Mayor Chuck Reed sent a letter to Bud Selig last week, once again urging the Major League Baseball commissioner to come to a decision that would grant the Oakland A’s permission to relocate to San Jose. A few days later, the mayor announced that San Jose was in a fiscal and public safety emergency, and he wants the city to move toward putting measures on a November ballot to slash public-employee retirement benefits. The timing of the two actions could be coincidental. But then again, maybe not.
In the letter to Selig, Reed writes that San Jose has been patient as the commissioner’s “blue-ribbon panel” searches for the best possible site for a new A’s stadium. It has been two years since that committee was formed, and Reed noted: “I know you have been busy with other matters, but two years seems like sufficient time, even at the glacial speed of government, so I am hopeful you are close to the end of your process.”
The letter talks up San Jose’s qualifications as a home for the A’s and includes a couple more respectful jabs at the snail’s pace MLB has worked. But Reed’s suggestion that the city needs an answer if it is going to proceed with getting voter approval of the steps needed to build a baseball stadium is interesting.
“It’s been nearly a year since I acceded to your request not to put a baseball ballot measure in front of the voters, and you offered to help pay for a special election in the spring,” Reed wrote. “It is now too late to schedule an election before spring turns to summer so we have to contemplate the timing for a·future election. In that regard, it would be helpful to have some idea of when you will make a decision.”
Considering the cost of putting on elections—Reed said last Friday that a ballot measure regarding public-employee pensions will cost the city somewhere between $1 and $3 million—it seems possible that parties interested in bringing a baseball stadium to San Jose (i.e. A’s owner Lew Wolff) might be interested in including baseball ballot measures in a November election. Wolff has expressed exasperation in the past with MLB’s plodding process, often adding that he’s not getting any younger.
“I think that’s a question that Lew Wolff would have to decide based on some polling and political advice,” Reed said Wednesday evening, “because when you go to the ballot you want to win. I believe we could have won last November.”
The mayor added that he has told Wolff that he expects the league and A’s ownership to pick up the tab for any measures to build a ballpark. Reed also said the cheapest times for an election to be held to bring baseball to San Jose would be November 2012, June 2012 and then this fall—in that order.
Michael Mulcahy, who runs the website Baseball San Jose, said it’s too early to talk about ballots until Selig comes to a decision on the A’s fate. But he added that speculation over a November ballot this year that would include pensions and a sports stadium will garner plenty of interest.
“I think there will be a lot of smart people looking to see if those have an impact on each other,” Mulcahy said.
Until Selig makes a decision, city officials will continue to wait patiently on how to use the in land it has bundled into the newly created Diridon Development Authority, which lies south of Hp Pavilion. Nearby land would still need to be purchased from AT&T for the city to have the entire site necessary for a ballpark.
But with Reed’s interest in the A’s unwavering, and pensions potentially on the chopping block, November’s election might allow the mayor to kill two birds with one baseball.
Reed the Terrible,…his arrogance is blinding and the acrid stench of hypocrisy is thick in the air. History will torch his name if he attempts to pair these two sweethearts on a ballot.
Perhaps Mayor Reed is familiar with a quote from Tombstone which seems applicable: “It appears my hypocrisy knows no bounds…”
Write to Bud Selig and let him know ALL about San Jose and downtown and how this is a failed city run by an administration who does not know how to manage the taxpayer’s money or how to successfully grow this city, to include the failed downtown. Everything they touch fails and if this man is smart, he would run in the other direction. I urge you all to let him know how this mayor treats the employees and what he has done to date. Bud Selig needs to know what kind of city they would be getting if they chose San Jose. I urge you all to give him an earful. Invite him to read these blogs and to look into the links that are posted.
I think we could also let him know how this administration is known for attempting to breach contracts, so he should be wary. We have great examples to provide him.
Let me know how to email him and I will.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/about_mlb/
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
Phone: 212-931-7800
Fax: 212-949-5654
MLB Licensing Info:
li*************@ml*.com
So, in the past few weeks, the inability to manage the city’s finances by this mayor has really come to light.
First, the council voted to keep their own pensions intact while only days before the mayor declares a fiscal emergency in order to cut all other city pensions. Way to be part of the problem and not part of the solution.
Second, we find put that the 100 or so pot clubs brought in just short of $300,000 in revenue in 1 month! And, what does the council want to do? Shut ‘em down. Smart. I know that this revenue isn’t going to solve the city’s budget woes but every little bit helps.
Third, the mayor has put forth the idea of a November ballot measure to cut city pensions which if passed may not even be legal which when it goes to court will potentially cost the taxpayers a few million dollars just like it did in Orange county.
