But, think of all the benefits of your new custom lift and window-cleaning boom to scrub in between the 70-foot glass rotunda and its sunshade!

The San Jose Mercury does some good for a change and has an expose of San Jose's plans to spend $45 million on outfitting their new City Hall (link):

When Mayor Ron Gonzales enters his glitzy conference room atop San Jose's new City Hall, he could dim the lights with his $4,400 touch-screen remote control, then use one finger to fire up his $12,000, 50-inch plasma-screen TV or another to run his $23,200 video teleconferencing system.

On the 17 floors below, 1,800 other city employees would enjoy the benefits of a furniture-and-technology budget that spends an average of $25,000 on each of them. Many would sit in their new $3,600 cubicles and make calls on $400 Internet telephones connected to an $8 million phone-and-computer network...

All is not joy for those civil servants: $5 million is being spent to make their cubicles smaller.

Comments

I thought this type of corruption only took place with profit-oriented corporations like Enron.

I'm soooo disillusioned.

Oh, but that's not the only corruption and boneheaded fiscal irresponsibility going on in San Jose...

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/8963110.htm

Grand jury: Halt BART extension now

In a blistering critique of local transit management, Santa Clara County's civil grand jury on Friday recommended suspending the $4.2 billion BART project to San Jose and disbanding the Valley Transportation Authority's current board of directors.

The transit agency's 12-member board -- made up of a dozen city council members and county supervisors -- has been slow to respond to its ongoing financial crisis and is ``too occupied with other duties to provide direction and effective oversight'' for the transportation agency, the report by the 19-member grand jury said.

The grand jury's recommendations came after the government watchdog group, which is appointed by county judges, spent a year reviewing agency operations. While the report carries no legal weight, it triggers a requirement that the agency issue a formal response. But the report could carry significant political meaning as the transit agency struggles to make its case for state and federal funding, which is supposed to cover a third of the BART extension's cost.

Neither top Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) officials nor San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, BART's leading advocate, commented on the report Friday.

more...

Then there is all the bribe taking and corruption...

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/8953595.htm

S.J. mayor's golf rounds raise gift questions

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/8776428.htm

San Jose councilman vows he'll be cleared of bribery accusation

Meanwhile we can't keep out public park toilets open!!!

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/8592849.htm?1c

Hopping mad in San Jose, Parkgoers Complain About the Planned Summer Closings of Restrooms

San Jose - Look out Chicago, we're gaining on you!!