In the interest of making as much information public as possible, here’s the news of the week…
This week, we’ll start with the Mercury News, where the Internal Affairs column reports on Mayor Ron Gonzales’ annoyance with the Public Records Act. In driving news big and small Janice Rombeck tells of the city’s vote to finally pave and improve the last private road in San Jose at a price of $1.1 million, whileDavid Pollak reports on the problems over finding a route for the Grand Prix this July.
In other sports news, the Earthquakes open their season on Saturday, Dylan Hernandez reports. Mayor Gonzales will be at a rally in Cesar Chavez Plaza this afternoon at 5 p.m., after which there will be an autograph session. Mostly so people can get the autographs of the players, but I’m sure he would oblige as well.
Tracey Kaplan discusses the problems with the tent that the city is trying to construct to accomodate the Ebay convention in just a few weeks. Apparently, problems with the procurement process may require the city to suspend construction and re-bid the project. Problems with the procurement process… if we each had a nickel for every time that phrase came up in connecting with a project in San Jose, we could build a whole new convention center. Heck, maybe even a new soccer stadium or ballpark.
The Almaden Resident has a story by Sandy Brundage about the City’s budget woes, which seem similar to last year’s budget woes. In the Rose Garden Resident, Mary Gottschalk writes about the possibility that the Alameda Business Association will join the SJ Downtown Association.
The Evergreen Times has Bea Baechle report on the chances of a Salvation Army community center being built in Evergreen. Also this week, they have a small mention, near the bottom of their news briefs page, of a little political website you may have heard of. Wait, you’re already reading this, you must have heard of us.
If you’ve heard of us, but like to wipe us off the face of the Earth, may I suggest you give this a try, because we have no plans to go away any time soon.
Hey the Evergreen Times forgot to mention John McEnery, iv. He’s the funniest guy in San Jose unless you count Ron Gonzales but the mayor’s humor is unintentional.
Did anyone out there witness the Mayor’s speech yesterday?
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/11274524.htm
Kevin,
Thanks for the collection of news articles – the “Requests for public records irk mayor” article was excellent.
It’s all about IT isn’t it?
Where do we live? The IT mecca of the universe.
If San Jose wants to be known for something, why don’t we be known for having a city government that leverages IT to engage SJ *citizens* in the process and provide easy access to information.
“San Jose – Democracy Inside” is the motto – the city partners with local IT companies and serves as a showcase as to how technology can improve government, provide services, and cut costs.
Win-Win-Win – for city hall, the local IT companies, and the *citizens*.
There used to be a time when the mayor would speack at a function and people cared. He been so useless as a leader; nobody gets very excited to here him speak. Besides his arrogant closed door mentality makes anything he says a waste of time to listen to.
No wonder he had only three questions asked of him. Everyone knows he doesn’t care or doesn’t have a clue about much. So why bother listening to him?
Physician cure thyself.
Internal Affairs SJ Merc Item One—
“I’m beginning to think the Public Records Act is a misnomer. It really needs to be changed to the media-plaintiff- attorney’s-rejected-bidders-Record Act,’’ Gonzales said, “because when you look at the requests we’re getting nowadays, and I’m not talking about someone walking into the City Clerk’s Office and getting a copy of the agenda, that’s common. I’m talking about stuff that requires huge amounts of work be done.’‘
Internal Affairs Item 2
It’s always interesting when an attorney complains of legal harassment. That’s what Santa Clara County’s top lawyer, Ann Ravel, says San Jose is committing as the city presses ahead with its lawsuit to block the county’s fairgrounds theater project.
Ravel says the city’s latest request for information—down to the driver’s license—about every county official who years ago helped negotiate a land-use policy now at the heart of the theater dispute is just a naked attempt to bury her office in busywork.
I guess it is only ok to waste County bureaucrats time.
There was an editorial in today’s Mercury News about liquor stores selling gang clothes. Gee, I wonder if they can negotiate a deal with Nike?
As for Ron’s new dislike for the Public Information Act, well, Ron, as much as I like you, TOUGH!!! Chief Justice Burger wrote that the public should expect legislative perfection, but we, as a society will never accept secrecy in the development of government policy, and we should not.
Gee, all the people that want to keep government actions quiet, and keep the people from looking at the process of government action, we have a new ally, Ron Gonzales. Is the Imperial Mayor going to stand out at city hall with signs done by Larry Stone with KEEP IT ALL QUIET, WE NEED TO SVE PAPR
Finally, it is likely the big source of funds we will see for Spartan atheletics at San Jose State will be from a likely student fee increase coming in May. How much are we going to bet?
