Posted on 09/15/2004 6:17:50 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Launching one of the broadest probes of wrongdoing in San Jose government history, the city council Tuesday appointed an independent investigator to determine if the mayor, city manager, city attorney or any council member acted inappropriately in San Jose's bungled deal to install Cisco Systems' equipment in the new City Hall.
The sweeping civil investigation of San Jose's top elected officials came as Santa Clara County District Attorney George Kennedy said his criminal inquiry into the failed $8 million deal has expanded into a full-fledged investigation. ...
(snip)
Mayor Ron Gonzales said that for the city's part, turning the matter over to an independent investigator was the only way for San Jose to move forward and bring closure to the scandal. In a memo to the council on Tuesday -- co-signed by council members Dave Cortese and Cindy Chavez -- Gonzales wrote that an outside investigator has one ``major question'' left to answer:
``Was there any other inappropriate involvement by management or the city council in this technology purchasing process? . . . I know for myself and for my office that there was no involvement. However, I believe this independent investigator's inquiry will help assure our residents of this fact.''
While that question is certainly at the heart of the investigation, there are many others that council members say must be answered by the new probe: Did the mayor or city manager's office pressure officials to cut corners to get the project done on time and on budget? Was Cisco more responsible for the failed deal than city officials now know? And, why did the city's top technology official repeatedly lie and cover up the Cisco deal?
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Wonder what this independent investigator is going to find? Gonzalez seems confident that it has nothing to do with him. :-/
All well, guess this leaves him with more time to figure out how to get his shiny choochoo BART down to San Jose to add a like to his Taj Gonzalez.
San Jose is having lots of problems. There's a big mess with trying to put some athletic fields for kids in Almaden Valley. It looks like there has been some problems with that.
I wish Pat Dando was mayor. I think Ron Gonzalez is pretty sleazy.
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