This past Wednesday night I hosted a community budget meeting for my district. Between City Hall and my meeting I stopped at home to pick up my laptop. As I left, I saw my neighbors out in front of their homes. My next door neighbor was tossing a ball with his son. Other neighbors were working on a car, fiddling with sprinklers and carrying groceries into their home. I thought to myself: no one is going to show up for this meeting.
To my relief, approximately 25 people attended from eight different neighborhoods. However, with over 1,000 people showing up twice for the “Little Saigon” issue, I was hoping for more than 25 for a budget meeting.
I prepared a budget presentation that included where city funding comes from and how it is allocated. I presented specific examples like a downtown surface parking lot from which the city received $1,170 each year via property tax—in 1985. The RDA invested in this property and brought in the Fairmont hotel. Today the city/RDA receives $460,000 each year via property tax on the same piece of land plus TOT tax from the hotel rooms. This is an important point since specific examples show the importance RDA has played in San Jose. Other topics included spending choices made on the council, breaking out what percentage of certain taxes go to San Jose, as well ideas discussed at weekend meetings hosted by the labor unions, which I attended.
Attendees of my meeting shared that the city should do a better job maximizing rents and/or liquidating city property, selling the old city hall, and the possibility of implementing 401K’s for new city employees. However, no one wanted service cuts or to raise taxes, but layoffs and shutting down facilities were put forth as possibilities. We know that layoffs would be tough on employees’ families and service cuts would be tough on the residents as well.
An idea that I raised was: why not ask if city employees could take one day off a year without pay? If every city employee took a day off without pay, we would save $3 million. $15 million would be saved if they took a week without pay. When City Hall shuts down in December for two weeks, everyone gets paid for those days not worked. Perhaps the city should consider meeting and conferring with the unions to see if we could remove just one of those days so the city could save money. I bring this up because it includes ALL employees—management, council, etc., not just a few.
A few people expressed that they are afraid of special interests groups taking over the budget process, including business and labor. Others felt that city council meetings are a challenge since they are often held during the day when they work and that waiting 3-4 hours to speak for 2 minutes is painful. (Knitting and reading a book while waiting to speak were also suggested.) I have asked that the Mayor’s Budget Message on March 18 be heard in the evening so residents have an opportunity to comment.
I hope my neighbors can break away from family and TV for just one night to give feedback to the council on the priorities of San Jose taxpayers.
Why would we waste our time? The Mayor and Council have set up “public hearings” that are just for show. Public testimony is ignored by the decision makers as they have made up their minds well before any “public” hearing. I have better things to do with my time than participate in political theater.
Thanks anyway.
PO,
nice try. but ALL city meetings are a joke. the business is done behind closed doors. City council meetings are simply a kangaroo court!
Bounce On
#1
Agree with you and PO. Organizations can lay off some people or have the majority take a few days without pay. If you layoff you lose the expertise however if you can reduce payroll and keep everybody that is better. If your not happy and about getting time off without pay then you could always quit but most people look forward to the time off.
Workers don’t get “paid” for the shut-down. They use their vacation time or take time without pay.
I agree with neighbor#2 in part. Ever since the McEnery years at least (that’s when I started attending meetings), the Tuesday evening meetings wherein public comment is heard have been a complete farce, because the decision had already been made. Public comment meetings are a bone thrown to the people to delude them into believing that what they say has any impact whatsoever on the decision-making process. Half the coouncilmembers or more get up, leave the room, talk to others, or try to keep awake.
The final vote on every issue in which public comment is solicited should not occur sooner than one week after the meeting in which the public is allowed to comment. That would provide at theast the appearance that the mayor and council really give a hoot about what we lowly citizens think.
Re the budget—it is imperative that at the very least the salary ranges of every single public employee be known to the public. There needs to be an easy way to acces this info., along with who does what. How many managers, asst. managers, deputy-this-and-deputy-thats are there, and how many people (not positions, real people) report to them.
Since the vast majority of the budget is personnel expense, no realistic analysis can be made by the voters without detailed info. in these areas.
I’d also like to have access to the “work rules” in place for all positions as set forth in the various collective bargaining agreements. I’d bet the farm that the private sector allows far less time to complete discreet tasks than is given to public employeees. It’s similar to the time allotted for tasks in the manuals of car dealer service depts. vs what it actually takes to do them in the Mom& Pop mechanic shops around town.
I have attended a number of City Council and Board of Supervisors meetings on various subjects. At those meetings I have spoken, and I have listened to others speak on either the same subject, or another subject on the agenda.
Many times I have heard speakers who appear to know more about the subject than either the city/county staff, or the council members and supervisors.
Yet, not one time did anyone bother to ask the speaker a question. Every time I have been to these meetings the politicians sit there as if they are brain dead. If you are incapable of asking intelligent questions of a speaker who has detailed knowledge of a subject, but a different idea of what should be done, then that clearly indicates that the decision has already been determined, and the public speaker presentation is purely for show.
Additionally, it is utterly asinine to expect someone to speak at these meetings on a complicated subject, and be able to present an intelligent, cogent thought within one or two minutes.
A few tax and public comment facts –
Santana Row – $2 1/2 million sales tax per year for $0 taxes invested
Downtown – $2 1/2 million sales tax per year for $3 billion redevelopment property taxes invested
We know when there is NO real interest by Council and city staff in public’s comment when
– budget meetings held in afternoons when most residents can’t attend – we are working
– no, little or late notice of meetings to include district 6 meeting
– public comment is limited to only 2 minutes for comments and Council or staff immediately rebut suggestions as unworkable – when they have after 7 years budget deficits have no solutions
– budget task force composed of insiders giving us the same unworkable ideas – cut services, cut empty staff positions ( no real jobs ) and raise taxes / fees which has not worked for years
– millions $ for downtown and RDA $ wasted and little given to other city areas – look at numbers and what public got for $ vs insiders
– city waiting for next economic boom to bail it out while wasting taxes or giving $ and deals to friends and insiders
– neighborhood leaders at January 2008 budget meeting ( 1/3 less than 2007 since our budget priorities have been ignored ) were told – you can ask NO questions about $250,000 ( x city manager’s ) consultant’s budget report paid for by our taxes – see video
We know when we are being – told part truth, given wrong numbers, lied to, when public process is manipulated, staged managed or controlled and real decisions are made before meeting starts by Council and staff
You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you can not fool all the people all the time. – Abraham Lincoln.
