The View from District 8

The light often obscures what lurks in the shadows

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 12:08:32

The Mercury News once had to print a retraction of a comment in a story that asserted South Bay Labor Council leader Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins could round up six city council votes whenever she wanted. Something to keep in mind when looking at my opponent�s city council endorsements: Nancy Pyle, Sam Liccardo, Forrest Williams, Nora Campos, Kansen Chu, and Judy Chirco. These are the council members that are most often aligned against Mayor Reed�s efforts to bring more accountability and openness to our city government. Only one member of those six took the time to talk to me before the endorsement. So who was feeding them their information?

Meanwhile, Mayor Reed�s staunchest fellow Democratic allies on the council (Madison Nguyen, Dave Cortese, Pierluigi Oliverio) remain silent about their preference in the District 8 race. Councilman Pete Constant has been a strong and vocal supporter of mine, and is another strong Reed ally.

Coincidence? You get to decide on November 4th.

By Pat Waite

The Veeps

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:01:43

A few quick thoughts on tonight's debate.

1) It was interesting that Palin asked Biden if she could call him Joe when they first came out. Then she proceeded to refer to him as Senator Biden throughout. Except for once, IIRC.

2) Biden did an extraordinary job of tying McCain to Bush. Palin did nothing to prevent that.

3) Palin was clearly trying to connect with the viewers. She talked to the camera, referenced her middle class background, and tried to connect with them. "I am you, and you can trust me to represent your views" seemed to be her message.

4) Biden tried to connect with "Main Street America." He seemed kind of aloof, though. Not sure if that works.

By Pat Waite

The Third Amendment

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:08:12

No, I'm not referring to the constitutional ban on quartering soldiers in private residences during peace time. Today I'm talking about campaign financial reports.

I just returned from reviewing my opponent's financial filing at City Hall. Apparently, her campaign has problems filing electronically, and it takes the clerk a while to scan in manual submissions. Hopefully, they will soon require electronic filings.

There was a sense of urgency behind my visit, which is why I ventured downtown. In her filing for the period ending September 30th, there were two people listed as contributing more than the legal maximum of $250 to her runoff campaign: Steven Jones, the general manager of Garden City Sanitation ($300); and Tom Saggau, a registered lobbyist for Saggau & Derollo ($500). I was handed two filings when I asked for her submission; the newly filed report for the period ending 10/18, and an amended filing replacing the original 9/30 report. This marks the third time that her campaign has filed an amended report correcting the errors of an original filing. It turns out the initial report for 9/30 incorrectly attributed contributions to the above mentioned contributors.

I keep wondering how my opponent will handle budget reports detailing hundreds of millions of dollars in city income and expense when she struggles with hundred thousand dollar campaign reports.

I hope we don't have to find out.

By Pat Waite

The Recall Election

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:10:03

The Recall Madison Nguyen team held a fund raiser today at Bo Town restaurant in downtown San Jose(really good food, by the way). From what I saw there, Madison Nguyen is in trouble. The place was packed, so much so that they are doing it again tomorrow.

Janet Nguyen and her team drove up from Orange County for the event; she has been a staunch supporter of the Little Saigon contingent. She presented several certificates of appreciation to recall proponents, who were clearly pleased for the recognition.

Madison is in real trouble that no amount of money can extricate her from. Hundreds of people are showing up at pro-recall events. They are motivated, and will show up to vote in March 3rd. Madison�s problem is how to get relatively disinterested voters to show up for a special election. If she can�t get people to care, she is toast.

Madison seems to have made a shrewd choice for campaign manager in Melanie Jiminez. Perhaps Melanie will help get out the Hispanic voters.

If the recall succeeds, I suspect that the council will appoint a replacement rather than allow the district to go essentially unrepresented during an election cycle. Hopefully the recall team is thinking about who can best represent their district should their efforts succeed. Otherwise, who knows who will wind up representing District 7.

By Pat Waite

The Power of Technology

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:07:47

There are many issues to be decided in this election. Sorting through all the rhetoric can be a difficult and time consuming process. Luckily, technology makes things somewhat easier. Here's some sites that are trying to help you make informed decisions this election cycle.

ABC7 News has a site they call NexGen. The asked candidates for local elections to provide answers to several questions, and gave them the opportunity to post a video of up to 5 minutes. They did the same for ballot proposition proponents and opponents.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/feature?section=news/politics&id=5778028

Comcast Newsmakers airs hourly on CNN Headline News at 24 and 54 minutes after the hour, except from 4-11 on weekdays. You can download the schedule here:
http://www.norcalcle.com/current_schedule/index.htm

And you can see mine on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwhh2tU6F2I

Please take the time to study the candidates and issues, and base your choice on what's important to you.

Good luck!

By Pat Waite

The Power of Community

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:50:42

The Little Saigon Business District banners were unveiled today at a ceremony just off of Story Road. Dave Cortese & Pete McHugh did the honors, exposing the beautiful blue & yellow banner to a crowd of people who broke into shouts of "Little Saigon, Little Saigon!"

The success of the Little Saigon San Jose Foundation proves that our democracy can still work. It shows that when a community unites and speaks with one voice, they can overcome much. That is a powerful statement on the health of our political system.

By Pat Waite

The People We Trust

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 10:51:38

I found my opponent�s advertisement in yesterday�s Evergreen Times a target rich environment, too good to pass up. Never mind that she violated San Jose campaign laws by not including the required notification �paid for by�� I�m used to her difficulty executing on the details. No, it was more interesting to me that the she believes the people we trust are newspapers and politicians. I don�t know about you, but she�s picked two categories of opinion of which I have become most skeptical! There�s a reason that newspaper readership is plummeting and that our approval of congress and the state assembly is at an historic low.

To top it off, in an ad focused on trust, she deliberately misleads readers. Under the masthead of the Evergreen Times she quotes a letter to the editor without so stating. Her ad makes it appear that she has the newspaper�s endorsement. I�ll let Bill Highlander, editor of the Evergreen Times, take the ball from here.

