By Bobby Lopez
As Scott Herhold points out in yesterday’s Mercury News, I don’t have a problem speaking my mind. I’ll share my honest opinions, and if I make a mistake, I’ll admit it.
But I know that some people are afraid to say what they really mean. They won’t call out the mistakes of elected leaders or even reckless activists. They shy away from giving their honest opinion because they don’t want to ruffle anybody’s feathers.
But contrary to what Mr. Herhold says in his column yesterday, I did not intend to “pick on” the Mariachi Festival. I only used it as an example of spending that could — and should — be directed toward more vital services in times of crisis such as we face today.
I hate it when folks at City Hall cut checks left and right for non-essential services, then cry poor every time they sit down to negotiate new contracts with their employees or decide how many officers we can have to patrol our neighborhoods.
Yes, I could have mentioned the San Jose Jazz Festival, Christmas in the Park, the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon, or the San Jose Rep — all events that the community enjoys which draw attention to our city. (Thanks for the tips, Scott!) But if our public safety budget were cut even more than it already is to pay for these events, what kind of city would we be drawing attention to?
This isn’t a debate about the merits of the Mariachi Festival or any other cultural event. It’s about choices. In difficult times, tough choices have to be made. That’s what we do with our budgets at home. During tough times, we all have to focus on the essentials and cut out luxuries like vacations (or festivals).
Pete Constant made that point well in his blog on this site yesterday morning. Is anyone willing to spend $50,000 to advertise the Mariachi Festival this year while eliminating $55,000 for community CPR classes? (Scott?) This is one choice that doesn’t reflect the priorities of our residents.
With that in mind, I’d like to open this debate to suggestions from you, our readers. What are some things you think the city spends money on that are wasteful or unnecessary?
We’ll check the comments for the best suggestions and include them in a future blog. Or, if you want anonymity, you can use our contact form on this site.
Have a great weekend, and stay safe out there.
Bobby Lopez is President of the San Jose Police Officers' Association.
Friday, June 19, 2009
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How about cutting all the money that gets directed to "new plants" along the Coleman/880 intrchange, or the money spent on a murial for the new high rise parking garage at the SJ Airport? Or perhaps the Saigon business..err Little Saigon banners should go. Is all that crap really necessary?
ReplyDeleteI'm also truly disappointed that San Jose cuts spending for the 4th of July festivities and yet spends tons of cash for support of every other cultures parades/celebrations and holidays. Where have the priorities of the council gone? I assume it they went out the window when the mayor stopped wearig his patriotic ties...sad.
If it was not for the Officers working these events and make them a safe place for a family to attend. The thugs would drink and go nuts. This city needs to check their priorites of these festivals and remember who protects the events from unsavory chariters.
ReplyDeleteI read Herhold religiously and on most things he has the pulse of the community right on. But when he defends a Mariachi festival, there's no way he's going to win an argument in my Rosegarden neighborhood. Nothing wrong with festivals but there is something wrong with wasting money.
ReplyDeleteD
There's a lot of waste at City Hall. Are you really prepared to print all the ideas?
ReplyDeleteGood old Scott. Leave it to him to screw up the true meaning of what Bobby said regarding the City's budget priorities and the Mariachi Festival. I think he has a selective hearing problem, or one hell of a private agenda to try and make the POA look bad. His lame attempts to make the POA look racists because Bobby pointed out that public safety is more important than say the Mariachi Festival is alarming. 98% of citizens agree with Bobby, but Herhold doesn’t venture out much, so how could he possibly know what we “real people” think about anything?
ReplyDeleteWhen I attended Council Member Constant's public forum on the budget, I noticed the City Manager wanted to give $50K to the Mariachi Festival and cut Crime Prevention by $55K! Yeah, we need a festival over Neighborhood Watch Programs, Gang and ID Theft Prevention, Child Safety, and Business Watch Programs. NOT! It must be nice to live in a world where public safety isn't a priority but fun is! Welcome To Figone Fantasy Land where crime and mayhem doesn’t exist.