– We are not all fools – although you treat us like fools and can tell when our time is wasted with no real benefits from attending staged managed controlled public meetings – we see what is going on and who benefits from public tax money – it is not public that benefits
Pierluigi:
One day off is a good idea…removing the employee union’s stranglehold on the budget and council is a better one. I recently noticed a private landscaping company cutting the lawn and pruning the hedges at the city’s westside maintenance yard. In fact, the city can, and does, use non-union labor. Where is it written that working for the city should be a “job for life?”
Speaking of our broken city…I was surprised to learn over the weekend, that some (perhaps all?) park restrooms are locked on weekends!! (How can you take kids to the park when there are no restrooms!) This illustrates just how incompetent (and corrupt) the previous administration was…and how ineffective the current council is. (I fear that Pierluigi, Constant, Liccardo, and Reed are still outnumbered).
Pete Campbell
I’d like to know how many other Council members are holding budget discussions in the districts and soliciting feedback prior to the Mayor’s budget message on the 18th? Also, how will the community feedback be presented to the Mayor and rest of the council on the 18th?
I agree with others who point out that the public participation process is a sham. There’s no way that you can present an intelligent idea in two minutes and the decision’s made by that time anyway so why bother? And most of those “public” meetings are held during the business day when people are working, anyway.
I admit that I do not go to council meetings as I normally work 10 to 7 and the last thing I want to do is go and sit in a meeting. I am more inclined to attend something in my neighborhood on occasion. Also it is a big turn off to see that the unions control the council meetings. Working stiffs hope that when we vote our council will think of us and not the interest groups.
PO,
What if 1000 people showed up? What were you hoping to accomplish? If you just want to present information, there are more efficient means other than requiring your neighbor to give up the only time he probably he has in the day to spend time with his child.
If you are looking for support for some initiative, most San Jose residents know that packing the council chamber and speaking for one minute late into the night accomplishes little.
Voters elected to you maximize the services delivered at a reasonable cost. As you mentioned many of the most innovative approaches to reducing costs are impossible because of outdated union agreements and rules. Residents have no say in union negotiations.
I agree with all of the above posts that refer to back room decisions made prior to public input. The portion of the process that allows for public input is simply a tedious exercize for a council that has already made up its collective mind. It has been a very long time since any sitting council or mayor has truly cared what the public thinks.
It’s too bad that comments must be limited to two minutes, but when you watch Channel 26 and see the usual suspects with irrelevant comments, the Jesus freak, the burn-out case who could stand a healthy dose of writer’s block, Ross Signorino and others who schedule their lives around the opportunity to make public statements nobody cares about, you can understand where the need for the two-minute limit came from.
Not a Novice makes a very excellent point when he/she says, “Many times I have heard speakers who appear to know more about the subject than either the city/county staff, or the council members and supervisors. “
“Yet, not one time did anyone bother to ask the speaker a question. Every time I have been to these meetings the politicians sit there as if they are brain dead. If you are incapable of asking intelligent questions of a speaker who has detailed knowledge of a subject, but a different idea of what should be done, then that clearly indicates that the decision has already been determined, and the public speaker presentation is purely for show.”
You could cut the budget and save a fortune if you started valuing the expertise of city commissioners, and members of the public, and cut jobs at the City that weren’t producing the types of results we need to get things done.
#2,3,6,7,8 said it all for me. Until you members on the Council really do listen to our input and concerns, don’t expect us to buy into giving up our valuable time with our spouses, family, and friends.
Looking back twenty years, the decision to build the Fairmont Hotel was pure genius. But it wasn’t so obvious at the time.
It is sort of like Donny Osmond recording “Go Away Little Girl” in 1971 and “Puppy Love” in 1972. Donny’s brothers, Alan, Wayne, Jay and Merrill didn’t recognize those songs could be hits. After all, Steve Lawrence had already recorded “Go Away Little Girl” and Paul Anka had recorded “Puppy Love” years before. But guess what? They were huge hits for Donny Osmond and catapulted him into international pop stardom.
When Tom McEnery was mayor, he was like Donny Osmond. It remains to be seen if Chuck Reed can be David Cassidy or at least Leif Garrett.
Pete Campbell
You can’t be serious. Are you suggesting that City P&R folks are letting families stand cross legged until their blatters burst or the voters meet their demands?
#16 George, get real. If Chuck Reed was going to be anyone, it would be William Hung.
RE: Having only 2 minutes to speak at a Council meeting. That’s if you’re lucky. Usually, if there is a large crowd on an item of interest you are limited to 1 minute. Try saying much of substance in that time frame.
Question for #5: What about the month of July? I was told most of the city shuts down during the whole month of July. Are staff also required to use vacation time at that time as well? (This is a sincere question as I honestly don’t know the answer.)
Pierluigi, a couple things:
1) I wonder if the folks negotiating with labor will also be impacted by what they negotiate? Or is it done by a “non-partisan” group?
2) I’m a former HP employee and had heard (before I got there) that when the economy was slumping, HP’s management stepped up and took a 10% pay cut and also had the non-management staff take every other Friday off without pay. (They did collect unemployment). It was temporary, but together they helped the company survive the downturn. I wonder if something similar can be done for the City of SJ, temporarily?
I’m a proponent of Budgeting For Outcomes – a more innovative and intuitive approach to municipal budgeting that engages citizens in the transformation of local government.
In times of real fiscal crisis (such as a structural deficit), local government shouldn’t just start with a previous year’s budget and then justify increases or cuts from that base. Rather, Budgeting For Outcomes enlists a short-term and inclusive community planning process that establishes a core set of results that matter most to citizens and then allocates available dollars to each core result.