�Customarily, it is the editorial staff that is the voice of the newspaper.� 10/18/08, On Point

�Herrera does not have the editorial endorsement of the Evergreen Times. I have informed her of this fact several times, but she continues to imply she does.� 11/1/08, On Point

�[Herrera] offers so many examples of what I dislike in political campaigns� To my mind, she has not been forthcoming, declining to answer questions about her political statements, telling only what she wants voters to know.� 11/1/08, On Point

�Waite�s messages and campaign literature have been free of misleading statements, and clearly express his plans and interest in representing the entire district and not just a focus on the Evergreen Village Square.� 10/18/08, On Point

�I will be casting my vote for Pat Waite.� 10/18/08, On Point

I trust that the voters of our district will see through the rhetoric and misdirection of campaign material and make an informed decision on Tuesday.

By Pat Waite

The Bill Wilson Center & Mass Transit

15 July 2008 19:44:53

Today I took Lisa Strickland, Director of Donor Relations at The Bill Wilson Center in Santa Clara, up on an invitation for a tour of their facility. This amazing place, whose mission is �to support and strengthen the community by serving youth and families through counseling, housing, education, and advocacy� is a pretty phenomenal organization. They take a holistic approach to addressing youth problems, an approach that includes family counseling, on site housing of youth and life skills programs. They serve over 10,000 clients annually. I encourage you to have a look for yourself, if you get the chance (www.billwilsoncenter.org).

Given today�s gasoline prices and the hassles of downtown parking (I had a meeting downtown before the BWC tour), I decided to make the journey from District 8 to downtown using our public transit system. So I bought a $5 day pass and hopped the light rail at Cottle Road. The cars were bustling with commuters headed north, it appears that the pain at the pump has bumped VTA ridership. I was happy to see a couple of transit police board and begin checking tickets. Amazingly, I think that everybody had a valid ticket or pass, at least in my car.

After my meeting downtown, I hopped on the 22 for the trip over to Santa Clara. I must admit, I like the light rail a whole lot more than the bus. It�s quieter , smoother, and just more comfortable. But the bus got me there and back while light rail wouldn�t. There is something to be said for flexible transit alternatives. Took the 22 back downtown after the tour, took the light rail back. Saved gas, parking, and emissions. All in all, not a bad way to get around.

P.S. Some of you might point out that I can cut my footprint even more by catching the 39 by the Villages, then transferring to the 22 at Eastridge. You�re correct, but I find the light rail a preferable alternative to busses.

By Pat Waite

The 6 P's

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:47:16

In the corporate world, I often referred to the 6 P's...Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. It's apparently a lesson my opponent never learned, and her campaign is exhibit number 1.

Sometime in early September my opponent realized that her coronation march had turned into a dogfight. Maybe it was because the money wasn't rolling in the way she would have liked, as the 9/30 campaign report showed the two of us neck and neck in fund raising. I began to notice signs of growing desperation in the second week of September. Two events indicated to me that she was realizing the magnitude of our campaign battle.

First, my campaign kickoff picnic was held at Welch Park on September 6th. I contracted with The Evergreen Times (whose publisher has endorsed Herrera) to run two ads inviting the public to the event. The first ran in their August 23rd edition; the second in their September 6th. Surprisingly, delivery of the paper is usually on Saturday morning, but the September 6th edition wasn't delivered until Monday, September 8th. Several people throughout the district commented on this oddity.

Second, the Vietnamese celebration of the Harvest Moon, the Childrens Moon Festival, was held on September 13th. According to organizers, Herrera hemmed & hawed about contributing, ultimately pledging $1,000 to the event. Then, the week of the event, a staffer called and tried to back out, claiming "they couldn't afford it." The event organizers told her they had fulfilled their obligation, her ad was printed, and felt she was obligated to fulfill her pledge. Her campaign eventually made good on the pledge, albeit nearly two weeks after the event, and after several threats of adverse media publicity by the organizers.

The week of October 14th, another sign showed the increasing desperation of her campaign. This time it appears that Dave Cortese has finally reached the same conclusion about his race that Herrera reached in September about ours. Otto Lee is giving Dave all he can handle in the race for county supervisor. Responding to a need for help in Milpitas and Sunnyvale, Cortese bowed to the wishes of Herrera's special interest supporters and threw his endorsement her way, after spending nearly a year uncommitted. In exchange, her special interest backers are helping him battle it out with Lee in Dave's weakest parts of the supervisorial district.

In the meantime, we continue to execute the plan the team put together in June. We are effectively getting our message out about changing our government to pay attention to citizens and focus on the results that matter to the citizens. We have received very positive feedback from the 6,000+ households that we have called on...people are tired of special interests monopolizing our government and are responding positively to our message.

Apparently, the 6 P's apply to politics, too.

By Pat Waite

Solar Bid Review

31 July 2008 19:47:03

Six vendors ended up sending bids in response to our RFQ. Four vendors declined to bid (one because they are not really a solar supplier), and ten vendors didn�t respond. Now comes the process of trying to put them in some form that mere mortals can understand and act upon. Mike wants to present something to the District 8 Community Roundtable meeting on August 12th. This might actually result in some good pricing for the community.

By Pat Waite

Silicon Valley Leadership Group�s Projections

10 Sep 2008 20:04:48

I ventured over to SCU today to take in the annual panel discussions surrounding this annual event. It turned out to be quite the interesting political event, with most gubernatorial prospects showing up on stage at one point or the other. It was interesting to note that during the first panel, consisting of zero politicians, the time keeper did not once red card a speaker for going over their allotted two minutes. It wasn�t until the first politician spoke that the red card appeared. Go figure!

My main takeaway from the event was best summed up by Bill Watkins during the last discussion. It goes something like �we all have our perfect world, whatever it may be. But we have to give that up if we want to make progress.� I think he and I are of like minds on this, solutions to our problems�pollution, water shortages, conservation, poverty, racism, intolerance�are not found at the poles of the political spectrum, but somewhere in the middle. Yet somehow, our two parties believe the opposite to be true. California�s inability to pass a state budget is symptomatic of this problem.

