At its weekly meeting on Tuesday, the City Council signed off on the new design-build contract for the Convention Center despite its $120 million price tag. That did not, however, signal its support for the folks at Team San Jose, the coalition of union leaders, hoteliers and city agencies that run the place.
Last week the Council asked the City Manager to request new proposals for managing the Center and indicated that it could approve a new team by June. The city is aware of the problems with Team San Jose, and its recent audit placed responsibility for those problems squarely on the shoulders of TSJ leader Dan Fenton. At an emergency board meeting today, Fenton is expected to resign.
Board members agree that Team San Jose needs a “fresh start,” though they are reluctant to comment about the impending resignation or their future plans. On the other hand, it seems as if the resignation is a given and much of the meeting will be spent discussing Fenton’s severance package. Last year he earned $362,000, most of which came from the city’s tax on hotel visits.
Read More at the Mercury News.
Now, if only the enabling Board that allowed Fenton to run wild would do the same thing and resign. Then there would be a chance to improve the operation.
Severance package? TSJ failed to meet goals every year of its existence, yet the council made no changes and just kept pouring tax money down the rathole. The severance package ought to be:return the bonus you gave yourself for the worst years performance since TSJ took over.
Team San Jose Board will throw Dan overboard in a last minute effort to save it’s millions in tax subsidies and mismanagement of city’s Convention Center and Theaters
If Dan get his golden parachute, again no one is being held accountable as city pay out millions taxes for poor management and incompetent oversight
Watch a former Mayor politically bid for multiple year Theater contract and millions more in tax subsidies
Team San Jose does not need a “fresh start”, they need to be irradicated ENTIRELY once and for all. When Fenton steps down,Costain (aka Drac) is slated to take his place, so where is the “fresh start”? Costain has been Fentons “partner in crime” all along. They both planned the elimination of nearly every City employee from the Convention Center complex to try to cover for their overspending while giving themselves plush bonuses. These men have no morals, they have screwed the City of San Jose, it’s employees, and it’s Taxpayers since 2004 to the tune of over $20 million and all with Mayor Reeds blessing. It is time to attempt to redeem yourself Mr. Mayor, do what is right for this City and it’s tax paying citizens, tar and feather Team San Jose and run them out of town. Use that $120 million slated to “expand” the Convention Center to instead refurbish and upgrade the facilities the City already has before adding on, and its also about time to get some City employees back in those buildings who take pride in their City and will maintain those buildings properly after years of neglect under the “TSJ Reich”….. Oh, by the way there are lots of us ready and willing to give Fenton the “severance package” he deserves, a well placed boot where it will do the most good!?!
Fenton it’s about time you learn what so many of us already know thanks to you, Unemployment draws $1800. per month/max……..
$362,000.00 WOW!!! This could only be the tip of the Good ole Boy Iceburg in our broken down little town of Quetzalcoatlville. Thank the Aztec Gods for the light.A darkness has fallen upon our town.
This is so absurd it’s politically hilarious!
Homeless and Broke in Quetzalcoatlville.
OMG, only in Bizarro World… and now San Jose… would a POS like Fenton get a severence package. Oh well, the Councilwhores can just double the paper bag fee to cover the cost.
Why does he get a severence package? Shouldn’t he pay us back?
I have found Dan Fentons parting song. I hate to do it to “Old Blue Eyes” But it seems fitting for Fenton.
Give it a listen,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Lp4w8wyy0
Old Frank
This is an indication of the waste, corruption, extravagance, and incompetence with which our City manages EVERYTHING with which it is involved. Cultural Affairs. The Housing Department. Mexican Heritage Centers. Baseball Stadiums. Law Enforcement. The Tech Museum. Libraries. Parks. Fire Protection. Road Maintenance. Animal Protection. Redevelopment. Et cetera. Et cetera. Et cetera. They are ALL very skilled in using a whole bunch of money to accomplish very little. Why do we keep giving more and more responsibility to the ivory towered City of San Jose,an exclusive club whose members simply see it as an opportunity to enrich themselves? Now we’re going to create a Department Of Plastic Bag Suppression? How many $100K bureacrats is THAT going to take to administer?
Now I’m not a Jew but I can understand how they felt about Hitler and his kind. Same goes here regarding Fenton. Run your company like a petty dictatorship and do away with anyone who says different, it’s pretty close.
Fenton needs a good dose of reality from the taxpayers. I for one am really pissed off that the City allows these Team San Jose “Jack Wagons” to continue.
Even after the head of the snake Benito_Mussolini, I mean Dan Fenton has been cut off, why did I say Mussolini? There has to be a reason?
I find that there are amazing similarities between Hitler / Mussolini -&- Fenton / Reed. It seems that history repeats itself.
Ok now for the severance package issue, Who is giving this F—-ing idiot more money to leave after screwing us all out of millions?
It is time to call for a full federal investigation starting at top at City Hall all the way to Team San Jose and Fenton.
These guys need to do serious jail time for what amounts to Embezzlement of Public Funds and Misappropriation and Release of those funds by the City of San Jose without a public hearing stating the intentions of use.
That’s why they can’t find what happened to the missing $950,000 plus funds that TSJ was given.