The result of this inclusive community planning process is that all of our citizens would be able to clearly see what their tax dollars were buying and, of course, what programs and services we could no longer afford to buy.
Budgeting for Outcomes would transform our city government, engage citizens, utilize the tremendous knowledge of city employees and bring common sense to our budget process.
In addition to many county and state governments, diverse cities such as Minneapolis, Oakland, Columbus, Fort Worth, Spokane and Richmond have employed all or part of this transformational budgeting process. To learn more about Budgeting For Outcomes, visit the Public Strategies Group website at http://www.psg.us.
#16 George and Pierluigi
I believe a better City investment to look at is the new Ice Scating Rink near Spartan Stadium. This investment brings in $2 million a year in rent, and generates property taxes too. It has a food concession that generates sales tax dollars.
Children and taxpayers get to enjoy the facility when they use it. It`s fun.
Compare the Rink`s numbers to the Fairmont numbers, the Rink wins. Compare the Rink to the City Hall meetings. The rink is fun when you participate, City hall when we participate is depressing.
What other City property matches the Ice Rink on ROI?
In the wake of the council’s rejection of the largest and most passionate public display of “feedback” in recent memory, I should be excused for laughing at the last sentence of today’s posting.
If I recall correctly:
1. The council decided that the city should get into the neighborhood naming business (because doing stupid things is an established tradition)
2. The council then announced that the public will participate in the naming process (because the democratic process feels really good, even when it’s faked)
3. The council then announced a name and readied itself to be credited with again embracing diversity (and maybe get another photo op sporting those cool, ethnic costumes)
4. The council gets hit broadside by the majority outcry over its choice and is challenged to explain it (don’t these newcomers know who knows what’s best for them?)
5. The council explained its choice as the will of the majority—the other majority (a panicked recycling of Nixon’s “Silent Majority”—more irony)
6. The opposition got real nasty (never a surprise when ethnic sensitivities encounter government arrogance)
7. The council, rather than face-up to its mistakes in judgement and questionable conduct, reverted to default behavior (vague statements, finger-pointing, self-aggrandizement) and announced to the public that the naming process will revert to Step #1.
Step #1 is, of course, where the city designs a process where it gets to do exactly what it wants free from public input (at some point soon the council will discover that even the newcomers have figured this out).
You want feedback Mr. Oliverio? Look outside your office window: there’s a guy slowly dying of it.
#23- Frustrated finfan, BRAVO! Well said!
Even for Fortune 500 companies a day off without pay, or even a week off without pay in hard times is favored over loosing people or weakening the organization. It’s not pretty and for some it really hurts; but at least everyone shares the pain for the common good.
I’ve had to do it several times over the last 30 years.
#21, absolutely! I recently read the city’s annual report for 2006/2007 and was dumbfounded by the tone of the Expenditure Performance Analysis. (http://www.sanjoseca.gov/budget/FY0607/documents/I-3-GenFund_Exp_Perf-Final06-07.pdf)
“General Fund expenditures and encumbrances…[were] up $52.2M, or 7.0%…but was $247.6M below the modified budget….Excluding $158.7M in reserves, the remaining savings were $88.9M (10.1%)”
The report then goes on to analyze expenditures for the point of view of these “savings.” They even use the phrase “This level of savings is slightly above the…levels experienced in recent years.”
This government accounting mentality is what is at the root of our chronic budget problem. We need to hold our government accountable for growth in spending levels, not pat them on the back for these phantom savings. We need to focus on results that matter to our citizens and their quality of life.
Budgeting for Outcomes is one good method of accomplishing that.
#22
Does the Ice Rink truly bring in $2 mil?
That sounds like a good deal for the City.
If this is true, the HP Pavilion must return a ton to the City. Just think of all those events; all that food, wine, beer and coffee, and how about that parking?
What does this return to the City?
#5
They do get paid during the shutdown. Originally it was supposed to be without pay or vacation time however that changed years ago.
They all have the option however, of coming to work even though City Hall is “closed”.
#20 The city is open during July however the council is at recess. On your other questions on labor negotiations yes they have a stake in the outcome for example retirement benefits or changes in medical plan. On your last point yes that could happen however Steve Jobs I believe paid himself a dollar and made all his compensation on stock options.
#23 As I sit in my office at 10PM on Monday I can hear the crowd below gathered with the gentleman on the hunger strike. I voted No both times.
Councilman (#28),
In response to my directing your attention to the crowd of demonstrators outside your office you defended yourself by pointing out how you voted. Okay, now let’s measure the political energy of your actions (voting no) versus the political energy of the demonstrators.
You, as an office holder confronted with a very simple issue, possess a number of methods at your disposal. You could cast a vote, reach-out to your colleagues diplomatically, attempt to persuade the council with an impassioned speech, object vehemently to the points of the opposition, pledge your support to the demonstrators, take your case to the media, etc, etc.
For the demonstrators, their methods are pretty much limited to holding signs, chanting slogans, packing the council chambers, and starving themselves in protest.
Now, let’s do an energy audit.
Unless some bold action on your part went unreported, you expended a minimal amount of energy promoting your position. Your casting a “no” vote constituted the least you could do in this particular case (just barely above voting “yes”). This is nothing to brag about, although I’m not surprised by your inclination to do so (the good news: your low voltage reaction might qualify you for a rebate through PG&E’s rewards program).
The demonstrators, on the other hand, have and are continuing to power up every tool at their disposal, providing “public feedback” by the gigawatt. If there was more to do they would no doubt do it.
Notwithstanding the sanctity of your vote, the issue was about how the council, as a governing body, responded to unprecedented feedback from its constituents on a trivial issue. From my chair, it appears that of all forms of government influence, public feedback seems to be the least effective. I wonder how many other residents of this city will conclude the same?