By Pat Waite

School Boundaries

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:18:16

I attended the Evergreen Elementary School District community forum on the proposed school boundary realignment. I have great respect for the team that worked on this project; school boundaries are a sensitive subject that can raise emotions to a very high level. The two police officers hired by the district to stand watch at the meeting were a testament to this.
I feel that the team did a very good job of trying to get the schools in the district more balanced in their attendance. No doubt there will be protestations from families who will shift from Matsumoto, which now has an enrollment of over 1,000 students, some of whom are currently housed in portables over at Chaboya. Ditto for some Carolyn Clark families. But let�s face it, overcrowded schools are not amenable to the high performance that we have come to expect from our schools.
What struck me most was the fragmentation of the Meadowfair community. Their attendance boundaries are currently a bizarre patchwork of tracts that attend six different elementary schools! So not only does Meadowfair lack a decent community center, with no relief in sight, their ability to unite as a community is hampered by the lack of a common elementary school.
I like to rail against development without infrastructure improvements. But this is one instance where the community visioning process quashed by Gonzalez would have had a handsome payoff for a community that our city tends to neglect. At least those plans included a new elementary school that would help unite the Meadowfair neighborhood.
The proposed boundary realignment helps a bit, consolidating attendance boundaries down to three elementary schools. But the Meadowfair community deserves a single elementary school. That solution isn�t contemplated in the current draft of the Evergreen/East Hills Development Policy, and perhaps it should be.

By Pat Waite

San Jose General Plan Update

3 Sep 2008 20:01:24

I�ve long maintained that the specific plan for Evergreen should be updated only after the San Jose General Plan update. In our never ending zeal to name things, the city calls this effort �Envision San Jose 2040.� Tonight, citizens had an opportunity to provide their input into the planning process by attending a meeting at the Camden Community Center (there are subsequent sessions closer to home, but they both conflict with other things that I have going on). Despite some technical glitches, the team did a very good job of explaining what the current status is, and then turned us loose with Legos. We had to stack brown, red, green, and blue Legos on a giant map of San Jose, denoting where we would put housing, amenities, parks and jobs, respectively. Staff ran around taking pictures of the finished products while the five teams each, in turn, explained their results. Our team�s was the best, in my opinion!

By Pat Waite

San Jose Budget Stakeholder Task Force Meeting

21 July 2008 19:45:57

I dropped in to City Hall this evening to check out the Budget Stakeholder Task Force proceedings.

I was surprised at one point of the proceedings when the discussion turned to shifting the Healthy Neighborhoods Venture Funds (think �tobacco settlement� monies) into the general fund. As it stands today, San Jose gets $9 million to $10 million per year from the tobacco settlement. That money sits in a restricted fund that today is used for, among other things child health services and homework centers (214 centers, serving 24,000 students).

The proposal was to �save� money by moving these funds into the general fund and allowing the special interests that have caused our chronic budget problems to take them away from the kids who need the homework help. To me, that sounds like a bad idea.

By Pat Waite

Ryland Pool Reopening

21 June 2008 19:35:13

I attended the grand reopening of the Ryland Pool today. Of course, it was the hottest day of the year! Tina Morrill, President of the Vendome Neighborhood Association, Mayor Chuck Reed, and Council member Sam Liccardo spoke of what a great moment this was for the neighborhood and our city. Sam was resplendent in his swim trunks, snorkel, swim mask, fins and floaties. After a quick ribbon-cutting, the pool was opened for the many kids attending.

The ceremony, attended by many families from the surrounding neighborhood, was made possible by the efforts of the Vendome Neighborhood Association and Friends of Ryland Pool. They raised nearly $1.5 million to restore the Ryland Pool, and are raising additional funds to restore the Batchelder tiles that adorn the pool (visit www.vendome.org for more information). The pool is a testament to what community activism can accomplish in our wonderful city. Scott Herhold put it best in his June 17th Mercury News column about the pool: �one of the best things about San Jose is that you can influence government just by attending a meeting and talking intelligently�. An organized and well-spoken group can have force beyond its numbers.�

By Pat Waite

Ruminations on 11/4

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:19:35

Almost two weeks have elapsed since an historic election, and I have had time to reflect on my foray into local politics. I�ve had many people express surprise at how well an �unknown� republican did in a city council district dominated by democratic registered voters. One person even suggested that I won the campaign, even though I lost the election. The logic was that I polled 23 points above my �natural� base of republican support, while my opponent polled a mere 8 points over her �natural� base of democrats. We�ll know better once the county tallies are available for analysis, but our campaign message of fiscal responsibility and government for the people resonated with over 15,000 voters in District 8.

I entered the race for city council under the mistaken impression that it was a non-partisan affair. It�s definitely not! Most local media used every available opportunity to point out my Republican party affiliation. Non-partisan indeed!

What I found most surprising, though, were the efforts of the entrenched special interests, virtually all of whom lined up behind Herrera. Some of them (most notably the police & firefighters unions) spent significant funds on mailings supporting her candidacy. Their independent expenditures on her behalf may have been enough to decide the race. I�m sure they�ll make that case to her.

Now I�m hearing through the grapevine that the Police Officers Association is committing $100,000 to ousting former police officer and current council member Pete Constant. They are actively seeking potential candidates to oppose him when he�s up for reelection in 2010. I guess that the councilperson�s efforts to do what is best for the citizens has rubbed his POA brethren the wrong way and they intend to mete out their own brand of political justice.

$100,000! That is about as much as the candidates will be allowed to spend in each phase of the election. I suspect that the POA would like a reasonable return on their investment. That only means one thing�another council member cozying up to the organizations that are driving our city to the financial brink. Perhaps that�s what it takes to win elections in San Jose.

