This week, I’m turning my column over to a guest blogger, Jim Cunneen, President and CEO of the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce. Jim has asked that we use this blog to share his concerns, and the chamber’s, for the handling of Terry Gregory’s alleged misdeeds by the City Council.
Since it seems too early for me to have been built up a large fan base, and since this is a critical issue for the city, I agreed.
-Kevin
For The Sake Of His District And The City, Terry Gregory Should Resign
In the life of a community, there come moments that reveal both the very best and worst in us. The events surrounding alleged abuse of political power by District 7 Councilman Terry Gregory illustrate both good and bad about political power – and how it’s exercised – in San Jose. The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce commends the December 19th unanimous City Council action to censure Councilmember Terry Gregory and to strip him of nearly all Council responsibilities. The Chamber believes that these actions by the City Council coupled with Gregory’s ethical violations make him unfit to serve as a Councilmember.
Therefore, in a letter to Councilmember Gregory delivered this week, the Chamber joined Councilmembers Lezotte, Cortese and Reed, as well as former Vice Mayor Dando, in asking him to resign from the San Jose City Council.
By way of full disclosure, the Chamber did not support Councilmember Gregory’s bid for City Council. In fact, the Chamber’s political action committee actively opposed his candidacy, in part because of an unseemly pattern of questionable judgment in his public life, including disclosures of “hard to defend” expenses charged to the school district where he served as a school board member.
Such ethical lapses are part of a consistent pattern for Councilmember Gregory and the Chamber strongly believes that it is time for this pattern to end.
Being an effective City Councilmember is more than just attending the Tuesday Council meetings, which is truly the only role Gregory will be allowed to play. Councilmembers are active advocates for their constituents. Critical work on the City Council is done in Council sub-committees focused on driving economic development, improving our transportation systems, and providing critical social services for our community—all of which are critical issues affecting District 7. Because of the Council’s decisive and correct action to punish Councilmember Gregory, he can no longer serve on these sub-committees. In addition, Councilmembers represent their constituents by serving on the Valley Transportation Authority, the California League of Cities, the National League of Cities and other regional bodies. Gregory has been stripped of these responsibilities as well. Councilmember Gregory cannot represent the broad interests of his constituents given his newly limited responsibilities.
We ask for Gregory’s resignation because the people of District 7 deserve a Councilmember who can represent them fully and broadly at City Hall and beyond. A person who can powerfully and passionately speak on their behalf should represent District 7 and, unfortunately, Councilmember Gregory can no longer do this. District 7 deserves better. Therefore, the Chamber will help District 7 get the representation it deserves in whatever way possible.
As an organization that represents the business community, what is of particular concern to the Chamber was Gregory’s strong-arming of the business community for tickets, wine, and in the most egregious case, financial support, in exchange for favorable treatment by the Council. This is unacceptable. The Chamber hopes all elected officials learn from Gregory’s case that strong-arming the business community for personal benefit is unethical, leads to bad public policy, and will not be tolerated.
It is time for the City Council to show that its bite is as strong as its bark. We applaud Councilmembers LeZotte, Cortese, and Reed and former Vice Mayor Dando for calling for Councilmember Gregory’s resignation. It is time for the others to join their colleagues and the Chamber in calling for the same.
If Councilmember Gregory does not resign, the Chamber stands committed and will pledge resources to help neighborhood associations and other community groups in District 7 recall Councilmember Gregory. District 7, like all City Council districts, deserves to have effective representation at City Hall.
What do you think?
Should other civic organizations join us and call for Gregory’s resignation?
Should other business groups?
What about those folks that helped Gregory get elected in the first place?
Way to go Jim!
More people should stand up for what is right…
Does this mean that he doesn’t do any hard time?
Jim,
Calling on Mr. Gregory to resign now is a bit like kicking him on the way out the door.
If anybody “strong-armed” the business community, our Mayor did a much better job with his Silicon Valley Leadership Political Action Committee. Unfortunately I do not recall you or anybody else in the Chamber of Commerce speaking out loudly against our Mayor when he started this questionable approach to circumvent our city’s campaign finance laws. In fact, the list of donors reads like a who’s-who list of the San Jose business community.
