Letter to former Mayor McEnery regarding Madison's and Chuck's Memorandum

Letter to former Mayor McEnery regarding Madison's and Chuck's Memorandum
HUNG BUI

Mayor McEnery,

As stated in my earlier post, those of us in the knows have been aware of the Councilwoman Nguyen's secretive actions on all important issues affecting the Vietnamese community from the time she was elected to Council. The main reason the community is upset has little to do with the naming issue and a lot to do with how she single-handedly engineered the votes and willing to lie factually to procure her supports. What's even more heavy-handed was the stewardship of Mayor Reed whom we helped elected with the strength of our voting block based on his "honesty and open government" platform. Most of us protested loudly in our own ways to the "undemocratic" method where NO MEMBERS of our community was involved in the naming process, yet the Mayor and Councilmember Nguyen kept insulting us with "artificial" compromises and sway the public that the name and supports for Little Saigon was in the minority all the while telling the whole world that they have emails, phone calls, long lists of supports for the SaigonBusinessDistrict. When we protest that they both fabricate this majority support and asked where this support lists came from, the community is labeled by them in countless interviews as spoiled, bullies, and many other unsavory names.

Mayor Reed and Councilmember Nguyen's press conference that conveniently pushed the issues to a November ballot measure is pure BS. In accordance with Mayor Reed's Sunshine Reform, any malfeasance by any councilmember should be: investigated and if a violation took place, censure and removal is the punishment. The Sunshine Reform Task Force is committed to open, transparent government and the Brown's Act are the major theme. YET THE PRESS CONFERENCE IS ALL ABOUT A DO-OVER AT A DISTANT TIME IN THE FUTURE (HOPING THE FUROR WILL DIE A QUIET DEATH) AND NO MENTION OF THE BROWN'S ACT VIOLATION BY COUNCILMEMBER NGUYEN (POSSIBLY OTHERS) THAT MAYOR REED SET OUT IN HIS REED REFORM TO CLEAN UP AT CITY HALL. WHY? BECAUSE HE PERSONALLY PARTICIPATED IN THIS BROWN'S ACT VIOLATION ALONG WITH NGUYEN WITH HIS STRONG ARM TACTIC FOR HIM AND NGUYEN TO SHOW UP THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY OF WHO'S IN CHARGE.

BROWN'S ACT's THE APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY OF PRIVATE SERIAL COMMUNICATION AMONG COUNCILMEMBERS THAT AFFECT THE VOTE SHOULD BE HIGHLY DISCOURAGED AND AVOIDED.

What we've said all along is that the only members that is knowledgeable on the name voting affecting our community is the eight City Council members that converse among themselves and choose to keep this a secret to the rest of us. Where is the open and transparency in this vote? Why did the Mayor and Nguyen kept us in the dark until 4 days before the votes to hold a press conference wherein they announced that, collectively, the 5 of them, Chirco, Cortese, Liccardo, Nguyen and Reed has struck up a compromise and it is SaigonBusinessDistrict. Then they went on TV and told the mainstream they have converse with many members of the Vietnamese community and this SaigonBusinessDistrict is the name everyone supports from the massive emails, phonecalls and letters they held in their office with LittleSaigon being in the minority. With Forrest Williams' admission, this reaffirmed our fears that the votes were "TAINTED" and decided in private way before November 20th and all this is done under Mayor Reed's SUNSHINE GOVERNMENT watch.

What's troubling is the grandstanding by Mayor Reed and Nguyen on this naming issue. There weren't any talk of a "mulligan" the last 3 months. Vice-Mayor Cortese tried to talk some sense to both of them about the true spirit of a compromise in December since these "Vietnamese", most were and still are their friends, supported all of them and the City of San Jose and were shining example on the diversity and progress in all their previous speeches. Why turn them away and treat them like second class citizens? Their responses? We're right, they're the minority, the issue's voted on, it's over with, let's move on. Digging heels in the sand mentality. Conveniently, when their own member, Williams, accidentally exposed them to a Brown's Act violation, we have them acting contrite and humanitarian. Politics at its best I would say. If this is NORCAL and GRAND PRIX, shouldn't an investigation ensue? Shouldn't members of the public revisit how they arrive at their votes? Shouldn't we be entitled to find out who talked to whom, what was discussed, what letters, emails and lobbying took place? Shouldn't councilmember calendars be disclosed to see which members of the Vietnamese community they talk to other than their money supporters to garner the supports for Saigon Business District.

By pushing for a Citywide ballot, Mayor Reed and Nguyen decided to "screw" the Vietnamese community once again. Two wrongs don't make a right. Since there's not enough Englishwriting or eloquent speakers to voice our opinions to the mainstream, both of them are using political tactics instead of owning up to their malfeasance. They know for sure that they can sway public opinion between now and November 2008 away from their Brown'sAct violation and towards negative feelings against the community by the mainstream by: (1) The Vietnamese community's diverting $350,000 of much needed City budget toward unnecessary ballot measure. (2) If we protest this ballot decision, they will label us as "undemocratic" and "bullies" (3) City wide instead of District 7 where this issue belongs would surely defeat the ballot giving them the victory and accolade they are hoping to get (4) they know the votes for this Presidential election is large with Latinos and whites voting heavily. If they can stir up enough acrimonies between those communities using "racial overtones", surely, the votes will swing their way.

Another bullsh*t compromise!

Why do they continue to ignore surveys after survey and the people's voice to demonstrate their "strength". Let's take the whole vote off the table, don't even revote for the name. Just vote for a banner since it's already in the works and let the RDA works with the community to reflect the wants of the community in terms of artwork, designs, logo, flag and NAME. After all, aren't we the ones that are affected by the banner since we are mostly the ones that shop and do business in that district?

Reed Reforms 2 and 3 called for expanding the oath of office to include pledges to follow the city charter, put "service above self" and promise "no lying, no cheating, no stealing."

No lying. No explanation needed
No cheating. A Brown's Act violator is a cheater of a public vote and public confidence.
No stealing. The Public Trust is the golden rod that was stolen on November 20th, 2007.

HUNG BUI

http://www.sjvoters4democracy.com/e/letter_mcenery.htm