Hopefully, some day the citizens of San Jose will wake up to the realities of our political scene. If we don�t, taxes will continue heading north, while service levels will continue heading south. We will have only ourselves to blame. We need independent minds on our city council, people willing to put the interests of the over 900,000 residents of our city above those of the special interests. The people�s voices are the ones that should matter most.

Change starts with you. Get involved. Make yourself heard. Tell your council representative what you want. It�s not that hard, our representatives are all accessible. Your representative's email is generally districtX@sanjoseca.gov (where X is your district number). The mayor is mayoremail@sanjoseca.gov. Send them emails today to let them know what you want our city to become.

By Pat Waite

Reality Bites

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:16:56

Politicians like to propose spending money. Surprising, right? Over the course of our campaigns, my opponent and I have laid out platforms that are remarkably similar: neighborhood safety, improved traffic, economic development/job creation, supporting education. The fundamental difference, I believe, has been my focus on fixing our chronic budget problems through a combination of service efficiencies and spending restraint before committing our city to additional spending. My opponent sometimes refers to this as �negativity,� focusing instead on the prospect of increased tax revenue driven by economic growth as a way to get out of our current fiscal situation.

Here�s the problem that I have with that. A dollar saved today by creating more efficient government is absolutely saved. A dollar earned tomorrow through economic growth policies is not real until that growth is realized. And that realization can be a long time in coming. We have two concrete examples that remind us of the time it takes to see the fruits of efforts to attract businesses to San Jose.

First is the Tesla factory. Mayor Reed moved with stunning swiftness to seal the deal to bring Tesla Motors to San Jose. The deal was announced this summer. But manufacturing won�t begin until mid-2011. Sure, the city will realize some benefits prior to that as the factory is constructed, but the significant benefits are several years out.

Second is Shapell Homes� efforts to find a replacement tenant for the Evergreen Village Square space formerly occupied by Lunardi�s. Nearly 13 months later, the space remains vacant. Even after a tenant is identified, significant site improvements will be necessary. I suspect that it will be at least another year before a replacement grocery store opens there.

I absolutely believe that we should be creating an environment that encourages business formation as part of a long term solution to fixing our budget problems. But we have to close our budget gap today. Last spring, the city was looking at a $44 million budget gap in 2009/2010. With our economy in a state of disarray (to put it mildly), I suspect that you can add at least another $35 million to that figure. Perhaps as much as $50 million.

We will not be growing our way out of this problem any time soon. We might as well face the reality that we will be making some very tough budgetary decisions over the next couple of years. On Tuesday, you get to decide which of us is better suited to make those decisions on your behalf.

By Pat Waite

Quick Notes from the D8CRT

12 August 2008 19:59:34

~ The city is looking at putting the Meadowfair Community Center up for reuse. They�re talking a three year term for after school and pre-school care. Taking away the only community center (meager as it is) from an area of the city that is woefully underserved. What�s up with that?

~ Apparently, only 10% of tags in D8 are gang oriented. Must be some really bored kids out there.

~ The city is going to resynch the traffic signals in Berryessa, East Hills and Evergreen. They will be starting near Eastridge. Somehow, it will take three years to do this. I suspect it�ll end up like the Golden Gate bridge, which is always being repainted. They�ll finish in three years and have to start all over again!

~ Beohana Solar announced that the first 75 people to sign up for solar will receive a $100 prepaid Visa card. Too bad I already have solar�

By Pat Waite

Quick Notes from the D8CRT

9 Sep 2008 20:03:26

~ Clif Black, Superintendent of the Evergreen Elementary School District made the case for Measure T, the parcel tax for class size reduction, among other things. It received unanimous support from the members of the D8CRT.

~ The Foothills Division police report showed that our officers are quite busy. June/July/August showed 1,188 car stops, 769 alarm calls, 698 disturbance calls, 527 person stops, and 355 music/party calls as the top five hitters for officer incidents.

~ Apparently, Lunardi�s took everything, including the kitchen sink, when they vacated their space at Evergreen Village Square. It�s going to cost an estimated $3 million of tenant improvements to make the space ready for another grocer. Add to that the $400,000 or so it�s going to cost a Shapell for gateway signage and one can only wonder if they will ever find a way to build out the rest of the Village Square.

By Pat Waite

Quality of Life

01 June 2007 19:47:38

I�ve lived in San Jose for over 23 years. This is a wonderful city, and Evergreen is a great place to live and raise a family, it is incredibly diverse, has some outstanding schools and the feel of a small town. However, there are many issues that we must address right now to improve our city. Affordable housing, well maintained roads and reasonable traffic, safe neighborhoods, and a more friendly business environment are important aspects of a great city. Our challenge is to deliver these, while at the same time balancing the budget.

With your input, maintaining and enhancing the quality of life of the people of Evergreen and San Jose will be what guides my decision making. Why spend our precious resources on things that are not going to make our lives better? Using a quality of life filter will help drive better decision making, because it will focus our government on results that matter to our citizens.

By Pat Waite

Political Math

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:38:55

In the bizarre world of politics can 0 be �almost exactly the same as� 18?

That�s the implication of Friday�s Mercury News letter to the editor from Heidi Lee. Ms. Lee asserts that the �latest campaign finance statements� show that my campaign has �received donations from almost exactly the same list of developers� as those listed on a door hanger that our precinct walkers hand out.

Let�s examine the facts. The campaign filings for the period 7/1-9/30 show that I received a contribution from one developer � Sobrato Development. And their name is not included on the piece in question. So Ms. Lee is claiming that 0 = 18.

Perhaps she�s referring to the entire campaign. During this calendar year, I received a contribution from an employee of Summerhill Land, an affiliate of Summerhill Homes, which is listed on the material. In the new math of politics does 1 = 18?

I have received a total of $1,000 from special interests associated with development. That�s less than 1% of the total contributions to my campaign this year. In comparison, my opponent�s campaign has received nearly $25,000 from the development/construction/real estate community. That�s 24% of the total contributions to her campaign.