The City needs to stop dumping money into non-profits that don't produce, and have strict oversight on the ones they give money to.
These over paid outside consultants hired by the City need to go too. Another cut the fat department is Cultural Affairs. There are also way too many highly paid supervisors supervising departments and jobs they know NOTHING about. We have too many Deputy City Managers, and feel good programs that need to go as well.
If you look at how many MILLIONS of dollars are dumped into DT, festivals, the arts, (ugly art pieces all over the City), and failing non-profits, you would see why we are in this mess.
As Bobby so aptly puts it, the City needs to treat our taxpayer-supported budget like they would a responsible budget at home. Priorities first, and wants but do not needs second.
Keep up the good work Bobby. Give em hell!
ReplyDeleteYou gotta watch out for the city manager. She has a bad habit of misleading the Mayor and Council about the budget. She protects her own employees and sells citizens and police down the river. She lied about the cost of the Mounted Unit. Good thing Denelle Fedor exposed her for that and is raising money to keep em. (Be sure to help her, donate to Fedor’s non-profit!)
Figone put every public safety program and department on the chopping block but passed out big cash prizes to pet projects. Good thing Mayor Reed knew better and listened to the public or we'd be in deeper poo than we are now.
There are too many useless departments and over paid supervisors to mention here Bobby. Some of these non-profits are a joke but they keep getting millions. Many offer the exact same services so we don’t need em. And don’t even get me started on the over paid consultants the City hires to tell them how to do things that these over paid supervisors should already know how to do. If private companies ran their businesses like this they’d be long gone by now. Not to mention throwing millions into downtown. Give it a break already. We could have hired 25 police officers for the money they’ve wasted on that dumb effort.
Scott the problem is not just the 50,000 for this festival but if we added up all the small amount it soon becomes real money. I know that other employee in the city could maybe have their jobs saved. Real people are losing their jobs and you want cultural festivals? Talk about being out of touch.
ReplyDeleteHey Bobby,
ReplyDeleteYou have a new admirer. The Metro. The porn lovin Pulcrano says "Fly is hooked on the San Jose Police Officer's Association website, protectsanjose.com, which continues to be entertaining."
He's not the only one hooked on your blog. We all have to have somewhere to come since he's trashed SJI with his bias reporting and cop bashing articles.
Good points Bobby. After reading Scott's column, I spoke to him about it. It's, as you say, not about the Mariachi Festival in particular, its about the way the city does business.
ReplyDeleteThe proposal to spend the extra $50K on the festival was printed on the same epage as the proposal to cut the Citizen CPR program so that we could save $55K. This is really about values - or should I say lack there of.
Also, what was not mentioned in Scott's column is the fact that the Mariachi Festival already recieves over $1,000,000 in donated advertising and marketing each year. This figure was provided to me directly by Marcela Davison Aviles who is president and CEO of the Mexican Heritage Corp., which produces the San Jose Mariachi and Mexican Heritage Festival. She also references this figure in her June 3, 2009 opinion piece in the Mercury News, see: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12513041?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
Why should the city in these tough budget times add to that?
Give me $1M and I bet I could make any business or event successful without additional money from the city!
Crimefighter makes an excellent point. I don’t think people realize how much wasteful spending goes on in all government agencies. $50K is one full time position for a GA service worker, two Council Aide positions, one EA position; I think you get the point. The sad fact is that the City Manager, and the Council seem to lack the concept of prioritizing things that money should be allocated to, and falls victim to sentiment instead of focusing on necessities.
ReplyDeleteMy God Pete that is outrageous! WOW, that just makes my blood boil! How much money does the City pay out for fireworks for 4th of July at the Children's Museum? Is it true that the City forgave some millions of dollars to one of the groups putting on Cinco De Mayo so that they could hold Cinco De Mayo this year? Also, what is the cost to the City to have Police present at these cultural events?