Pier,
No one attends the meetings because there isn’t any money to do jack with downtown. The little saigon “issue” has nothing to do with money, it’s an emotional political statement at this point. I am ashamed to say that the city council is playing into that BS and wasting our precious tax dollars talking about it.
In a recent poll you asked about how to close the budget gap, by raising taxes, or cutting services. I say cut city staff by 30% except for those areas that bring in money for the city. Surely if you’re going to all talk about “little saigon” all day, you don’t deserve the money I pay to the city. With no money to spend, why have all these people having meetings downtown which do nothing but spin more an more hate, more and more drama. We don’t need all those staffers and excess meeting for nothing now do we? Is little saigon all we are left to talk about without any money?
Pete,
Anytime that happens to me, I just piss on the door and leave a “mr. hanky poo” in front of it. I figure some union person will “rightfully” come by to clean it up.
#34
So finfan, other than run your mouth, what have you ever done? Aside from your constant racial and ethnic slurs.
#34- Frustrated Finfan,
Your point is an excellent one that I too have felt is important. Simply voting no on something, regardless of the reason or the topic, deserves some kind of explanation. Sitting on the dais looking remarkably life like isn’t enough to let us know their reasons for voting yea or nay on something.
PO I know you care about these people and that is why you voted no, but Frustrated Finfan is right, I’d like to see you fight as hard for this issue, as you did for the out sourcing of work in the Rose Garden. PO Aren’t you just a little bit outraged that Sam “smiling” Liccardo used a fraudulent petition to get everyone to vote no on the name Little Saigon, and leave it with no name? Also, in today’s paper Liccardo says, even though he knows the petition he used to tip the vote in his corner is a forgery, he still won’t vote on a name!
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8530057
My God, if I were on the Council and if that kind of injustice was perpetrated on the citizens of San Jose, whom by the way you guys keep telling “Trust me we are trying to work with you on this,” would send me through the roof. The only press releases Liccardo is giving is the usual huffing and puffing of the old Nixon era, claiming outrage and denying knowledge of the fake petitions. Face saving while a 64-65 year old man is dying outside City Hall, in a tent just doesn’t do anything for me.
At least Kansen Chu has held a press conference denouncing the petition.
Inquiring Minds (#35),
No doubt were your cognitive skills equal to your desire to confront me you would do more than post such a mindless comment. Though I may not have posted my résumé here (something not in keeping with the site’s Mission Statement), what I have posted, and have continually posted, are my actual thoughts and questions about the topic at hand. This is something you have not done—at least not in post #35 today, and not previously in response to me under the pseudonym you’re using today.
My post (#34) is my take on the councilman’s use of his political power. There are no doubt very legitimate arguments that might be taken against my position, but you chose instead to post only an insult, which says much more about you than it does me.
#26
Happy to take a day without pay as I would be included as stated in paragraph 5 of my post.
As far as straight pay cut for council and staff it would be a drop in the bucket for approximately 40 people vs. 7000. Council staff is at will employment with no job security, pay is low for long hours. I would rather be paid zero and get paid a commission on the money saved by doing business differently.
#28 – Mr. O—I believe you are wrong about staff being paid during the holiday closure. I would double-check your information. I believe workers still must use vacation—if not, I know many workers who have been duped out of their vacation days in order to get “paid” during the closure.
#32 David D and Pierluigi,
I know very little about the HP Pavilion, maybe one of the readers on SJI might know.
The Ice Rink as an investment by our city is an excellent example of smart investing. The ROI is outstanding.
Look at it this way:
The City collects $2million per year for rent.
The City and County both recieve a property tax benefit from this investment.
The City collects sales tax revenue from this business.
“The big bonus is”, The City owens the building and land the Ice Rink sits on. Every year the value of this property goes up.
This ownership benefit of owning the rink improves the “Cities” balance sheet.
#16 George Berlin:
You said “the decision to build the Fairmont Hotel was pure genius.
This was a good move, no doubt. Wasn`t Kimbal Small involved in thid developments success.
The Ice Rink still tops the Fairmont Hotel deal. Tom is involved in both developments.
“The Big differance”, the City of San Jose should never have sold the Fairmont Hotel building and land. Just imagine if the City took ownership of the Fairmont Tower 20 years ago and had it on its balance sheet today.
#15 Kathleen Flynn,
I agree with you and #2-3-6-7-8 too. I especially agree with you” on how our elected officials (politicians) sit there in meetings as if they were brain dead”. The dangerous thing you missed is when they come to, “they vote”and they don`t have a clue of what they are voting on or its implications.
#9 Pete, please be careful how you lump Pierluigi in with the other three. Pierluigi has town meetings and listens to his residents and often responds. PLO follows through, he puts everything out in the open, on the table. The least PLO does if he disagrees is compromise.
I`m not knowledgable of Pete Constant`s style. But, reading the previous 36 respondants opinion`s on this blog, I believe Reed could learn something from Oliverio`s Town meeting style. Liccardo, well he`s great too if you want to discuss downtown S.J. otherwise…well?
#39-Richard, I loved your comment, it made me laugh! “The dangerous thing you missed is when they come to, “they vote”and they don`t have a clue of what they are voting on or its implications.” Good one!
PO- I grew up back East where Unions worked closely with business owners to keep profits up, and in lean times they took days off without pay, or used Unemployment when taking time off to keep the company a float. Your constituent’s idea is a very good one actually.
I have friends who work in non-Union jobs that are presently doing exactly that. Times are hard, and a “we are all in this together,” mentality is a good one. Have you ever noticed that during a national disaster every one pulls together all over the country? Well, I think that is an attitude we could and should live by especially in this day and time.
Families can barely feed their children, pay the rent, or put gas in the car. People are losing their homes, and I think PO it is time for the Council to start protecting renters from rent gouging. It is getting ridiculous. A year or two ago landlords were begging people to move in, rents were lowered. Since the mortgage melt down has pushed a new breed of renters out on to the market, and SOME landlords are right back at it. A studio, and most one bedroom apartments hail a rent of anywhere from $1K-$1,300.00! Who can afford that when many people are already drowning?