I am committed to representing the citizens of District 8 and San Jose, and have no explicit or implicit obligation to do anything for any of the special interest groups that are so desperately trying to get my opponent elected. She makes the same claim, but the campaign finance filing facts make that somewhat difficult to believe.

That�s the kind of math that I understand.

By Pat Waite

Paseo Center at Coyote Creek

26 June 2008 19:37:10

The Catholic Charities Board of Directors held their board meeting at the Paseo Center at Coyote Creek, located on Senter Road between Story and Tully. After the meeting was adjourned, we attended the grand opening of the project, a joint effort of the Charities Housing Development Corporation, Core Builders, the City of San Jose, and several public and private lenders.

Paseo Center is an affordable housing complex consisting of 218 one, two and three bedroom apartments, with rents affordable to households of up to seven people with an annual income of between $6,240 and $28,440. It includes 7,000 square feet of community space, on-site parking, a playground, a swimming pool, fitness center and two laundry rooms.

A couple hundred attendees were addressed by Mayor Chuck Reed and council member Madison Nguyen. They noted that this is the latest example of an innovative solution to our need for affordable housing and thanked all the parties responsible for making the project possible. It is through public/private partnerships like this that we can provide the affordable housing that we need to enable people who work in our city to live in our city.

By Pat Waite

National Night Out

5 August 2008 19:48:51

We put together a neighborhood gathering to celebrate this year�s National Night Out. It was the 25th annual version of this �get to know your neighbors to fight crime� event, sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. We had drinks, ice cream and popcorn for everybody; games and prizes for the kids. About forty people showed up to introduce themselves to each other, share stories, and hear crime statistics and prevention information courtesy of the San Jose Police Department. Jeff Janssen, senior policy advisor on Traffic, Energy and Education stopped by and we had a lengthy chat on Mayor Reed�s green initiative and the solar efforts of our community.

By Pat Waite

National Interfaith Week for Action on Poverty

11 Sep 2008 20:05:34

Today marks the beginning of the Catholic Charities USA interfaith week of action to fight poverty. Highlighting their national effort to reduce poverty by 50% by 2020, the organization is asking candidates what they will do to address poverty in their first 100 days in office. So I thought I�d take a moment to tell you what I would do.

Today�s economic environment exacerbates the struggles of people living at or near the poverty line. Worse yet, the poverty line falls woefully short of what is needed for self sufficiency in Silicon Valley. Therefore, one of my first actions will be to call for a city policy establishing self sufficiency as the reference point for accessing government benefits.

In my opinion, education represents the best long term method of eliminating poverty. I will work to ensure that city-funded after school programs are not adversely affected by our ongoing budget issues. I also promise to work to provide educational opportunities for parents, so that they can lead their children by example.
Affordable housing is essential to forging the strong families that foster successful children. I will work diligently to make sure that we have a plan that provides the 90,000 affordable units needed so that all members of our society have a safe place to call home. Using public/private partnerships, we can make significant progress in providing the necessary housing.

Finally, a thriving economy is essential to providing the jobs needed to eliminate poverty. I will focus my efforts on creating a more friendly business environment in San Jose. I will ask Sacramento to formalize clean technology incentive programs that are competitive with those offered by surrounding states like Oregon. This will allow San Jose to compete on an even playing field for the jobs, tax revenue and economic development opportunities represented by our burgeoning green industry.

You can join me in this week long effort to raise awareness. Please consider volunteering for any of the myriad Silicon Valley organizations participating in the effort to eliminate poverty. Together, we can make a difference.

By Pat Waite

Little Saigon

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:45:40

There is a rumor rolling around city hall that I support the recall of Councilperson Madison Nguyen. It is untrue. The basis for the rumor is the last sentence of a brief speech that I made at a recall rally last Sunday, where I concluded with the statement "I look forward to working with you on the recall election."

That comment refers to a request from the recall team that I help them work with the city to make the election process as efficient as possible, so as to minimize the cost to the city. I think that is a reasonable thing to do, given the city's strained general fund.

I have been a strong and consistent supporter of the process that has progressed to the point where the city must schedule a special election for that purpose. It is proof that our system of democracy works. But I have also been consistent in my position that I support the process, and have not taken a position on whether or not the councilperson should be recalled. That is up to the voters of District 7.

By Pat Waite

It's all over but the counting...

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:47:13

I started this campaign blog last summer to share some of my (relatively) unfiltered thoughts with you. It quickly became the second most popular part of my web site. Since the first is the main landing page, that is significant. I hope that the readers have found it informative and helpful in deciding who should be their representative on city council.

I want to thank the voters who have taken the time to think about their decision. Informed voters are the lynchpin of our democracy.
I also want to thank the many volunteers who did so much for my campaign. There are too many to mention them all by name, but the efforts of all the walkers, phone callers, community advocates, and letter writers is greatly appreciated.

However, I do need to recognize one person in particular. Beginning nearly a year ago, my buddy Charlie worked countless hours on our marketing material. The quality of the product is a testament to his dedication. Scott Herhold wrote in Sunday�s Mercury News that �Pat Waite�s eight-page oversized mailer is one of the best brochures this year. Bold typography, strong photos and a clear message stressing fiscal discipline.� That is a testament to Charlie�s dedication, diligence, and creativity. Thank you, Charlie.