I wouldn’t be tracking Fenton and Team San Jose if they weren’t crooks. I attend every City Council meeting and have watched the glad handing done by Fenton, Constant and Reed.
It’s sick how these money grubbers greet each other and play grab ass with eachother verbally and show total civil disregard to the average citizen who have real issues to chat about.
It makes me sick….
San Jose needs a change, San Jose needs to Recall the entire Council and Mayor.
As for Licardo, it seem that you ride the fence alot. First you wanted Dan Fentons head then you say you still want to be friends with this flimflam man.
My god man make up your mind, You need to continue with the act vengeance and complete the act.
It’s like watching a cat play with a mouse he has no intention of killing and eating…. What’s the point???
I would like to see Dan “Madoff” Fenton do some real jail time.
Here are some TSJ FACTS
1. TSJ does business as a Non-Profit for a year without being registered.
2. TSJ does business for over 2 years without a Business License on file.
3. TSJ has fails to file for an Employer Tax ID or a Business Tax ID number for a year.
4. TSJ provides bogus addresses and phone numbers when they finally fill out the forms.
5. Marshaling Yard. A patch of State of California land that is underneath Hwy 280 at Almaden Blvd.
There was a temporary land use permit granted by the state for the City of San Jose to use this area for a short time frame of 4 months prior to and just after the San Jose Grand Prix of 2007 as a Paddock area.
Team San Jose has used and continues to use this area for Public Parking during large shows and pockets the cash.
TSJ was not contracted to use or control access to this State property.
I have contacted TSJ and the City about this and get the run around. While the Contract clearly is no longer valid and hasn’t been for many years, why does TSJ continue to use this area? I wonder if the State knows about this activity?
The answer to all of this lays in the deranged mind of Dan Fenton, a bizarre hand ringing little man that was nothing more than a scam artist at best, not even as smooth as a grifter or a used car salesman.
Sorry for the Rambling, my meds kicked in early tonight, plus I have been drinking to celebrate this momentous occasion.
Good Riddance Danny Boy!
Old Frank signing off~
Where is Criminal Grand Jury to indict the bunch of thief’s, scalawags, liars, scammers, irresponsible city staff and talk out of both side their mouths politicians responsible for losing millions taxpayers money ?
City Manager is paid very well to be responsible for financial management and oversight of city funds as is supposed to be accountable to public
WHO LOST FROM GENGHIS KHAN EXHIBIT? WE DID. AND WE ARE SUING TEAM SAN JOSE
Your recent piece suggested the city lost money from the Genghis Khan exhibit.
As the organizer of the Genghis Khan exhibition which recently made its only West Coast appearance in San Jose, I can tell you that you are quite right that the Genghis Khan exhibition lost money. But for whom? Team San Jose received more than $800,000 in ticket revenues plus six figure contributions I’m told from city hoteliers and city government. My company insisted on a $300,000 minimal guarantee no matter how well the exhibit performed, as we have substantial expenses to the Mongolian government and others for putting on the exhibition. We certainly are at a loss, one we cannot afford and did not contract for.
Team San Jose has paid us less than half our guarantee and now claims that it is not contractually obligated to pay the remainder. They were far from forthcoming about their expenditures, were late in paying, and in their last installment check of less than $15,000 dollars put in a small print notice that cashing it would absolve Team San Jose of any further debts.
It appears that we are not the only ones mistreated by Dan Fenton and his team.
We however are not going to take it – we are suing Team San Jose. What kind of city government allows this behavior to go on and does not make sure that those aggrieved are properly compensated. Mayor Reed never responded to my many calls. We brought San Jose a major cultural event at minimal cost. Is this how San Jose wants to treat those it works with?
Don Lessem
President, Exhibitsrex, Inc.
Media, PA
Mr. Lessem,
You must be mistaken. Team San Jose is a non-profit. The City of San Jose hires lots of non-profits. I don’t know about Pennsylvania where you come from, but out here in San Jose The Capital Of Silicon Valley, every enlightened progressive knows that non-profits are beyond reproach. A non-profit would never, never do the things you are suggesting. The people who run non-profits are saints. They toil away helping others, donating their time and effort, never asking for anything in return. Come on now. Why would saints and angels ever bilk anybody out of hundreds of thousands of dollars? Hmmm? I mean really, would the City of San Jose be giving tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to non-profits if those non-profits were using most of that money to make their executives rich? Get real. It just doesn’t make any sense and we liberals refuse to discuss it any longer. Just keep your lunatic fringe mentality in Flyoverland where it belongs and stop saying bad stuff about non-profits.
> Just keep your lunatic fringe mentality in Flyoverland where it belongs and stop saying bad stuff about non-profits.
Well said, Mr. Enlightened.
Those bumpkins down there under the flight path probably still pack their arugula in plastic bags and drink water out of a tap.
I’ll bet they probably even still work for a living and have never even seen a Prius or a Smartcar.
Yecchh! What Neanderthals.
We all know you are really Dan Fenton. I agree with Mr. Lessem.
“The people who run non-profits are saints” Oh GOD Please STOP!!!
With that comment you have tipped your hand, you ARE Dan Fenton, if not a “Blind Follower” of his perhaps Pete Constant or Chuck Reed?
Team San Jose came from “Corruption” nothing more… They _ARE NOT_ a respectable business at all.