Pierluigi,
Well, 29 responses fom San Jose residents in a very short period of time!
The report card for the Mayor and his staff doesn`t look very good, 29 negative responses for 29 comments.
How would you advise the Mayor at this point, as a council person you are one of his influencers?
It doesn`t seem much like a democratic administration.
Your record in district six has been very good. Your town meetings could be a model for the current administration. You engage in a excellent exchange back and forth with the residents of your district, your follow through has been excellent.
How do we get the Mayor and his staff to change their ways? Get them to listen and respond, even have an exchange of words.
This administration does not seem to care one bit of what voters think, or voters see as priorties.
We ask for more police officers and we are told, “the city is experiencing severe budget problems”. We sit in the back row in meetings at city hall and are not allowed to comment and watch you, the Mayors staff and the City Managers staff vote on the most important issues dreamed up by the cities consultants. Then we find out the most important item is the city should spend $35 million dollars to buy the basement and the first floor of the Bank of America building for a transit mall downtown, then come up with more money to remodel it and siesmic retro fit the building.
Try to think how much it would cost to hire 50 new police officers, compared to spending $35 million on a downtown building… but I thought the City is having severe budget deficit problems…to hire additional police the answer is yes we`re broke…to find $35 million to buy two floors of the B of A building,“no problem”!
In response to…Question for #5: What about the month of July? I was told most of the city shuts down during the whole month of July. Are staff also required to use vacation time at that time as well? (This is a sincere question as I honestly don’t know the answer.)
City Council is officially on vacation in July, so it’s a convenient time for staff to also take some vacation time since there is less going on with no Council Meetings. City Hall does not shut down during July and the public can still get information, pull permits etc.
PO,
How about if you, the entire council, their respective staff, and the mayor, show how serious you are about this matter by taking a
10% cut in pay. If you want city workers to take a day off that is great. You are a city worker; what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Which day will you be taking off without pay?
Also, our police department is understaffed by approximately 600 officers according to the Chief of Police. Does this “day off” apply to them too, and if so isn’t this endangering both citizens and the officers of an already depleted police department?
These are not meant to be rhetorical questions; please let us know.
#40 >>> “Have you ever noticed that during a national disaster every one pulls together all over the country? Well, I think that is an attitude we could and should live by especially in this day and time.”<<<
Kathleen, I could not agree more. Your point is spot on. It speaks to the heart of who we are as a community of free people.
However, you can not help but notice that during such times there are among us those who never stop thinking about themselves; their net worth; their vested interests; their plans for protecting and growing their holdings, influence and power.
As you so aptly state, these are hard times. Money is growing scarce for everything from paying the rent or mortgage payments, filling the tank and putting food on the table. This is equally true for fixing the City’s structural deficit and preserving our quality of life.
Even during these times, the dreams, ambitions and special interests of some at the expense of others if not all continue to march on.
Our country is hemorrhaging billions; shysters have ravaged hopeful home owners and devastated credit markets; others bleed and scam our elderly and milk Medicare. Yet when it comes time to pull together, sharpen our pencils and restructure for the common good, some press on with policy and PR for pet projects and self interest.
Never was there a time when open, candid, honest government was more essential to our survival and self respect than during times like this.
Kathleen, you hit the nail on the head.
Finfan,
Anything more than a “no” vote on the little saigon issue is one more breath than I would like to see. True, PO could have exercised a bit more leverage in his position with his vote, however I don’t think this is the right fight to fight. Either the other deadbeats get on board and just vote “no” and stop talking about the issue, or they continue to push for a referendum on how to “properly” name different parts of san jose; something I personally have always been against anyway.
The more dialogue and debate there is about this issue, the greater the time and money we will waste- money we don’t have to begin with. I would much rather see PO walking the streets, having town meetings, crunching survey data, etc., instead of giving an ass whipping eulogy to other council members on how lame the little saigon issue is and why they should vote no. If Mr. Reed had any clue, he’d do the same and MOVE ON. They need a simple vote to put a knife in this pig. I think PO played it right, you have to pick and choose your battles in this game called politics.
#47
Confirmed this through the San Jose Budget Director. They do get paid during the shutdown. Originally it was supposed to be without pay or vacation time however that changed years ago.
They all have the option however, of coming to work even though City Hall is “closed”.
#49
They all have the option however, of coming to work even though City Hall is “closed”.
Hmmmm. Let me think about that. Stay at home and get paid, or go to work and get paid. Hmmmmm.
JMO #6
“I’d also like to have access to the “work rules” in place for all positions as set forth in the various collective bargaining agreements. I’d bet the farm that the private sector allows far less time to complete discreet tasks than is given to public employeees.”
I’ve read a few government union contracts. I can’t remember any that specify standards for quality or timeliness of work.
The work rules tend to be things like specifying the minimum number of people who are eligible for each type of bonus pay, and how that bonus pay is distributed. (usually some form of seniority.) Also clarifying that vacation and choice of shift are based on seniority.
Dear Kathleen
Thank you for your objective remark toward the issue that attracts thousands of passionate people protesting in front of the city hall despite of the cutting cold and stormy weather. I am a blog reader just by curiosity to learn, but I can’t help express my disappointment with the approach that the city council (7 members) handling the matter. It reveals to me that they all have made up their mind to side the “silent people” “business people” or any invisible force behind them. The latest development on March 4th council meeting make me sick and that triggers me to voice my opinion using my elementary English here (sorry).
Their reason to deny the majority choice was the argument of the power. “The reason of the power is always the best” slogan in which La Fontaine tried to illustrate in his fable “The Wolf and The Lamb”.
-The wolf accuses the lamb of troubling his water,
-The lamb defends:
-I was 20 steps further the water,
– Well, if it is not you now then you were last year,
-Sir last year I wasn’t born, how can I do that?
-If it was not you, it must your brother or one of yours, I got to revenge and suddenly grab the lamb carry to the forest to devour.