Fourth, the idea of a special election in November itself may cost between $1-3 million?
When is this madness going to stop?
I just returned from Sacramento where 100 cops are being laid off and Mayor Kevin Johnson is being taken to task by the public and the media for spending more time on keeping the Kings in Sacto than keeping cops on the force. The Sacramento media is sounding the alarm that this move will take the city to 1980’s police staffing levels. In San Jose the Mayor would sell his soul for a Major League franchise, but doesn’t seem concerned about laying off 250 cops from a force that is already down 200 positions. Is the Mercury News sounding the alarm about the impact of these layoffs or taking Mayor Reed to task? Of course not, because, despite their protests to the contrary, there is no firewall between the publisher/editorial board and the newsroom. Just like Mr. Hearst knew, blood is good for business.
Base Ball San Jose. Another TEAM SAN JOSE…
“REED FIELD” Not a good move Chucky.
We need to know how much that land allocated for a ballpark is worth? I bet it’s enough to not lay off any Police, Firefighters, or City employees. Also, why is a salary cap for city managment never talked about? Most city employees have a “ceiling” as to how high their salary may go, but none of the directors do!
Use the pension money for the stadium!
> Use the pension money for the stadium!
Gasp!
You may have just set the record for the largest number of people pissed off in a single posting.
Get a food taster and send your dog to bomb sniffing school.
so much for a fiscal emergency when we can still afford to give a handout to billionaire team owners …
Say NO to Wolff, join us at http://www.bettersensesanjose.org !
The A’s move to SJ is the only hope that the city has to evolve to a real city. I wonder if any of you who oppose this move have ever been out of San Jose. You would see what an MLB team can do to improve the overall atmosphere and yes, the environment.
What?
William stop smokin the blunts from the san jo “collectives”…..Look at Pittsburgh Pirates brand new stadium….it really has boosted revenue, civic pride, atmosphere, environment and I believe the team has won multiple world series titles…If you build it, no one will come….waste of money
The Pittsburgh Pirates have not had one good season since PNC Park opened in 2001. So attendance has dwindled. However the neighborhood has emerged in to one of the most desirable in Pittsburgh. The team will eventually get better and attendance will pick up.
Everything they have tried to bring to the City to make it “evolve to a real city” has failed. What makes you think this will be any different?
Nothing they have done compares with a major league
baseball team.
A real city?! What are you smoking?
San Jose is not a city. It is suburbia. Has been for a while, and will remain so for a whole lot longer. The majority of folks who live here do not want it to become a “real city”.
A small coterie of folks do continue to try to make San Jose a city, but they have failed since the McEnery mayorality/Frank Taylor RDA directorship. And they will continue to fail, since the VAST majority of folks who live in San Jose are not urbanites, they are suburbanites. Their neighborhoods are more important to them than a “24-hour downtown”.
As I’ve intimated in the past, it’s the politicians with small winkies trying to make something out of downtown. The phenomenon is much akin to the diminutive fellow with the giant pick-em up truck.
Thats what they said about the half billion dollar city hall. And the convention center that needs 150 million in upgrades. Hammer made the Rep Theater that losses money. McHenry made the convention center that loses money. Gonzalea made City Hall that loses money. Now Reed wants a ballpark! Time to move to Santa Clara!!!
As a downtown resident, I must disagree. For those of you who are so outspoken on the failure of downtown, when was the last time you spent a few days down here? Much has been done to improve it,and while there is always more to do, a ballpark would go a long way in reaching that goal. San Jose has a proven fan base with professional sports teams and I find it very interesting that you all mention the so called failures, yet NO ONE utters a single word about the successes. Let’s look at the HP Pavilion shall we? Go back 10 years and this same discussion was going on when we fought to get the tank here. Everyone said it would be a waste of taxpayer money and yet it now brings over $14 million PER YEAR in tax revenue to this great city. I guess this would be a good time to coin the cliche “Those who don’t study the past are destined to repeat it.” Maybe a move to Santa Clara would be the best thing for those of you who have nothing positive to say about San Jose. Actually, the farther the better. Where ever you land, it will be their loss.
What have the A’s done for Oakland?
I hope the people of San Jose are not stupid enough to let Reed give away the city purse to a billionaire MLB owner. If we had another election, would Reed win again? No.
He would if he has running against Cindy again.
The Mayor seems to be smoking some of that medicinal marijuana from the clubs he shut down. Who gives away land? Who starts new projects in a “fiscal emergency?” How about trying to save some money? Where is the City’s priorities?
If a professional sports franchise wants to move to San Jose, I would not oppose that (particularly baseball), but I oppose spending public money for that purpose. Not one damn dime!