By Pat Waite

Hummingbirds & Government

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:15:59

My wife and I are big fans of hummingbirds. We typically have three or more hummingbird feeders spread throughout the back yard. During peak hummingbird season (early September until the migratory ones head south) Ginny makes the sugar water for them a gallon at a time. The birds go through the nectar so fast we have taken to calling them �humminpigs.�
Each summer, we watch the same story play out. A male hummingbird decides that he should be the sole user of one of the feeders. He will perch atop the stand guarding it, or flit up to our birch trees and maintain a vigilant watch. Any time another hummer tries to feed at �his� feeder, he swoops down and chases the interloper away. For whatever reason, the other birds keep trying to feed at �his� feeder, rather than the other feeders scattered around the yard. The male never fails to zip in and chase them away.
Eventually, however, sheer numbers win out. It is impossible for the male hummingbird to chase all of the intruders away every time. Our yard is a popular place for the little feathered critters; we�ve counted as many as twenty hummingbirds at or around the feeders at one time. I like to imagine the other hummingbirds colluding, picking one decoy to lure the male away and allow the others access to the feeder. Sort of like a feathered friend version of Capture the Flag.
As I was watching this drama play out this month, it seemed to me that it is very similar to what often happens with our governments. The male hummingpig represents the special interests who are intent on protecting �their� trough. They watch vigilantly for intruders who are trying to take their �entitlements,� and quickly chase them away, jealously protecting their turf.
Fortunately, as citizens we have strength in numbers. Working together, we can overwhelm the special interests, and return the government to its rightful beneficiary�us. What we will likely discover is that when we do things correctly, there is plenty of �nectar� for everybody.
This fall, I urge you to take the time to study the ballot measures, initiatives and candidates. Base your decisions on a thoughtful study of the pros and cons, not based on labels or thirty second sound bites. Make an informed choice. Think.
It�s how we can get the government that we deserve.

By Pat Waite

Herrera, Waite battle it out

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:30:33

On October 8th, the Mercury News launched a story (which can be found at http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10672251?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com) on my opponent and me. I want to respond to a couple of points.

First, the article quotes me as characterizing my opponent as �a control freak.� I have not worked closely enough with her to personally know one way or another what her work style is. What I told the reporter was that this summer I had a conversation with one of my opponent�s primary election volunteers who was reevaluating supporting Herrera because of a concern that she is a very hands on control freak.

Second, the paper quotes me as saying �I�m much better at finance and budget (sic) than she is.� I don�t doubt that, especially based on a mounting pile of evidence, but it�s not something that I would brag about. I do believe that I have a better ability to see the big picture and the cause and effect interrelationships of our decisions. For instance, the dynamics of Evergreen Village Square that led Lunardi�s to walk away from a 15 year lease obligation haven�t changed. How is another grocery store going to succeed, especially with two much larger (and therefore inherently more efficient) ones barely a mile down the road? We need to create and execute a comprehensive plan for the Evergreen Village Square and the Mirassou property if we want retail there to be successful in that part of the district.

What surprises me most about the article, though, is Herrera�s attempted characterization of me as a �bean counter.� Anybody who has ever worked with me knows that I have never been an accountant. Sure, I know my way around big budgets, but what made me a successful corporate executive was my ability to understand operational processes and predict how operational decisions would affect the future of the organization. I was a valued member of many management teams because I created inclusive budget processes that allowed people from all parts of the company to help build a financial vision, and then act on that vision to deliver results that mattered to the employees and shareholders. That inclusiveness and accountability is something that I think is sorely needed in our government, and is one of the reasons that I chose to run for office.

By Pat Waite

Greenfair Silicon Valley

7 June 2008 18:58:49

I�ve long been interested in conservation. After all, it�s the right thing to do for the planet. It can be as simple as using compact fluorescent lights (although make sure to dispose of them properly, they contain mercury), or as involved as installing photovoltaic solar on your roof. Ginny and I attended the Greenfair Silicon Valley expo and I was amazed by two things.

First, there was a surprising number of vendors. Some you would expect: solar installers and companies, electric scooter and car companies, and conservation oriented groups. But there were also some that you wouldn�t: Culligan touting its new, intelligent, �green� water softener comes to mind. I�ll fess up to owning one of these, mainly because it gets things cleaner and keeps water based appliances running longer, but I never really considered it green!

Second, attendance seemed very strong. It seems like everybody is finally coming to the realization that green is good thing. Our community can only benefit by the increased awareness.

By Pat Waite

Great Cities Speaker Tour � Dan Burden

14 July 2008 19:39:52

1st ACT Slilicon Valley, the City of San Jose, ZER01 and the Commonwealth Club have partnered to present The 2008 Great Cities Speakers Series. This collaborative effort brings deep thinkers and professional urban speakers to San Jose to present their points of view to anybody interested in listening. Tonight�s speaker was Dan Burden, the founder of Walkable Communities, Inc. He spoke on the topic of �Great Ideas for Building Livable Communities. During the afternoon, he took a small group on a walking tour of the city. His presentation included comments and pictures from the afternoon trek.

Dan talked about "healthy communities," those communities that encourage us to get out of our vehicles and interact better with our city. �Healthy� because �walking is the greatest of all medications. It�s the cheapest form of medicine.� One of my favorite quotes was �As long as we build our cities for peoples, they will be packed with people, as long as we build our city for cars, they will be packed with cars..� City design should encourage pedestrian traffic and interaction.

A scary thought from Mr. Burden: �we have the highest standard of living on the planet. But over the past couple of decades, we have reduced our Quality of Life. In fact, we are now 27th in the world. There are developing nations that have higher Quality of Life than the United States.�

I walked away from this presentation with a different perspective on our city and its design. I left with two distinct actions that we should take to improve things.

1) Every road that we touch (repave, repair, widen) should be required end up �bicycle friendly� if it isn�t already.

2) We should set an objective for San Jose to reduce vehicle miles travelled annually within our city. This should be specific, not just �let�s reduce annual VMT in the city,� but �let�s reduce annual VMT in the city from X gazillion today to 80% of X gazillion in 3 years.�

By Pat Waite

Festival Americana

4 July 2008 19:39:00

I wandered over to San Jose�s Festival Americana this afternoon. It�s a wonderful multicultural event that helps highlight the diversity of our city. The diversity was reflected not only in the attendees, but also the exhibitors. One thing that I did note, though, is that the event organizers are aware of the increasing polarization in our political arena; the Republican Party booth and the Democratic Booth were at opposite ends of Discover Meadow! It might have been more interesting to put them right next to each other and watch the Obama supporters and McCain supporters go at it.