Sam Licardo’s argument on March 4th had some application of that rule. He acknowledges that the majority like the name Little Saigon, but he was concerned about the list of 92 businesses “DO NOT WANT OUTSIDERS TO IMPOSE A NAME” therefore he proposed the city not to involve in the naming etc…Is that clear to anyone that he uses that document to object the city council involving in the naming. Fine, today it turns out that the document contained fraud (see Mercury news article above). – He then argues that not only he used that document but he received a letter date March 1st with seven signatures of business and he talked to TWO of them and he confirmed that list is truthful and he defends that the motion pass on March 4 is valid that the city should not get involve in the naming…
Boy, what kind of argument is that? An argument made based on fallacies is logic to him and his crew. Therefore, the city code of ethics: no lying, no cheating, no stealing is applicable to whom? It‘s sad. While Sam Licardo is angry about the fraud and proposes form of punishment to the fellow who submits this information to him and in this case using Henry Lee is the escape goat; what is the responsibility of the person who uses it, especially a council member who is paid by tax payers? Are you suppose to do some homework before public appearing at all? Are you a new form of kings and queens of the modern age where the supreme power rest in you and you have no accountibility whatsoever for? How neutral or credible “The Rules Committee” be, while the mayor chairs this committee who already positions himself on one side of the battle. I can’t help but angry to see that this city council (the 7 members, sorry PO you are the reasonable 4) with the way you manage this issue:
• Deeply divide the Vietnamese community into groups by siding one site (“silent invisible majority side”).
• Humiliate the majority to the lowest level of respect, because they are not fluent in English, they can’t express themselves fluently, intellectually, coherently as you want to see in public meeting or in demonstration.
• Ignore them because they are not big businesses, they don’t have the financial force presentation to attract you.
• Torture them, and kill them because you can’t tolerate any form of opposition that they go against you.
• If the pilot Ly Tong died and his slogan was to die for democracy in front of the city hall of San Jose right in California in United Stated, it will be an outrage demonstration that will call nationwide and the world attention, and I can’t imagine this seven city councils will be sore in the eyes and with the immoral image they wear, they would probably, if they could, order tank to mow all the protesters as China did with it protesters in Thien An Mien.
With all that happens, what do you gain?
• You are probably gaining the reputation for being incompetent, incapable in resolving a small local issue.
• Being ridiculously rigid for ignorance of your constituents.
• Wasting tremendous amount of energy and taxpayers moneys.
• Ruining your political career in the long run.
With all my respect to readers of this blog, and I am not here to debate.
Respectfully
Lan Bui
Kidding (#43),
We are all but on the same page. My initial criticism of PO was based less on his vote and more on the fact that he was clueless enough to miss the incredibly poor timing of his choice of a blogging topic. As I stated earlier, if his message was that feedback from the public will have impact and be welcomed by the council, sharing that message with us immediately after the council turned a deaf ear to the largest and most energetic crowd of public feedback in recent memory was a blunder.
Personally, I wish this whole district naming business would’ve never made it to the council agenda. But it did, and it got out of control, and the council, by its majority vote last week, demonstrated—foolishly—that it believes that the issue was brought back under control with a simple bang of the gavel.
PO’s vote was meaningless, as were the other two “no” votes that night, and here’s why. Imagine that the council had, a few months ago, voted to have a mountain of manure dumped on the City Hall plaza, confident that area residents would enthusiastically rush to the pile with their shovels and wheelbarrows and cart it home to their gardens. But something went wrong and not a single resident showed up, for it turns out that the council hadn’t done its homework and had ordered cat manure—a substance not considered suitable for fertilizer. Now, after two months and with temperature rising, area residents were complaining loudly about the smell and demanded that the council do something.
So the council voted, first on whether to give local residents more time to think about using the manure, and then on whether to attempt to locate potential buyers on Craigslist. Both proposals passed, with only three very quiet “no votes.”
Now I ask: if you lived in the 100 block of North 5th street, would you be thanking your lucky stars for the votes of the three, or would you be cursing the council for failing to solve the problem? My guess is that rather than keeping score you’d be keeping your windows closed and plotting for the day when you and your neighbors can even the score with your votes.
The “Little Saigon” demonstrators are not going away. The issue will not cool down. Ly Tong is approaching deification. Everyone on the council needs to take a big whiff, recognize the stink in the air as their own decomposing political careers, and solve the problem the same way they created it, by acting together as a governing body. That’s the message that was worth more than one breath, worth exerting leverage, worth standing up and fighting for. And that’s the message Mr. Oliverio did not give—or, apparently, get.
#41- Richard Zappelli, several years ago, I worked at the Housing Service Center in Housing Law and with rent control and service reduction ordinances. If your son lives in a rental unit in San Jose he can go to:
http://www.sjhousing.org/program/rentalrights.html.
It is the City of San Jose’s Rental Mediation and Arbitration Program. It is a very good program. They can help him. They will tell him whether or not his landlord can give him such a substantial rent raise or not. Please, have him check it out. It is free!
(Jack, these are the kinds of columns I’d like to see written about on here. People need help and resources badly.)
#42- David D., I agree with you 100%. You can believe that eventually these hard working people will rebel. There is only so much people will take before they fight back. Did you see the news about the City of Vallejo? Man, that is pretty bad stuff. When a City is looking at bankruptcy!
I’m telling you, we better get on the ball soon because I have friends who once owned mansions and are now living with their families because they can not afford a rental. Many have lost their jobs in real estate, or they worked in companies that outsourced their jobs. Finding a job these days is impossible.
Some of my friends small businesses are going under, and they are frightened about how they are going to survive. Here’s the really shocking part for me, you would think store front owners, and retail space owners would cut them a break right? Hell no they have increased their monthly rent by outrageous amounts.
Every time I turn around cities are using homeowners to increase revenue. They are getting socked for more on their property taxes, water, garbage, and sewage. It seems like it never ends.