If that’s a deal killer (and I’m sure it is), then let the deal die.
Greg,
The mayor is using this city as a political launching pad; killing services and lining the pockets of his rich supporters is what he realizes that he, a politician with all the charisma of an anemic mortician, needs to do to make it to the next rung.
Cisco Field! It will be such a beautiful addition to downtown San Jose.
Cisco Field? No chance. Try following the news and you will learn that Cisco is in no position to have any part of this nonsense.
There is probably a better chance of Costco Field than one with Cisco’s name on it.
How about “Cannabis Collective Field”?
If you had any knowledge on the stadium issue, then you would know that Cisco has already signed a 30 year naming rights agreement with the Athletics.
not so fast: since Cisco is a public company any substantial naming rights agreement would have to have been disclosed in its SEC filings: which it has not. And actually recently Cisco has been very quiet about the naming rights subject. See also Scott Herhold: http://www.mercurynews.com/scott-herhold/ci_18043289
so this comment is just unfounded gossip.
At least Costco field would have jumbo hot dogs and large pizzas at a good price. JMO’Connor….you are so right. San Jose is not now nor will it ever evolve into a true big city. most people here do not want to deal with all of the problems, crime, noise of a big city. Plus our mayor can’t even handle this bedroom community. Can you see him actually try to run a city? Laughable at best.
Mayor Greed will stop at nothing. He wants our public safety to retire at age 60. Can you imagine being 60 years old and trying to drag a fire hose upstairs or having to fight a 20 year old high on drugs. The bafoonery of this Mayor knows no bounds. He just spent $3 million on the last special election. WAKE UP SAN JOSE!!!!!
I want a video of the old cops and fire fighters doing their jobs past 60…
Talk about Workers Comp claims- knees,shoulders,back,hips,heart attacks,cancer,ED,arthritis, It will be a bunch of Public Safety guys answering calls for help hopped up on pain medications and Geritol.
They will be the ones needing the help… Good Work GREED!
Old Frank
Cops are avid users of Steroids, much like baseball players, all needing to retire before they hit over 40
Reed the Terrible is swinging for the fences and hoping to springboard from SJ to a State office. He is in way over his head but has a “damn the torpedos, full speed ahead!” attitude. His “scorched-earth” approach to negotiations has done nothing but remove his mask and reveal him for the dispicable politician he is.
Support V and W and there will be no police layoffs said Reed. He also said that increased crime was a bully threat by police. Both are now proving that the SJPD POA was being straight with citizens. Reed lied and people died. Reed the Terrible a lying hypocrite with selfish ambitions for state office? Absolutely,…but this should surprise no one at this point.
A New Public Service Announcement released 5/20/11 by Mayor Reed.
Please view this informative video explaining his measure ideas.
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/11366275/interview-with-mayor-chuck-reed
We need more of those.
More of what?
You have to click on the link.
We will campaign so hard against him and put it all out there. We will let the entire state know how he treated the employees and how the money was mismanaged and how he pitted the public against the employees and how much of a bully he is and how he brought this city down. That will only be the beginning. Bring it on.
The Coliseum of Rome is a wonder of the classical world. But the Romans built it because the Empire was in big trouble, and they needed something to divert the populace. Also, crazy Nero had burned the city in 64 AD. The Coliseum was finished in around 80 AD, but by the turn of the next century, the city was in decline. The city did hang in there for another century with more construction, but it never returned to its glory. Some scholars view the Coliseum as one of signals that Rome was headed for real trouble. And it was a far greater, richer city than San Jose is today. If we build this stadium, we are turning our future over to a damned game. By the way, at least Rome had continuing line of emperors. Has anyone thought what happens when the septuagenarian owner leaves this earth. Not a nice question, I know, but something to ask the A’s other owners and city officials who will sign the contract. How many other business owners have walked away from their assets, even in more stable industries than sports?
I was a nine year old when I walked into the Coliseum in Rome. I have never been so fascinated in my life over the engeneering required to achieve “naval battles”.
I think we should build a Coliseum instead of a baseball stadium.
Just think of the entertainment and the revenue to fund city services!
Imagine, in one boat Mayor Reed and the brain dead City Council armed with Roman short swords pitted against another boat of gangbangers from the east side armed only with knives and slings.
This battle would be glorius! Especially with jumbo trons and surround sound. The crowds will go wild!
The revenue from beer and concession sales alone would pay off the $115 Million dollar deficit in probably a couple of days.
Madam Downtown girl, you are a genious.
Screw baseball, bring back the real games!
David S. Wall
Don’t you find it odd that posts from local residence have all the tax figures and data. How many ISP addresses can the mayor and his staff have ? Pete is that you ? Marco polo Marco polo !,,
I have an idea let’s post the data on city bonus pay we all want to know ?