Ooops, I going to get in trouble from the new Magnificent Seven, yep, the newest idea for San Jose Film is to do a remake of the Magnificcent Seven, and I will be happy to list their names
But, seriously, I am going to get slammed here, but I promised the Spartan Thunder blog people I would do this, because I know there are airport commissioners, and city councilmembers that read this blog.
The other day, one of our boosters went to the airport and looked for some college caps, and just saw Cal and Stanford there.
“Where were the SJSU caps? he asked, and got a blank stare. Now, Chuck and the rest of the city people running the airport,
C’MON, now, where are the SJSU caps?
gee, what do we have to do to get some support!!!!
Our newest film for San Jose Films
The Magnificient Seven
In order to protect the townspeople who are heavily in debt to the ranch and mercury mine owed by Judge Tiberius Reed, Judge Forrest “Dead Eye” Williams recruits the Magnificent Seven of “rooting touting” cowboys and western fights.
“Doc” Yeager
Rich “Six Gun” Robinson
Marshall Dave Cortese
Tom “The San Pedro Kid” McEnery
Ron “Black Jack” Gonzales
Pete “Quick Draw” McHugh
“Big Jim” Beall
Any chance we can stop calling the Convention Center expansion a “tent”? I know that was the term first thrown out, but it really doesn’t fit what the structure will be and is used, I suspect, by the Merc to ridicule (again) another SJ project (is it me or do they do that a lot??). The official name of the venue will be South Hall and the architect’s renderings show it to be a legitimate and handsome structure.
eBay’s own home town can’t provide a convention center big enough or that has real bathrooms for the eBay conventioneers to use. Just add this to the steady flow of blunders coming out of the council chambers headwaters.
Who could blame Mayor Ron for be annoyed by the demands of the Public Records Act? Why the very nature of it suggests that government officials can’t be trusted. That’s not fair—especially in San Jose. After all, can anyone even remember the last time there was a scandal at City Hall?
Is braindead Fred related to Terry Shiavo?
But I finally understood why the republicans went ballistic over the Shiavo case.
If every brain dead person in the country were denied food and water there would be no red states left!
Terry Shiavo ‘humor’?
How in the world could anyone… oh I forgot – you’re a lobbyist. Enough said.
Tom,
Add another RR classic to the Hall of Fame please.
Dear Mal Content & Braindead Fred:
Those were great ones!
Gee, Richard Robinson, the king of the keep the public out of the public records, hmm, what Judy Nadler would think now
Sorry for the harsh shot Rich (I wish there actually was a moderator for this board)
The Shiavo thing was just too tragic – the only consolation now is that Michael Shiavo has a special place in hell waiting for him.
Gee, I hope God has a sense of humor or we are all in trouble.
Terry Schiavo died 15 years ago. For the last 15 years she has sat in a bed, unconscious to the world around her, force fed by a tube. Pretty ironic that it was her disease, bulimia, that caused her to be force fed for 15 years.
Now that is the definition of a living hell.
If anyone put their child in a bed, kept them unconscious, and force fed them with a tube for 15 years—we would call that child abuse—but since Terry couldn’t feel it, we call it love.
In November, we put down our dog, we lover or dog. It was a very moving experience, but it was painless and humane. Our society treats pets better than we treat other human beings on their way to death.
For me, I’m an optimist. Death will be better than life, for we are all going to be dead a lot longer than we are alive.
I’m also a lawyer and I recommend everyone get a Durable Power of Attorney and a Living Will in place for themselves or let Tom Delay make your decision.
As for myself, I believe in active euthanasia when it is my time to go. No thirteen days of whithering away for me, turn-up the morphine drip and call it a day.
As for Michael Schiavo going to hell, should the right wing nuts be right and God is a gun toting homophobic bigot, please send me to hell with Michael Schiavo and the fun people. I have no intention of spending eternity with the likes of Tom DeLay, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson or George W. Bush. (That would be my hell.)
By the way, I would like to honor President George W. Bush today. It is only appropriate to honor the king of fools on April 1st.
Finally, I do have a living will in place and I know if I ever become incapable of making my own decisions regarding my death, several people on this board would volunteer to actively euthanize me.
With friends such as these. . .
James,
I am not against the public’s right to know. I am against over-regualtion by government and excessive paperwork designed to make you a criminal.
Print everything, just don’t make-work for people.
Rich
P.S. These comments do not reflect the views of Judy Nadler. Judy is her own person, with her own views and she expresses them eloquently, even when I disagree with her.
Nice to know that you have the answer to what constitutes life and who deserves to live.
Michael Shiavo is a murderer, enjoy your time with him and the other fun types.
