Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Political Talk: San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales gave his fourth State of the City speech Feb. 6 at the Center for the Performing Arts in downtown. The mayor, who is up for re-election, was surrounded by a giant U.S. flag and firefighters and police officers who sat on stage behind him.
City is prepared for the future
Mayor's State of the City filled with patriotic and neighborhood images
By Kate Carter
In a community-oriented, down-home atmosphere created by local personalities and patriotic images, San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales announced that the "state of the city is strong" during his State of the City address Feb. 6.
He also presented already-announced programs to increase San Jose's safety, cleanliness and affordability, while touting successes achieved during his first term, and was confident of the city's survival of the recent economic downturn that is affecting its businesses and revenues.
Gonzales is up for re-election March 5 against five opponents. Last week, he tried to solidify the likelihood that he will win with a confident report of the city's status that only lightly acknowledged the challenges the city faces.
The State of the City at the Center for the Performing Arts contrasted with last year's at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, which included an appearance by U.S. Rep. Mike Honda and video footage of U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren and U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. This year, Gonzales and the city council were accompanied by an enormous U.S. flag and rows of police officers and firefighters and videos lauding the city's and the mayor's efforts to improve neighborhoods, make San Jose friendly to business and bring BART to San Jose.
Local radio personality Lissa Kreisler hosted the event, and Marlene Bjornsrud, general manager of the San Jose CyberRays, the city's champion women's professional soccer team, presented the city's Pride of San Jose and Good Neighbor Recognition awards. The Rev. Gerald Sakamoto of the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin gave the invocation, and Prospect High School teacher Bob Nichols, also a board member of the California Teachers Association, introduced Gonzales.
The mayor tried to engage the audience in San Jose's future. He pointed to the success of his three-year anti-graffiti campaign and encouraged the more than 1,000 people gathered to help with his new program, Pick Up San Jose, to eradicate litter from the city's streets. He also asked the audience to help San Jose remain the nation's safest big city by supporting Measure O in the upcoming election, to build more fire stations, policing centers and a new emergency communications center.
He encouraged people to join the city's volunteer-driven San Jose Prepared, which trains citizens to respond to crises. Each person at the event also received a $10 voucher for downtown restaurants and was exhorted to use them to support the city's local businesses.
Gonzales asked the group to keep the local recession "in perspective," but said the city will continue to work with local businesses and help the unemployed get jobs. The city will also look to streamline its own efficiency, he said.
"We have to make some tough choices," Gonzales said. "But we will protect the critical services for our neighborhoods and for San Jose families."
Among those services, Gonzales said that educating and supporting the city's youth was the most important and said the city would spend $10 million to increase the availability and quality of childcare in the area.
"The day-to-day work of operating a city is important--fixing streets, maintaining parks, protecting public safety," he said. "But if we fail to prepare future generations to lead our city, then we've missed the point."
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