ReplyDeleteKathleen, can you provide specifics on how much was forgiven? And to what group? I keep hearing stories of the city “forgiving” millions to different groups and businesses around the city. What’s going on?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 9:44AM,
ReplyDeleteI have contacted Council Member Constant asking him to give us an update. He can better provide that information. I think if taxpayers knew how many millions the City forgives non-profits, and others in debts they owe us they'd be "seeing red."
Another thing that needs to be looked at is "pet projects", and the fact that the City is still dumping I don't know how many MILLIONS into failed projects in DT, while ignoring other parts of SJ. It is really very shocking.
Our City is very business unfriendly, lots of red tape and wasted time. No wonder many open their businesses in other cities like Campbell, Santa Clara etc. If they want more business, jobs, and tax revenue they need to address this issue fast quick and in a hurry!
The City Manager should be fired. We need an oversite for her job. I have read some information provided by Ed.Raust. Maybe the city will hire him to watch the job of Deb. What a watchdog for her? NO WAY. We will never see that. She is only in it for the money and the next step. What was her prior pay from her last employer? It's all about the money. Her Money!
ReplyDeletePost June 22,2009 12:37 PM,
ReplyDeleteYou may be on to something. I have read Ed Rast's blog information as well. I agree with your position. Who is holding City Manager Figone responsible for her less than truthful statements regarding the budget? I think Ed Rast is someone the citizens of San Jose can look to if they really want to know the state of the city's budget.
Impeach Figone.
SeeingRed
Kathleen and other bloggers,
ReplyDeleteSorry I haven't responded to the questions above. I have been preparing for the huge last council meeting (~98 items on the agenda) that we just started this morning.
I don't know the exact details, without doing some research - but I will look it all up and post back here in a couple of days.
What about the money the SJPD spends on having a helicopter waste gas watching people with clipboards and video camaras who are watching police? IS that a good way to spend our money? I am sure the gas for a helicopter to go around in cirlces for 20 mins is quite expensive. Oh and dont let me forget about the outside firms hired to scrutinize SJPD's questionable tactics. More waste with much haste, and how about the officers hitting on the girls at the nightclubs every weekend. I am glad we are paying for SJPD's social time as well.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 12:55
ReplyDeleteNo double standard here is there Bud? You think the cops should have to put up with your harassment but when they do to you what you do to them you cry like a baby. I've seen you "Cop Watchers" and you are a joke. You interfere with the officers doing their job and then scream foul when you get your butt thrown in jail. Grow up and get a job. Or go to the Police academy and see for yourself how fun being a cop is when they have to deal with lunkheads like you.
There definitely seems to be a lot of frustration out there. I agree though that since I live here I want Public Safety to be our priority.
ReplyDeleteLets not forget how we were conned into believing that the new (and UGLY) cityhall which we just "had to have!" cost triple what we the public were told...oh yeah..they left out the cost of the marble floors and new artwork for the walls (as if anybody would care if it wasnt there) and all of the millions of dollars in interest payments too. This city's problem always has been and always will be that we are a bedroom community and we want to keep it that way. The clowns at City Hall keep dumping money into foolish projects in an effort to have San Jose recognized as a Major City. Reality check, we will ALWAYS be in the shadow of San Francisco. Lets just save our money and be happy
If the city wants to save money, the first thing we should do is cancel ALL CITY subscriptions to the mercury news. Hundreds of copies are delivered to the Police Department, Fire Department, City Hall, PNRS, Code Enforcement, Etc Etc EVERY DAY (Including SUNDAY)..all on the taxpayers dime...Do you think the Merk charges the city Full cover price??..You bet they do. Cut all subscriptions now and stop patronizing these lame excuses for journalism. If you really find the need to read the "news" all of it is available online for free. GO GREEN AND SAVE GREEN NOW. DO IT CITY HALL. GET SMART AND CUT THE PORK to the MERK. Seems obvious, no?
ReplyDeleteInteresting blog...How ananoymous am I?
ReplyDelete