No one should be alarmed. We won’t be involved in all of the votes, only the significant ones.”
I thought Friday’s were for satire, not for reporting what we already know has happened.
I think they should put a spine shop in the lobby of city hall so the politicians can all get backbones. A little independence would be such a refreshing turn.
Labor all ready has a piece.
By finally doing it themselves big labor bosses could save their members a lot of political action money.
This direct method cuts out the high paid go betweens (read lobbyists), relieves over worked labor campaign staff, saving union overtime pay, slows kick back deals and the bosses themselves save time and union bucks not having to herd all the elected?
(read paid for) politicians to the trough.
Savings? Maybe not!
As usual union members will go blindly along while still paying hefty PAC dues to their bosses.
Why not cut to the chase and convert the city council dais from it’s current configuration into a telethon style setup to facilitate the taking of orders and requests coming in from big labor and special interests.
“Hello”.
“You want to construct 50 story towers adjacent to a single story residential neighborhood?”
“Ok then. And how many of those would you like to build?”
“Uh-huh and when was it you needed to build those by?
“Very good. Well then I think I’ve got all the details needed to submit your order. Thanks for calling and have a nice day”
Chamber’s Pat Dondo said “what is good for business and developers is good for San Jose” supporting her citychambermembers to run City Hall
We don’t need no stinkin politicans or labor – we can do more backroom business and development deals faster and give tax subsidies, credits and economic development deals directly to our Chamber member high tech, sports and large developer companies like Cisco, Norcal, Canary Fund, and KB Homes
If San Jose’s public wants community services, swimming pools and recreation they should pay fees or join private clubs like my neighbors at Almaden Valley Athletic Club, Swim & Racquet Club or Almaden Golf and Countrty Club or live in other cities like our Silicon Valley corporate Chamber members do
The citylabormembers have all hired lobbyists as staff so the process is more efficient…
This Just In:
The South Bay Labor Council has entered into a lease for the new “Red Star, Hammer and Sickle” Coffee Shop at City Hall. Proprietor Bob Brownstein will require all patrons to sign a “Labor Peace” agreement as a condition of entry.
Coffee, black >>>>>>>>> $11.61
Coffee w/ cream, sugar >> $12.86
In a hurry? You can also place your order by phone, with SBLC outsourced baristas in Puna, India, thanks to a “Working Partnership” with Amy Dean!
THIS ISN’T A JOKE IT’S SERIOUS. THESE LABOR PEOPLE OWN THIS CITY COUNCIL. WHY CAN’T WE CHANGE ARE CAMPAIGN LAWS TO MAKE THEM PASSE. UNIONS WERE ONCE NEEDED NO LONGER. WHY MEMEBERS PAY ALL THAT MONEY TO PAY THEIR LEADERS AND FOR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS BEYOND ME.
When you see how much money developers like John Vidovich and others are giving to Santa Clara candidates, it is small wonder why people on that city council are making sure the votes are there to do his bidding.
Chuck Reed is lot like Judy Nadler, so all this stuff about him meeting with developers is being written by people who hate him anyway. Both Nadler and Reed refuse to do the bidding of developers, and that is why the people at my home are voting for Reed. My wife is a legal secretary, so she can testify to who interesting lawyers can be, but I still think Reed, as Mayor, is going to be able to tell these other cities with council members who sell their votes to developers, that if affects San Jose, it is not going to be taken lightly. Maybe it is time San Jose starts suing Santa Clara over trashy developments done by guys who make the calls to get their IOUs cashed in months ahead of time.
Forget Starbucks and let the labor people have the space. It will save gas and the pro-labor council can just check in every morning for orders.
I live in the Winchester area of San Jose. I voted for Chuck Reed as did my wife and daughter,
Though I live in San Jose, I have been attending Santa Clara City Council hearings on the disposition of the state property that used to be used as a agriculutral research station.
It is amazing that people on the Santa Clara City Council have little interest in what they are going to do to the traffic situation here in San Jose on Winchester.
Hey,
You all should check out a new blog that scrutinizes local politics and keeps it real at http://www.mayorwatch.blogspot.com. Thanks.
#12 I tried to set up an account on your new blog, but it would not allow me to use my real name as a user name. What’s that?
So, I’ll skip your blog and reply here.
If you’re going to appear legitimate, you have to at least get your facts straight. There is no such thing as a San Jose Deputy District Attorney, as you describe Dave Pandori. District Attorneys are COUNTY employees, not city employees. So, only the City and County of San Francisco in California, has a “city” District Attorney.
And Chuck Reed is not a FORMER lawyer. he is still a lawyer.
I’d like to comment on your blog, but your sign in rules are troublesome to navigate.
12—The errors mentiioned by #13 are just the beginning of the factual problems on that site. Let us know when you’ve done some fact checking and maybe I’ll take another look.
Hmmm… I read this site pretty regularly. When I read stuff like this, I just get embarrassed. Come on guys… grow up!
Sorry about those minor errors 13 and 14 – we just fixed them. With regard to the difficulty commenting, that’s a function of the blogger.com. When you leave a comment, the “Blogger” button is highlighted below and it says you need a username and password. Just click “Other” right next to it and then you can use your real name and comment away! I’m not sure what the other “factual problems” are but just let us know and we’ll get to it. Thanks.
For the record, my “grow up” comments were to the “Council Members Replaced With Labor Representatives” article and not our esteemed Governor’s new blog
The more info and different perspectives on the web, the better informed the blogosphere! Governator Arnold: don’t stop the presses because of those “factual errors”. I don’t think the “is/was an attorney” thing is going to be changing many people’s minds.
As I mentioned, I read this site regularly. But these Friday “satires” (slanders?) just don’t do it for me… Borderline childish…
My earlier post took some time to pop up on the site. As a first-time poster/long-time reader, I was wondering if the commenting policy was satirical as well… Kudos for remaining honest and open with your commenting policy and including the thoughts of some of your “critical fans” as well!
Speaking of commenting: I don’t know what mr. 13 and mr. 14 are talking about – I got on the mayorwatch site just fine. Just don’t click the “Create a New Account” button. I think that’s been a blogspot feature for a couple years. (But, yes, I do remember a more user-friendly format years ago…)
Again, we’re the laughing stock of the state when it comes to attracting business to our downtown. We can’t even get a Starbucks when Gilroy has to beat them off every other block. Even blighted pro-labor Oakland had one.
I think its time COMPAC and the residents start the drumbeat for Chuck to clean house at City Hall once he’s sworn in.
First to go—Gonzo’s City Attorney;
Second, everyone at SJ RDA needs to get a pink slip;
After that its time to eliminate the misnamed “Office of Economic Development” and to send Gonzo/Guerra’s hand picked staff packing for Fresno and Modesto where they belong.
#18—RDA has negotiated bad deals for the taxpayers for a couple of decades, subsidizing multi-millionaires so they’ll build hotels, etc.
Now I hear they are donating taxpayer $$ to KQED radio. As I was coming to my office today listening to KQED, Norm anounced that local underwriting was provided by the SJ RDA. What’s up with a tax-funded public entity contributing taxpayer money to any radio station, whether it be KQED or FOX? Are they donating to the Sierra Club and the EDF too? Surely that is a misapprpriation of public funds.
George, SC County Grand Jury,are you here? Please investigate.