And let’s not forget credit card companies. They are gouging people left and right and getting a way with it. I watched a group of these pinheads testifying before Congress. Talk about wanting to scream and claw your face. They really are convinced they aren’t doing their clients a disservice by legally robbing them! I’ll tell you my Ethics instructor once said, “The worst kind of thief there is, is a man in a suit carrying a brief case who is a lawyer. They can get a way with legally robbing you blind and be respected by their peers for doing it.” Hence, why I went into the mediation and arbitration field instead. ~
But will all 11 councilmembers be wearing Tet parade costumes tonight?
FWIW, the early action in Vegas has Cortese at even money to be in full on Vietnamese parade regalia for tonights action.
#51 Lan Bui,
The sad thing is the Mayor and City Council members had the opportunity to solve the problem and do the right thing.
Over 4000 signatures were collected by the people and they chose to ignore these people. There is a message here for all of us in the city of San Jose.
I am sorry, I mention the “silent invisible majority” that’s the “Our Voice” group of 350 people who submitted their names to the mayor. Their opponents are in the thousands that support the Little Saigon name.
Lan Bui
#48 George,
Tom deserves credit for both the Ice Rink and the Fairmont. It would have been nice for the City of S.J. in all it`s wisdom to have purchased the Fairmont some 20 years ago.
The Ice Rink is not part of downtown, but it is part of the neighborhoods and along with the parks, trails,Happy Hollow, libraries etc., it provides a certian quality of life for all the people. And…“the whole being greater than the parts”.
I`m a native San Josean,(fourth generation) and I can remember the years of decay that exhisted downtown a blighted area.The driving force behind cleaning up the downtown area and bringing it up to a standard we can all be proud of goes to Tom and all the people that helped him make it happen.
But I have to go along with Johnmichael and his comment that RDA spent over $3 billion dollars building downtown.
I also respect #2-3-7-8`s comments. look at the return on investment when you consider Johnmichael`s comment that we spent $3 billion on the downtown and, consider #8`s comparison of downtown to Santana Row, they both return $2 1/2 million a year in sales tax revenue. By comparison, Santana Row was paid for by investors. Tax payers provided the $3 billion for RDA to build downtown.
Niether downtown nor Santana row serve all the residents of our city. Downtown has excellent restaurants, better than those at Santana Row but, all of the people in our city can afford those restaurants. Many can`t afford to stay at the Fairmont either.
Remember too a lot of our downtown property owners, and investors profited greatly with above average increases in property values downtown. Their ROI is excellent.
#42 Kathleen said,“David, I agree with you 100%. You can believe that eventually these hard working people will rebel. There is only so much people will take before they fight back”. I agree with Kathleen too.
George remember many of Johnmichael`s comments about our city streets that are in bad condition and in need of repair, our sewer system is in serious trouble, our infrastructure is in poor shape.
Mayor Reed is struggling wit a serious deficit and is trying to find a way out of the financial mess the City is in. Kathleen points to Vallejo`s problems, near Bankruptcy and San Diego is close behind.
We need police officers badly and the Mayor and the City Manager can`t find the money to hire more officers. They can`t find the $ billions to fix the sewer plant. We have the worst City roads in the nation for a city of our size (we`re #1 on the top ten list for bad roads).
The Mayor and the City Manager haven`t come up with a solution to the budget crisis.
Now comes a recession, inflation, unemployment, high gas prices. Many of our working class blue colar workers will be lout of work. Every time we have a recession crime figures go up ! And now we have a shortage of police officers, and at the wrong time.
Genius ? I don`t think so. There are a lot of people having a tough times in our City and they all contributed money to RDA. Do they share in the wealth?
49 – Your explanation is certainly not the understanding of the many City employees I know. Either you or they are very confused and they are using up a lot of vacation time during the closure that you say they don’t have to use. Fascinating.
Mr. O is wrong about the furlough.
Staff get some holiday pay for Christmas and New Years, but the days that are not holidays require emplouees to use vacation time or time off without pay.
Please correct the inaccuracy.
PO #30,
Thanks for your response to my question of why doesn’t the mayor and city council take a symbolic 10% pay cut. Your response was “As far as straight pay cut for council and staff it would be a drop in the bucket for approximately 40 people vs. 7000. Council staff is at will employment with no job security, pay is low for long hours.”
I greatly appreciate you keeping in touch with the blog. I disagree with your response to this matter. Leadership by example starts at the top down, not the bottom up. With no disrespect intended, it seems you have rationalized why this group of 40 staffers should not take a pay cut which to me seems hypocritical contrasted against your attitude towards the other city workers you tend to decry.
#47
Hi Pierluigi,
Please confirm the shutdown(s) you refer to…December? July? Both?
Thank you,
58 – There is no “shutdown” in July. City Council does not meet during the month of July so there is opportunity for staff to actually do their work and not have to jump through as many hoops for the Council as they do the rest of the year.
Clearly there are misconceptions floating around on this issue. The holiday closure in December, as explained by Councilmember Oliverio, is very different than how most employees understand it. Somebody is very confused.
#53
How many of those 4000 signatures belong to San Jose residents? How many of those 4000 signatures are registered voters? How many of those 4000 signatures were forged?
One more time. It is not the responsibility of the City Council to vote on whichever side has the most attendees at a meeting, or who has the most signatures on a petition.
If they followed that model then we have a dictatorship. The “Tyranny of the Loudest”.
Steve #57
I liked his response on being paid zero and instead paid on a percentage of what he could save by doing things differently at the city like the blog he wrote on this website on software procurement. From your point he as a leader should also not eat foods high in saturated fat, drink alcohol, smoke or drive a gas guzzler.
#38 Richard, I don’t all the numbers about the Ice Rink and the Fairmont Hotel. Maybe the Ice Rink generates more revenue for the city than the Fairmont.