Seriously, though, I believe that a big part of our country�s problem is the polarization of the political spectrum. Maybe it�s just the partisanship of the primary campaigns, but it seems to me that the American political spectrum has become two groups of people standing at opposite ends of the political spectrum hurling invectives at each other. I really believe that the solution to our problems lies not at one end or the other of the political spectrum, but somewhere in between. I also believe that this is where the vast majority of voters are found. They aren�t the ones who get excited by the primaries, but they are the people who elect our representatives.

By Pat Waite

Disability Advisory Commission

11 August 2008 19:49:30

Councilperson Nancy Pyle extended me an invitation to the Disability Advisory Commission strategic planning meeting. Given my work with TransAccess, I thought it would be interesting to see what the city is doing to help disabled citizens. Turns out that there�s a lot going on. Forest Williams got me thinking with his opening remarks when he said �a lot of us take things we do every day for granted�opening doors, closing doors��

On October 8th, the city is planning the first ever Disability Awareness Day at City Hall. It sounds like a great opportunity for persons with disabilities to learn about what�s available from the city and local non-profits to help them realize their full potential.
There was some good discussion about developer built parks. Turns out that people with disabilities are three times more likely to need affordable housing. But there is no incentive for developers to exceed accessibility standards for developer built parks. Is that fair?

By Pat Waite

Difficult Discussions

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:08:04

I found out through a friend the other day that a community member, I�ll call him Mitch, was upset by some material that we were using for the campaign. Disappointed that I had to hear it second hand, I gave him a call. My introduction, �Hi, Mitch, it�s Pat Waite� was greeted by dead silence. �I hear from a friend that you�re unhappy with me.� His reply was a very valid �well, what do you expect, Pat?� I told him that I expected people who are upset with my behavior to tell me directly. He indicated that he was so spun up by the issue that he was afraid he�d say something detrimental to our relationship. My response was �Mitch, I�ve been yelled at by people much better at yelling at people than you or I will ever be.�

He subsequently proceeded to rip into me with the specifics of why our campaign material had touched a nerve. Mitch and I talked about it for nearly thirty minutes. He raised some very valid points; I presented some valid (I think they were, anyways), counterpoints. We parted with a better understanding of each other, our points of view, and, more importantly, a new found respect for each other. He also requested that I give him a call if I ever had any concerns about what I was going to do. I will certainly take him up on that offer.

What�s my point, you might ask? In twenty years of corporate life, I found that one of the biggest impediments to good decision making is when people are afraid to talk to each other. This fear can stem from a variety of sources: fear of rejection, fear of being wrong, fear of the particular person, fear of retribution, fear of being shut out, or so many other forces that compel us to avoid confrontation. One thing I�ve learned throughout is that it is possible to work through issues with anybody, if you can only stay focused on the issue and not the personality. That�s important, because everybody adds value to our decision making processes, and for an organization to make the best decisions, everybody has to have the courage to speak up. Behavior that discourages that leads to suboptimal decision making. None of us is as smart as all of us.

Why do I bring this up? Today the San Jose Mercury News endorsed my opponent, mainly because of my �personality that�s more likely to polarize than unite,� and because she�s apparently �better suited to the give and take needed to get things done on a 10-member council.� I don�t know how they reached that conclusion, because it�s awfully hard to be successful in business when you don�t know how to get things done collaboratively.

If addressing issues head on isn�t a recipe for success then they are absolutely on target. But if creating a climate of personal respect, where issues are not attached to personalities, is the way to get results, then I suspect that they are off base. Ultimately, it�s all about relationships and being able to trust that the person you�re dealing with is being straight with you. Unfortunately for me, I don't know any more efficient way to deal with issues.

Oh, yeah, the Merc also implied that my �lack of experience in government� was a bad thing. Like sitting on a now-extinct county commission in the mid-80�s is relevant to the governance of a multi-billion dollar city?

By Pat Waite

Debate Thoughts

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:13:36

I�m not going to pick a winner or a loser of the 9/26 presidential debate, I'll leave that up to you. But I do have some observations.

1) Senator Obama came across as lecturing and condescending at times. I felt that his insistence on referring to Senator McCain as �John,� more or less consistently, as somewhat belittling to McCain. And his constant attempts to interrupt McCain got old fast. He reminded me of Al Gore in the 2000 debates, huffing and puffing instead of quietly respecting the other speaker.

2) Senator McCain came across as the loveable, old grandfather full of interesting stories. Kind of the �when I was your age, we walked to and from school through ten feet of snow, uphill both ways� relative. We get it, Senator, you probably had a t-rex as a pet.

3) Senator Obama did a good job of laying out his spending priorities, which my quick math said was approaching $1 trillion. He did not do a very good job of identifying how this was to be paid for.

4) Senator McCain did not do a very good job of addressing Senator Obama�s repeated attacks on the Republicans penchant for taking care of their corporate friends. No doubt that Main Street America will hear that message over and over. McCain did, however, correctly place the blame for runaway spending squarely on Congress� shoulders.

5) Finally, was anyone else shocked when Senator Obama referred to �capturing and killing bin Laden� not once, but twice during the debate?

By Pat Waite

Community Solar Meeting

26 June 2008 19:38:14

Last night I attended a meeting of community members interested in helping our community become the premier location for the burgeoning green industry. The best thing about the meeting was that people ultimately realized that going green requires a holistic approach: it involves community acceptance and adoption of green technologies, an educated workforce that new businesses can tap in to, and the small business infrastructure to support new green businesses. It will also take help from the government to entice companies to locate in the area. And the leadership is going to have to come from Sacramento. San Jose cannot compete alone against states such as Oregon, which offers huge tax credits to companies investing in solar (http://egov.oregon.gov/ENERGY/CONS/BUS/BETC.shtml). We need to push Sacramento to make our tax structure competitive, or we will lose the businesses we need to drive our economy and help cure our city�s chronic budget problems.