We need the business community to be leaders not followers when it comes to cleaning up city hall.
Don’t sell yourself short Kevin. You have quite the cult following.
Everyone should be more worried about the City Manager and his deputies. That’s where the real damage is being done. They should all go!
Hey Steve, I got no problem with Jim Cuneen letter. I always say put up or shut up. He’s putting up and not shutting up. It’s not too late. Gregory is still there. Yeah, Gonzales has got problems too. Maybe he’ll get censored. Maybe DA will read this and get investigation going.
If Terry Gregory REALLY wants what’s best for his constituents in District 7, as he has attested, he will RESIGN IMMEDIATELY.
How can a man like this get elected. This just magnifies the problems with campaigns and how easy it is to fool people. The whole system is a mess when Mayor Gonzales can do the things he’s done and not a comment from chamber or press for months. He is the second worst elected Mayor in our History. Where are the people of district 7 get rid of this guy. He’s a bum.
Jim,
I would agree with your call for Terry to resign. But why stop there?
What about the Mayor, City Manager and the rest of the City Staff in regards to their actions on the new City Hall? Why has there been no letter sent to ask for Joe Guerra’s resignation when he negotated a prearranged deal for a garbage company, not sanctioned by the Council?
Noting that you opposed Gregory in the Council Race because of his unethical behavior, I don’t remember the Chamber weighing in on the illegal behavior and ethics problems of the campaign of Ed Voss or did I miss something?
I applaud your focus on ethical behavior, but would it not be more effective if applied the standard equally to everyone and not just your political opponents?
Certainly, your argument would be more credible if you asked for a full house cleaning, instead of just targeting an acknowledged political opponent.
My point is not to disagree, but to point out that we should all work together on issues of ethics, whether we be Republican or Democrat, Business or Labor.
Hey HJ,
Who is the worst mayor of San Jose?
Hey, people if you look at my comments in another part of this site you will see the worst Mayor was Susan Hammer. She started all this do what you want attitude and the hell with the people of san jose.
The comments are great, how about getting Rich Robinson to write an article.
The city hall deal. The garbage contract deal. The councilman’s ethics deal. Everyone involved in these deals have no business managing a corporation as complex as the biggest city in the San Francisco Bay Area. Each person involved in these deals, for whatever motivation, should depart including the legal authority who couldn’t see the forest for the trees.
CityHallGuy,
Al Garza was a Councilman, not a Mayor.
But even he wasn’t the worst Councilam. That would have been David Runyon.
So here’s a question: Who’s gone first…Terry Gregory or Del Borgsdorff?
Richard, you are right on the money about Guerra. He screws up everything! Garbage is one. The Champ car race is another give away of city bucks!!. He’s a lousy negotiator! Can you recall a mayor’s employee?!
HJ, the worst was Al Garza.
Back to Gregory – Finally let’s all remember who was his biggest supporter – LABOR. They sandbagged Voss who was the best candidate. Now watch how they pick and choose their next candidate.
You asked for some comments on a recent article about Terry Gregory. Now that he has resigned whom do we have to thank for this fiasco.
Lets start with The South Bay Labor Council who backed, supported and endorsed Terry Gregory. As a 35 year former resident of district 7 and a 35 year retired union member, I am ashamed of their tactics and back room shenanigans. They have NO CREDIBILITY OR ETHICS. (don’t go to the race track with them, they couldn’t pick a winner if their life depended on it.) THEY DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR DISTRICT 7. As long as they have their yes vote at the council meetings when needed, that is their agenda.
The San Jose Mercury News also shares a degree of blame in this situation as they continually pounded Ed Voss during the campaign who was found NOT GUILTY of any ethics violations. (sells newspapers)
Apathy, believing in sound bites, not taking the issues and candidates and the consequences seriously from the voters of district 7 didn’t help either.
And lastly, Terry Gregory himself.
Signed,
Mike Zoldak
Retirement Headquarters.