But the Fairmont was a catalyst for downtown, it was a turning point. The Ice Rink is a “solo act” serving San Joseans. The Fairmont is part of an ensemble, team and symphony. Downtown is hotels, convention center, retail, museums, office towers, parks and restaurants and theatres working in harmony. The downtown serves residents, visitors and tourists. Downtown San Jose is “the whole being greater than the sum of the parts”.
Kathleen,
My son has a one bedroom unit and was just notified he will get a $200. rent increase next month.
We are going into a inflationary cycle. Gas prices are going up. A friend of mine works for Chevron California Corporate in San Ramon, he said our gasoline prices will go over $4dollars this summer and stay over the $4 dollar mark. The state of California in a news release last week that they will have to increase our sales tax to take care of their deficit.
Our City is going to raise our taxes creatively, using various methods. The VTA wants to increase our sales tax to pay for BART, 1/8 of a cent. Food costs are on the rise. retail sales at Macy`s and Nordstroms Valley Fair were way off in January and February and so far March is comming in lower. Companies are talking lay-offs, pink slips. Things are getting bad, no they are bad.
#60
I Live in San Jose for 30 years, on 5th street, right in front of the city hall, I am a US citizen.
I pass by city hall every day going to work.
Last night, at 10:30pm, the city council put an end to the LS crisis by giving the name Little Saigon to the majority thus ending the hunger strike.
At last
Lan Bui
Steve, just fyi, many council aides work for salaries starting in the low 40’s. The hours for that position include attending evening community meetings in addition to early morning events….no overtime pay. I understand your sentiment but personally I’d rather see a reduction in pay for folks in city hall that make $100K plus rather than council staff that barely scraping by on pennies.
Finfan, I see your point. It sure is counter productive of PO to post a blog denouncing lack of participation when he didn’t seem to take advantage of the opportunity to stimulate that participation in regard to the LS issue. I think with the little saigon issue it’s just so emotional now that ANYONE involved is just walking on eggshells. It’s a very bright light, and one certainly doesn’t want that light cast upon them. However, there’s certainly something to be said for bucking the trend and leading the sheep. (Something a leader wouldn’t hesitate to do, regardless of outcome.)
Lan bui and the other “little saigon” supporters need to get something straight. This city belongs to EVERYONE who lives and pays taxes here. I drive those streets, I pay my taxes, I deserve an opportunity to have my vote heard on the issue.
Response to R U Sure #59 (while I wait for PO’s response too):
Not being a City employee, I go by what I’m told or what I hear…from City staff.
Paraphrased examples: ‘the City shuts down in July and only basic services are provided.’ or ‘there won’t be a (community) meeting because the City is shut down.’
See why I might be confused?
Thank you RU Sure for your attempts at clarifying what seems to be a topic folks like me are a bit fuzzy about.
Now it’s Pierluigi’s turn to respond.
Tina
Pierluigi,
I am having a hard time understanding why you continue to get the concept wrong about the Holiday shut-down.
It is not a mandatory shut-down (once upon a time it was). Most employees can choose to take time off between Christmas and New Year’s as long as essential city functions are covered.
The non-holiday work days between Christmas and New Years are not days that employees get paid for if they are not working. If they choose not to work then they take time without pay, comp time, management leave or vacation time.
Maybe you should talk to the HR Director to clarify this. You are painting employees in a very poor light, and your statements are not correct.
Lan Bui- There will be some kind of agreement on the LS issue and in the end, you’ll one day have to ask yourself at what cost to our community, and your trusting people? Did you ever hear the sayings, “He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing?” Or, “He who lives by the sword dies by the sword?” As Tom McEnery so aptly reminds us in his quote, “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
We human beings have a tendency to ignore the mistakes of our past because we don’t chose to learn from it. We take the easy way out. A real investigation into this issue will never take place and those responsible will never be held accountable for their actions. And history will repeat its self because these people will be re-elected and their questionable actions forgotten like yesterday’s news. They will continue on as if they have done something wonderful for your community because they did give you a crumb after all, and you happily took it thinking it was a loaf of bread.
Sunshine can only find its way in if there is an opening. As long as the truth lies hidden in the dark, it will continue to grow like mold that slowly poisons anyone who comes in contact with it.
Pierluigi,
Please clarify what #68 Former Staffer is asking you, complete with a link and city phone numbers where we can verify this information.
You are stating that city workers are paid for time they do not work during holidays. Former Staffer is stating if they take time off they use their own vacation time. One of you is very wrong.
If this is not true that is a gross misstatement on your part and needs to be corrected. You have constantly bashed the work ethic of city employees. That is wrong of you to do so if your facts are wrong and inaccurate. If you want to be credible you have to present facts rather than slanderous rhetoric bashing city workers.
#62 I gree with you. I have watched many aids work the way you say. their job`s important.
#67 Lan Bui,
I`m pleased to see the “Little Saigon” issue brought to correct conclusion.
Regarding the City Council action, we all have to thank Vice Mayor David Cortese for his support early on to take the leed and using his influance on the council and with Mayor Reed to settle this issue. He backed the majority when the majority of the council was standing firm in the sand.
Still no response from Pierluigi regarding Steve’s request for documentation.
If you are going to assert that city workers are getting paid for not working, then provide some evidence.
#71 Former San Jose Staffer,
At this point it appears you are correct that city workers taking time off at the holidays must use their own vacation time and do not simply get free time off as Pieluigi assesrted. I have talked to city workers who say you are correct. Unless Pierluigi can provide proof otherwise, I will take what he says about city workers in the future with a jaded grain of salt.
Personally, I will take anything he says with a grain of salt.
This is a very simple and straight-forward matter to get the facts on.
If he can’t get this right (and can’t/won’t correct himself) then how can we trust his communication/judgement on more complex issues.
#73- FYI- My fiance was Chief of Staff for a Council Member at SJ. He says you are correct and PO is wrong.
P.O. implored:#TiVo your TV Program and Visit City Hall”.
Well, P.O., if I’d visited City Hall in the last 3 1/2 months I would have gotten nowhere while the Ship of Fools we call the Mayor and City Council spun out of control over Little Saigon.
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