Kudos to Mike Alvarado for taking the lead on this visionary project, and thanks to St. Francis of Assisi for allowing us to use their Gathering Space to kick of this exciting project.

By Pat Waite

Children�s Moon Festival

13 Sep 2008 20:08:56

Today was the Vietnamese celebration of the harvest, HOI TET TRUNG THU, also known as the Children�s Moon Festival. I was proud to join Wells Fargo Bank, State Farm Insurance, First 5 Santa Clara, and Dave Cortese as a bronze sponsor for this event.

The Children�s Moon Festival celebrates the Vietnamese culture, featuring ethnic dancing, lion dances, talent contests and martial arts demonstrations throughout the afternoon.

Reflecting Vietnam�s agricultural roots, the event marks the harvest, and the opportunity for mothers and fathers to spend more time with their children. I was proud to host an incredibly funny balloon clown and a face painter. The kids lined up for both, and had a wonderful time.

The highlight of the day was the Lantern Parade. During the course of the day, the children had the opportunity to make their own lanterns. Led by the lion dancers, and under the glow of the nearly full moon, the children and their families proudly paraded around Plaza de Cesar Chavez. The Children�s Moon Festival team created a fabulous celebration of family.

By Pat Waite

Campaign Kickoff Picnic

6 Sep 2008 20:02:29

Well, we officially kicked off the fall campaign with a gathering of about eighty supporters at Welch Park, over near Eastridge. An incredibly diverse group of well-wishers showed up to enjoy hot dogs (courtesy of Mandy�s Korner�thanks, Amanda & Jeff!), drinks, face painting, balloons and fellowship. Carol did a great job of coordinating the whole thing, and everybody had a great time�although it was once again the hottest day of the year (why does that always seem to be the case?).

An interesting side story on this. We wanted to have a jump house for the kids. Carol went in to get the necessary permit, they took her application and check. Then a supervisor came out and informed her that political events weren�t allowed, tore up the application and returned her check. Seems to me that would be a violation of first amendment rights�like freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. We looked into it, and determined that there are some pretty interesting �rules� for Parks & Rec, rules very similar to the card game TAGWAR in Jim Bouton�s Ball Four.

By Pat Waite

COMPAQ Barbeque

28 August 2008 20:00:31

Of course they pick one of the hottest days of the year to have the annual barbeque. And of course everybody who is anybody is here, because the Governator is scheduled to show. The air is constantly filled with the sound of �the honorable so and so from the city of thus and such� is here. Jim Cunneen somehow manages to wear a crisp, long sleeved shirt and tie without breaking a sweat. Everybody else is hiding in whatever shade they can find, except those waiting in line at the drink truck. I feel sorry for the drink slingers, who are doing a great job of keeping the lines moving, but clearly aren�t enjoying the heat.

Unfortunately, Arnold was delayed, and I had to leave for another meeting before he showed. I�d have like to have seen him in person.

By Pat Waite

Blizzards

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:10:22

Like the blizzards I endured growing up in Chicago, every day I receive mail from the Herrera campaign, or hear of a new piece landing in a friend's mailbox.

Mostly, these pieces are courtesy of the special interest groups trying so desperately to get her elected. Let's look at some of the senders:

The Police Officers Association
The San Jose Firefighters Local 230
The South Bay Labor Council

The pieces add little value, primarily parroting the ancient history and half-truth rhetoric of her campaign. County work from the 70's and 80's, PTA work from when Norwood was new. And, of course, her tenure as CEO of a Silicon Valley company (with no mention of the associated bankruptcy).

Yes, they mention her founding of Involved Evergreen almost a year ago. Despite much activity and good effort on her part, the store remains vacant. Rumor has it that the mysterious Southern California chain has walked away; there is a new assignment of lease brochure going out to potential replacements.

I suspect we'll weather this storm, too.

By Pat Waite

And, in conclusion...

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:48:46

As a friend of mine put it: "It is unlikely that a Republican would win a city council seat in San Jose outside of D1 and possibly D10. To suggest that an unknown Republican would have fared as well as you did in San Jose AND in a record setting turnout (which SHOULD favor the Democrat) is unimaginable."

I am proud of the showing. It is a testament to the countless hours of hard work performed by an amazing group of volunteers.

Thank you!

By Pat Waite

Alternative Energy Task Force

30 July 2008 19:46:32

Mike Alvarado came up with a great idea. He proposed that we send a community Request for Quotes out to local photovoltaic solar installation companies asking for volume purchase agreement proposals for community adoption of solar. Today, eight of us sat down to figure out how to summarize the replies and create a community forum to bring the vendors together with the community members interested in having solar installed on their houses.

This project isn�t as easy as you would think. We discussed what the legal standing of the bids were, that is, could we hold the vendor to the quote? We struggled with how to aggregate the demand to get the best vendor leverage. What is the criteria for evaluation of the solar vendors. What is this group�s liability?

So far, we have received three responses: two submittals, one no bid. The deadline is tomorrow morning, and we�re planning on holding to that deadline.

By Pat Waite

"Independent" Expenditures

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:34:20

As the campaign draws to a close, I�ve started dealing with the chaos that is my office. While sorting through the various mailers from my opponent, I noticed something that I had forgotten. San Jose law requires mailers sent by organizations making independent expenditures to include the statement �Total cost of this mailing is $X.� Here�s a quick look at what some of the organizations endorsing her have spent on their blizzard of mail, according to the mailers that I have in my possession.

SJ Firefighters Local 230 $7,000
Association of Retired San Jose Police Officers & Firefighters PAC $16,180
San Jose Police Officers� Association PAC $20,000

Police officers and firefighters provided a $43,000 boost to her run-off campaign. Do they think I�m any less committed to neighborhood safety? Do voters think that will affect my opponent's decision making on the current police officer contract negotiations? Or any future contracts? I trust that voters will sort through all of this, and think hard about their decision on Tuesday.

By Pat Waite