City Hall Diary
As I bid 2007 goodbye and welcome 2008, I think of the many issues that my colleagues and I will be working on in one way or another. Whether balancing the budget, protecting our resources like industrial land or implementing the mayor’s Green Vision, among others, it will take collaboration, perseverance and, above all else, a good sense of humor to keep us all in check.
As I make my list of resolutions for 2008, I have decided to make an attempt to not get “stuck” in the office. If I really want to learn more about San Jose then I will need to spend time in the field and explore the different facets the city has to offer.
San Jose reminds me of a jigsaw puzzle where the neighborhoods are the pieces and we are trying to make them all fit together. Each neighborhood and district has its own history and demographics that are unique.
All ten districts are drawn according to population. Therefore, when the population changes in each district, the boundaries of the districts are then redrawn. For example, does anyone remember when former Mayor Hammer represented District 3? Well, guess what? Susan hasn’t moved but she now she lives in District 6 because district lines fluctuate.
I love my district because I am familiar with it. I was born and raised here and now own a home here. However, insulation is not something that one should base citywide decisions on. I want to challenge myself to go outside of my comfort zone and explore San Jose and all its wonders. Therefore, I have decided to tour each district with its councilmember. This is sort of like “shadowing” different occupations within a company like engineering, marketing, sales, operations, etc.
I could continue to go out on my own and investigate each district; however, I would rather look to the “experts”—my fellow elected colleagues—for their expertise regarding the districts they represent. Sure, I have lived in San Jose for 38 years, but so many things have changed and will continue to change that I feel touring the districts will be a good start for 2008.
I am in the process of scheduling a tour with each councilmember. I started my tour with Councilmember Madison Nguyen who represents District 7. It was good for me to listen to Madison explain the different areas, points of interest, etc. in her district. The opportunity to listen to my colleague outside of the office on her turf was a great experience for me. I learned so much more from actually being there than I would have by reading a memo.
Life is good in San Jose. I have a feeling that 2008 is going to be a productive year.
Peirluigi,
While touring your own district, take a short stroll on the Los Gatos Creek Trail between Meridian and Bascom. I’d like to know what you think of all the grafitti and trash on what is the ugliest stretch of the entire trail. Any chance you can do anything about that in 2008?
Hey Pierluigi—Before Prof Terry’s class project to divide SJ into little pieces so that the unions could more easily control elections, there were just 5 council members, MUCH less staff and expense, and every one of the five represented San Jose. Now there is no San Jose representation, just turf wars, neighborhoods competing to see which is “strongest”. Until someone confronts all the mistakes made since SJ was divided into pieces, San Jose will continue to be a jumble. But at least Prof Terry can’t convene his group at Lou’s Village to once again celebrate his triumph over real democracy with his special oligarchy disguised as “representative gummint”. Where will the celebration be held this year—Manresa in Los Gatos?George Green
“Let’s Not Let District Lines Divide Us” indeed.
George Green
PO said:“does anyone remember when former Mayor Hammer represented District 3? Well, guess what? Susan hasn’t moved but she now she lives in District 6 because district lines fluctuate.”
Yeah, Pierluigi, but before she lived in District 3, she lived ion District 6 when the former lines were drawn. The lines were redrawn to allow her to run for council in District 3, considered an easier victory for her at the time.
George – Do you, a non San Jose resident and downtown property owner, ever have anything positive to say about San Jose?
