Tag Archives: Susan Hammer

Op-Ed: Revisiting Silicon Valley’s Best, Worst Political Decisions

A recent column in the Mercury News listed the best and worst local decisions in the last 50 years. Here’s a few more to add to the pile.

San Jose State Proposal to Take Over ‘The Rep’ Goes to Council

City officials are poised to approve a three-year lease that would breathe new life into Hammer Theatre Center, a.k.a. The San Jose Rep, which went dark a year ago due to bankruptcy.

Statue Featuring Rod Diridon Sr. in Works for Diridon Station

A curious cultural taboo has been openly flouted over the last two decades in San Jose, and it seems one local institution could soon double down.

Liccardo Leans on Guardino for Mayoral Transition Team

San Jose Mayor-elect Sam Liccardo announced that an eight-person transition team will help him “identify key initiatives to focus on” during his first term. It appears Carl Guardino, his close friend and CEO of Silicon Valley Leadership Group, will have the loudest voice in the room.

Accountability Mailer or Hit Piece?

Here comes the clutter of political advertisements. The public’s least favorite time of year, when mailboxes are full of negative mailers and television ads assault the senses. First rule to remember: there is nothing that can’t be said in politics, no matter how outrageous the claim.

The Future of San Jose Politics: Change or the Status Quo

The November election will either shift the body politic in San Jose toward change or provide a continuation of the status quo. With the problems facing the city, change should be in the air.

Santa Clara County Needs More Women in Office

Santa Clara County was once the nation’s capital for electing women into office. But a look at our current political landscape shows successful female candidates have become scarcer.

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed Takes Long View in Final State of the City Speech

Chuck Reed spent much of his eighth and final State of the City speech thanking his predecessors while noting that a mayor’s work goes on long after he or she leaves office. Noting that he and past elected officials in San Jose have stood “on the shoulders of giants,” Reed said the work he and the council have carried out in recent years must be viewed outside the prism of four-year term limits. “We have to think in much longer timeframes,” he said.