Max-
You’re missing the point. Clowns always have a big tent. Why shouldn’t Gonzo?
Nice to know that you and the judiciary have a handle on what constitutes life and who deserves to live.
To take the side of Michael Shiavo on this tragedy shows either great ignorance or an absolute lack of a moral compass.
What did you say you did for a living?
(Sorry for the double post above – I thought there was actually a moderator at work)
The bit about the pet was choice Rich. I love to hear lefties give examples of their compassion by how nice they are to their pets. BTW, how much did you have to pay your dog not to bite you in the ass everyday?
But I digress..
It’s not really the Shiavo thing that matters to you – it’s about Bush. Your hatred of Bush trumps all.
It’s the only way that anyone with a single molecule of decency could come down on the side of Michael Schiavo.
It’s the only way to explain how the angry left could come down on the side of Saddam Hussein and privately hope against hope that it would turn out badly for the US. It’s not about Saddam Hussein or the Iraqi people or the US troops – it’s about your selfish, debilitating hatred of Bush.
But I don’t want to be all negative – to help brighten your day – try Googling for “Roe effect”. You’ve got some long days ahead Rich – enjoy the ride.
Finally, my sincerest apologies to any slimebags that I may have offended in earlier posts when I used slimebags and lobbyists in the same sentence.
You get the last word Rich – I’m outta here for good.
The good thing about the U.S. of A. is I can decide when life begins and ends for me, as a part of my faith and you can do it for yourself.
I won’t infringe upon your rights, please don’t infringe upon mine and certainly don’t let the government—be it the legislative, executive or judicial branch.
And if a decision needs to be made for me, I’ll let my wife make it, not my mom, dad, brother, sister, cousin or great aunt.
That is the family structure those right wing nuts talk about all the time. Keep the government out of mine and my families personal decisions.
It’s the American Way.
Rich
P.S. If you want to rot in a hospital bed, unconscious of the world, force fed through a tube, ravaged by cancer or some other disease, unaware of anything around you—terrific—make sure your wishes are known by a loved one and in writing. I will not interfere with your “right” to live.
But as for me, give me liberty or give me death.
Gee, Rich, it is nice that Judy is her own person, as we know she is, She showed this on Rivermark, as others knew she would, despite what some claim
Now, we have Lisa Gillmor, another person who does things in her own right, and worked for the city, as all of us knew she would. Lisa, again, was very helpful to confirm what some of use thought was the chronology there.
The other great thing about Judy Nadler is that she always returned calls, recognized people, and always handled things with a view of transperancy. She always backed to the PORAC and did not whine about it, nor demand people back up the whining, right?
It so nice we have people who feel that public officials should never be questioned. It also so nice we have people so eager to slam and bam former Deanites for things we see everyday, from????
Hmm, was that a cheap shot at red state fundraisers, hmm, I sort of remember a Democratic fundraiser and a Democratic club treasurer in 1996 was get stone thrown at them for a Republican checkwriter. hmm, we get to take the cheap shots at them, but we also do our best for them
Stan,
The Schiavo thing didn’t matter to me at all. It was Tom Delay and George “the coward” Bush who stayed up until midnight for a special session of Congress held on a Sunday night to violate the Constitution.
The tactic was similar to a third world dicatatorship who holds a “secret” legislative session to impose their will. Totalitarian regimes across the globe hailed the midnight session.
It will be a long four years for me, but it will a least a generation or two (if ever) before we recover from the moron leadership of George W. Bush.
In addition, my disdain for him is only matched by my disdain for the brain-dead, right wing idiots who believe anything that is proffered by this Administration. Just because Sadaam was a bad guy, doesn’t make a lying sack of manure like Bush a ‘good guy’.
Want to rule the world Stan? Count me out.
P.S. Sorry you’re leaving us. Though I rarely agreed with you, the discussion was always interesting.
P.S.S. “I am accustomed to hearing malicious falsehoods about myself. . . But I think I have a right to resent, to object to libelous statements about my dog.” FDR
Jim,
Not to rehash the past. But Lisa Gilmor was no Judy Nadler—especially when it came to ethical conduct.
While I disagreed with Lisa on a number of issues and her tactics, she did a great job on the Riverview Project.
In politics it is rare that you find a person 100% wrong or 100% right all the time. Although GWB is making a good run at being wrong 100% of the time.
As usual, Rich, you want to avoid the issues other people seem to confirm are relevant with respect to that project, but it as always, just speaks to your credentials about comparing who are the ethical ones. I believe Judy is, Lisa is, but as for
well
we can all take ours in sacks of pennies
One wonders how many Republicans get far at the national level, when we have people at the local level helping the people who gave them change to do what they do