San Jose went to district elections to better represent all residents not just Willow Glen and Rose Garden and good old downtown boys Courts would overturn any move back to city wide elections as non representative – as “lawyer ” you should know that
Yes, labor benefited because they ran candidates until rlast election that represent both labor and regular people while Chamber and good old boys ran candidates who represent their property interests and having city government pay for improvements that increase their property values or increase their profits – billions spend on downtown and corporate subsidies
San Jose has higher crime rates than surrounding cities, worst streets, and less services while Council gives millions to good old boys and corporations
Instead of touring the different council districts you may be better off staying inside the hood ornament. At least there you only have to deal with union tools and rip-off artists. If you venture outside you’ll have preservation crazies trying to save every termite-infested wood plank for hysterical purposes. In the parks are homeless bums and graffiti. Eastside, you have someone pulling a knife on you with one hand and pulling-up his baggy pants with the other hand. Westside you have the Starbucks-Jamba Juice-Noah’s Bagel entitlement crowd. Downtown, you have vatos locos, thugs, drunks and night club trash. In the summer it will get worse with music in the park – which attracts every gangbanger from Richmond to Salinas. Meanwhile, Prof Terry, Cindy, Nora and the developers and union leaders will be at Corde Valle plotting their next move. Our so-called public servants will be safely in their McMansions in Stockton, Manteca and Tracy. And our elected officials will be vacationing in Monte Carlo on the taxpayer’s dime. But it won’t much matter since we won’t have any water and our children will be uneducated and addicted to drugs. Our streets will continue to be filled with potholes and the VTA light rail will snake through downtown at a snail’s pace.
Who knows? Maybe we can amend the Constitution so George W. Bush can run for a third term. Then he can launch some cruise missiles on San Jose and put us out of our misery.
I think Councilman Oliverio’s voluntary approach to circumventing the district boundaries is commendable. It’s about time we had people on the Council without tunnel vision and do not insist on operating in a vacuum without any interest in what happens outside their district.
“Eastside, you have someone pulling a knife on you with one hand and pulling-up his baggy pants with the other hand.”
George, that is a hateful caricature of the real east side, and I hope you will reconsider it. From Aborn to Montegue on Capital, there are small shopping centers, restaurants, and neighborhoods that are clean and safe. The population is a demographic mix of people whose origins are from each of the continents.
It is true that the planning department of City Hall has pushed most malls, entertainment centers, and fine dining establishments out of the east side, so the city is doing its best to increase sales tax revenues to Santa Clara and Milpitas, but that is not the fault of the residents of the east side, although it is worth asking why the council members from the east side are so silent on this phenomenon.
The transportation department secured City Hall support in early 2005 for congested intersections throughout the east side, but that is not the fault of the residents.
City Hall was also constructed to show its most unattractive face to the east side. Just walk around City Hall, or drive, and you will readily note that the east face of the new City Hall deliberately snubs the east side with arcitechture and design that really send a message to east side residents.
George, please re-think your blanket condemnation of the east side.
Pierluigi:
It will also take some “scholarship” to address the city’s problems/needs. Pete Constant has talked about the need for an audit of the over 110 “funds” that make up the budget. There’s tons of money, we’re just not allowed (by law to get at it). Maybe it’s time to ask the voters if they would like some of these restrictions lifted or changed.
Also, I don’t understand why each District doesn’t have a couple of trucks/crews assigned to just take care of the “little things” on a daily basis. ie graffitti, potholes, park maintenance, illegally placed signs. (It’s really not that difficult…even 8 hours a week dedicated to “cruising and fixing” work that you see that needs to be done would make a noticeable difference!) (In District 1, we have a bunch of “GOT JUNK” signs attached to telephone posts…Why don’t city workers take them down and fine the company?
Pete Campbell
George #6, Instead of depending on George Bush to launch a cruise missile strike on San Jose – we need to first think and act locally.
I’ll be acting locally by starting 2 petititon drives to get the following measures on the next ballot:
– to outsource city management to Halliburton.
– to sell the rotunda to Bay 101 or the Agua Caliente tribe.
I’ll be at VTA lightrail stops collecting signatures.
Pierluigi, consider this: how about also gathering up some neighborhood reps to take the tour with you (and the council person).
While council members live in their districts, non-council, non-city “neighbor” perspectives would be valuable because it would most likely be given from a level that’s not at 30,000 feet. Know what I mean?
And all neighbors add various levels of expertise because of their unique live/work situations and levels of community activisim.
Just a thought. I like what you’re doing.