BREAKING: Chuck Reed's Leadership
3:35 PM - Link to this article.
Don't really know where to begin with this story. So, let's start here.
"If the federal government is going to be doling out money, we'll be asking for our fair share," Reed said. "As the 10th largest city in the country, we should at least get 2 percent. That would be fair."That's our fair Mayor, deciding that San Jose is deserving of a full $14 billion of the bailout money, according to the AP. So while he disparages the "doling out" of money, he's got his hand out. True to Chuck Reed's the-budget's-in-crisis-but-can-I-get-reimbursed-for-parking? tradition.
According to another report from KCBS, the money would go to expanding green business opportunities and (here it comes...) bringing BART to the South Bay. So, what, was Chuck just waiting until Measure B's failure was cemented before making this announcement? An anonymous tipster just reported that City layoffs may be beginning, with eight folks potentially being dropped from the Building Department. Shouldn't any new money go to existing needs first?
But most of all, how on earth can we justify absorbing 2% of the bailout money? We may be the tenth largest city, but we're only .3% of the population of the country. What are we, Alaska?
A dumb and embarrassing move by Chuck Reed. Exactly as we should have expected.
Labels: Chuck Reed
2 Comments:
I've often criticized Reed for continuing the sullen & bullying tactics that he learned and practiced in Berryessa even after he moved up to the city hall.
But his request for federal funds is a break with his past patterns, and one that needs watching. It may represent a new level of unhappiness with the job of mayor.
We all know that he doesn't like the "meet & greet" aspects of being mayor in the same way Gonzales did, at least until the Merc selected Gonzales as its sacrificial lamb, but this is just strange.
The trajectory of Reed's request for a bailout will be interesting to watch, but his request may just be AIG-envy of the most primitive sort.
Either Chuck's math is flawed, or his logic is.
As the nation's 10th-largest city, shouldn't we be getting 10% of the bailout money?
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