 Quetzalcoatl |
Silicon Valley |
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| Silicon Valley Slang | |
Posted on 09/21/2004 8:37:38 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
On a November morning in 2002, as overstuffed trash bins sat untouched along curbs from Alviso to Almaden Valley, San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales worked swiftly to avert a sweeping garbage strike.
His telephone call to the garbage workers union got trash collectors back on the job before most customers ever noticed. But today, surprised San Jose City Council members are being asked to approve an agreement that grew from Gonzales' assurances to the union that day. It calls for $11 million in additional labor costs and ensures another rate increase before 2007.
Some council members say the mayor and his chief budget aide, Joe Guerra, improperly committed taxpayer funds to settle a dispute between garbage hauler Norcal Waste Systems and the Teamsters union over who would represent recycling workers and how much they would be paid.
``The mayor does not have the authority to bind the city to pay money for extra labor costs,'' Councilman Chuck Reed said. ``We are prohibited from making gifts with public funds.''
Keeping `labor peace'
But Gonzales and Guerra staunchly defend their efforts, saying they successfully avoided a major strike. What's more, they say, the council had given them tacit approval to negotiate when it approved the city's contract with Norcal in 2000. Norcal was new to San Jose, and council members said at the time it was important to maintain ``labor peace'' during the transition from the previous garbage contractor.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Know the situation well --- just another CALIFORNIA LIBERAL pandering to the unions for political power. So what else is new, right??
Mercury Editorial (excerpted)
Mayor's new surprise: $11 million
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/opinion/9719444.htm
COUNCIL IS BLINDSIDED BY ANOTHER CITY CONTRACT, BUT IT'S STILL A GOOD DEAL
Mercury News Editorial
San Jose residents still will be getting a good deal on recycling if the city decides today to give Norcal Waste Systems an extra $11 million over its original contract price. But council members will have to hold their noses to vote for it.
It's yet another big-ticket surprise from Mayor Ron Gonzales' office, yet another city contract that got insufficient scrutiny early on, and yet more evidence -- as if we needed it -- that big labor has a stranglehold on city government: The $11 million will go to pay union members higher wages than Norcal's bid foresaw.
It's tempting to say the council should reject it on principle. Norcal signed a contract and should live with it. But the council also has a policy of making labor peace a supreme priority with garbage contracts. If council members want to avoid the possibility of a garbage strike or slowdown -- the political equivalent of Hurricane Ivan -- they need to come up with the money.
The outrage is that they didn't see this coming.
Did he get a kickback into his secret bank account or is he a serious retard?
Gonzales is barely fit to be mayor of a third world village. SJ voters must be smoking crack.
Quetzalcoatl |
Silicon Valley |
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| Send FReepmail if you want on/off SVP list | |
| Silicon Valley Slang | |
Yeah. The guy makes Tom McHenry look like the Mayor of Mooseport.
LOL
San Jose is another California city that is becoming largely hispanic (legal/illegal?). Hispanics usually vote for anyone with a hispanic name, idiot or not, they don't care as long as he has a hispanic name.
Corruption at city hall?I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you! (/sarcasm)
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