No more WAITING 4 OR MORE HOURS to speak for 60 seconds AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS

 "Thank You Natalie!"  

link:  sign this petition.  

Not knowing when, or whether, or how long the wait will be to speak during open mic at city council meetings is BLATANTLY DISRESPECTFUL and wrong.  It should be formally, legally, changed to recognize, respect and honor the people who volunteer their precious, valuable time and energy to participate in our democratic, free speech, process. 

our current system is of the council, by the council, for the council. 

we need to return to,  -of the people, by the people, for the people!

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it was during our very hard; very long; very time and life consuming 

NOTonNOBLE 

protest we experienced the following:

open mics at city council meetings were:

1.  on what days? at what times?   it was difficult to even access basic information

2.  open mics were sometimes suddenly canceled 

3.  open mic times were arbitrarily changed

4.  open mic times went from 2 minutes, to 1 minute even when there were only 12 people..

but the MOST GRIEVOUS practice 

is that the city council members could  (and did) talk for as long as they wanted; with enormous amounts of repetitiveness, intentionally droning on and on,  

causing anyone who showed up for open mic to wait

and wait...   and wait....   and wait...   FOR HOURS!  -The majority of these people already working full time, taking care of children, parents, commuting long hours, having to skip dinner and hire child care to even show up.  Already going way out of their way to arrive; to attend, TO SHARE 60 seconds of something very important to them, which they took the time to write in advance.

We suggest the following in rough draft form:

An easily accessible and very clear communication regarding set days and times for open mics.

That open mics be made available every city council meeting.

That there be alternating times;  day time availability; evening availability

i.e., Tues 7pm, open mic,  [first come, first serve/listen; a maximum time of 1 hour]

       Weds, noon, open mic...

*****

i further share, from our experience, having witnessed and sat through numerous city council meetings; that the length of your current meetings are very much self-inflicted.

if you had time limits, per council member, 

the same way open mics are restricted to 60 seconds, and force the speaker to edit accordingly

if you gave yourselves time limits per subject, this would also force you to pre-consider; force you to prioritize and organize your thoughts before you speak, 

which would save enormous amounts of time that is currently wasted

and help you to demonstrate the efficiency you desire from others. 

*** 

selah! & amen

from open mics @ San Jose City Council Budget Mtg 02/11/2025 by Robert & Sandra Mickanen, Tom Wilson

ROBERT MICKANEN’S 2 minute open mic @ san jose city council budget meeting 2/11/2025

youtube link here: @ 4:29:48   

  (which he waited nearly 4 hours in council chambers to share)

The term homeless is too one-sided and misleading. The homeless we see on the streets are not in their situation because of financial difficulty.  The people who end up homeless are the ones who destroy their relationships by their own actions. The actions that force friends, family, and apartment managers to have these dysfunctional people removed from their residence are as follows:

physical violent assaults,

intimidation,

 fear,

 threats,

stealing,

destroying the property,

drug addiction,

verbal assault,

conducting criminal activity,

 not respecting others,

not obeying the home rules,

 filth,

and refusing to be productive and get a job.

Just draining their friends and family financially and mentally. After many chances, there comes a point when their friends and family can’t take the abuse from them anymore and they must leave.

I worked as a Correctional Deputy for Santa Clara County for 27 years and spent a large portion of my time working the maximum-security jail units.  Many of the inmates housed in these units were homeless, violent, mentally ill, or drug addicted individuals. They were placed in single cells because they were a danger to others.  While they were in jail they were provided treatment.  When they got released, they went back to living on the streets with no treatment. 

These individuals need to be given a bed at a treatment facility, allowing them to get help, and by doing so, helps keep the public safe.  By not receiving treatment in a facility, these individuals not only get worse, but they also continue to commit crimes.  They are rearrested repeatedly.  Going in and out of jail. This is putting an unnecessary burden on our Law Enforcement.

My sister was murdered by her son, who was violent, mentally ill, and drug addicted.  He was for years in and out of jail for assaultive crimes.  Each time after being released, he did not receive treatment for his behavior.  His assaultive behavior grew exceedingly more violent each time, resulting in the murder of my sister.

*****

SANDRA MICKANEN’S 2 minute open mic @ san jose city council budget meeting 2/11/2025

  (which i waited nearly 4 hours in council chambers to share)

 

******

TOM WILSON'S 2 minute open mic @ san jose city council budget meeting 2/11/2025

  (which he waited nearly 4 hours in council chambers to share)

Our City’s budget deficit is alarming, but not surprising. The City Council has poured millions into non-profits to counter homelessness, but the spending is merely funding failure. Guided by homeless advocates, non-profits have enabled the unhoused to camp in squalor in our city, while providing little or no help to those in need of mental health and drug addiction treatment.

Surrounding, cities have had similar outcomes with their non-profits and advocates, and are now trying new, tough-love strategies, like strictly prohibiting camping in public. Unfortunately, the individuals displaced by other cities will go to where public camping is tolerated, like here in San Jose. To counter this, you must adopt similar policies to our neighbors. We cannot afford to house the entire Bay Area homeless population!

For our existing six thousand unhoused individuals, we must build temporary, emergency, congregate shelter like Dignity Acres, until permanent solutions are found.

Here is my 3-part plan for reducing the homeless population in our City:

Number one: Redefine San Jose’s “sanctuary city” policy. Since we have no sanctuary, or shelter to offer, we should not attract more unhoused people here with an offer of sanctuary.

Number two: Rather than investing in temporary, high cost, low density, tiny homes, we must partner with the County to build mental health and drug rehabilitation facilities. Until these are built and staffed, tent-cities like “Dignity Acres” must be implemented on an emergency basis. 

Number three: Hire more police dedicated to enforcing laws to: 

A. prohibit public camping and littering

B. to prohibit unregistered vehicles from parking on city streets, and…

C. to enforce a strict “no-return” policy for cleared encampments.