Selig will never approve the move due to legal territorial rights with the Giants. Even though this is their legal rights, there is alot of bitterness from SJ residents against the Giants excercising their rights. People in San Jose wants the A’s. If San Jose wants a team, let them have a team. San Jose is not San Francisco and alot of people don’t care about the Giants and they don’t represent San Jose. Only recently, they started to control their minor leage team and call it territorial. What happend when San Jose Bees , Missions, or the independent league were playing in San Jose? Any support from the Giants? Never.
If I was Wolff, I would buid in Fremont on 880 at Dixon Landing Rd., near 237, right next to Alameda/ Santa Clara County line or maybe next to TESLA plant off Mission. This used to be a dump site, but county owns this property. The access is very good and close to all Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda county residents. They will get plenty of season ticket buyers include myself. If they cannot get a stadium in south bay, they have to move. Wolff has other options of Portland, San Antonio, Salt Lake City, or Vancouver B.C.
~~“If I was Wolff, I would buid in Fremont on 880 at Dixon Landing Rd., near 237, right next to Alameda/ Santa Clara County line or maybe next to TESLA plant off Mission. This used to be a dump site, but county owns this property. The access is very good and close to all Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda county residents. They will get plenty of season ticket buyers include myself. If they cannot get a stadium in south bay, they have to move. Wolff has other options of Portland, San Antonio, Salt Lake City, or Vancouver B.C.”~~
His address is in a post at the top. Why don’t you send him your suggestion. It is a very good one.
Mayor Reed is blowing smoke about the benefits of a ballpark and is wasting precious resources when the experts say that ballparks NEGATIVELY impact local economies and SJ will never recoup its investment. (http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/regv23n2/coates.pdf)
Why is there no pension reform for a vote in November—1) even if the City’s 10 year old budget crisis now qualifies as an emergency, which is unlikely, the law requires the City to negotiate in good faith before any unilateral action could be allowed and the City has not done so while five unions have offered. The Mayor should be ashamed at using scare tactics. 2) Even if successful, the measure will result in a multi million dollar court battle that will take years with little likelihood of success. If he ultimately loses, he has no leverage at all. Why would the unions negotiate about anything at that point. He should take this opportunity to negotiate before he loses the ability to get any concessions because the law could and likely will be determined to be squarely with the unions. Even BK does not authorize the City to reneg on the contracts as was held in the Orange County BK.
Why is downtown such a failure? Why is the city hemorrhaging money? One root reason is NO TOURISM.
People come into SJ to go to work or to go home, no one comes here for fun. Instead, SJers drive all over the Bay Area looking for fun – SF, OAK, RWC, Santa Cruz, Marin, whatever. That takes resources and clogs our freeways.
If we build the ballpark in SJ, we will have an entertainment venue that brings 30,000+ into DTSJ for 81 days a year – people who will spend money at local establishments, get arrested and pay city fines, pay for local parking, and pay for local public transit (which, conveniently, is closer to the ballpark site than that of SF).
Let’s not discount the tax revenue generated by the team and the local establishments that pop up as a result.
You people are right; we can’t afford our cops and firefighters – no city can. But the money already spent on the site cannot be re-appropriated to fund services. It’s not from the same pot.
And considering how small and insignificant SJ is in your eyes – do we even need all those core services? perhaps those services were unnecessary and contributed to the hemorrhaging to begin with. I thought we were just complaining in SJ not too long ago that there are too many cops with nothing to do, so they just arrest non-white people at bars in DTSJ to occupy their time. Were we not?
Any, ballpark is a great idea, and in 15 years after we’re out of the economic downturn and there are people in DTSJ spending money, and buildings getting built, and people with good jobs, and employers building more offices in a more dense, more walkable DTSJ, you will all be very happy.
Apparently you are an expert on economic impacts of ballparks on cities. Did you not read the Cato Institute report which cites to economists from all over analyzing whether ball parks actually generate revenue—Guess what they do not. But apparently you know more than nobel prize winning economists.
You say “But the money already spent on the site cannot be re-appropriated to fund services. It’s not from the same pot.” You are right. However, you are missing the bigger picture. City assets were just given away to the County to repay redevelopment agency debt. Had the ballpark land been sold to pay the debt instead of city assets then the City would have these assets to fund regular city services. It is a shell game and they have you confused.
Doesnt it also make you wonder how it can be accurate that the ballpark money can’t be used to fund city services as you say but city assets can be used to pay redevelopment debt.
One area has been approved for a ballpark, site of the Irvine Project in Santa Clara.