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Furnishing a controversy (New San Jose, Ca City Hall)
Mecury News ^ | 6/20/04 | Aaron C. Davis

Posted on 06/20/2004 2:31:02 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

When Mayor Ron Gonzales enters his glitzy conference room atop San Jose's new City Hall, he could dim the lights with his $4,400 touch-screen remote control, then use one finger to fire up his $12,000, 50-inch plasma-screen TV or another to run his $23,200 video teleconferencing system.

On the 17 floors below, 1,800 other city employees would enjoy the benefits of a furniture-and-technology budget that spends an average of $25,000 on each of them. Many would sit in their new $3,600 cubicles and make calls on $400 Internet telephones connected to an $8 million phone-and-computer network.

At a time when it is struggling to balance city budgets, San Jose is proceeding with a plan to furnish its new civic center, now being built, with an estimated $45 million worth of such amenities. The first major portions of the furniture and technology budget come to a vote Tuesday, five months after an angry city council learned of its scope. But even now council members have been told little about the proposals, or how they came to be.

The Mercury News reviewed 3,000 pages of e-mails and memos, minutes and budget estimates obtained under the California Public Records Act to learn more. Those documents revealed a runaway process, hidden from the public, and a budget for high-tech features that would be among the most elaborate in a U.S. public building, according to a city consultant's report.

(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: cityhall; controversy; furnishing; sanjose

1 posted on 06/20/2004 2:31:03 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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To: martin_fierro; CounterCounterCulture

Where money flows like wine,,, or is it the other way around in San Jose? ;-)


2 posted on 06/20/2004 2:33:31 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi Mac ... Become a FR Monthly Donor ... In Memoriam Ronaldus Magnus)
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To: NormsRevenge

Ah, but these fine "civil servants" have done SO MUCH for this city..............NOT!

Once liberal Democrats are in office --- your money can not remain in your pocket.....THEY NEED IT!
Most of them have NEVER worked in the real world -- they are the elite - and NEED us working stiffs to support THEIR lifestyle...

It's all for the children.....THEIRS!

Semper Fi


3 posted on 06/20/2004 2:44:54 PM PDT by river rat (You may turn the other cheek...But I prefer to look into my enemy's vacant dead eyes.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Democrat Mayor. Figures ...


4 posted on 06/20/2004 2:45:03 PM PDT by catpuppy (John Kerry! When hair is all that matters)
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To: NormsRevenge

From this http://www.uwsa.com/pipermail/uwsa/2002q3/032940.html

"Gonzales has declined to join other Latino politicians statewide in endorsing a proposed state law to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses."

I don't know if he's changed his mind.


5 posted on 06/20/2004 2:45:22 PM PDT by lonewacko_dot_com (http://lonewacko.com/blog)
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To: NormsRevenge
I remember Gonzalez's initial campaign run for Mayor. HEAVY on the "family man" angle. Wife and kids featured prominently.

Then in the 90s, when Clintoon made public adultery fashionable, Gonzalez boinked his young assistant.

What a turd, and what an appropriate location for the turdlike Quetzalcoatl statue.


6 posted on 06/21/2004 7:17:43 AM PDT by martin_fierro
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