Internal Affairs: 'Recent immigrant' and Councilman Kansen Chu admits he's not so poor after all Sunday, June 14, 2009 By the Mercury News Councilman digs a bit deeper to help fix budget Turns out that after publicly fretting over whether he could afford a pay cut, San Jose City Councilman Kansen Chu has determined that he could, in fact, give a little more at the office. Last month, fellow council members Pete Constant and Sam Liccardo suggested the council reduce their $90,000 salaries 3.75 percent and shave $3,000 off the $7,200 they collect each year as a car allowance. Constant and Liccardo called it a gesture to the city workers who the council is asking to forgo raises in light of a $73 million deficit. But the proposal rankled several of their colleagues, notably Chu and Councilwoman Nancy Pyle, who argued not all could afford the combined 7 percent pay cut. (Even though the council last year got the second half of a 20 percent raise it approved two years ago. At the same time, the car allowance also nearly doubled.) Anyway, the council last week agreed only to the salary cut, leaving the car allowance intact. But the next day, Chu — who had urged the council to make some, if not all, of the reductions voluntary — announced in a news release that he would ratchet up his own pay cut to 4 percent and take $150 off the $600 monthly car allowance. "I also have to tighten my belt, so to speak," Chu said, adding: "It sends an important message to the San Jose residents and city employees." So with Chu raising the bar, IA was obliged to find out who else is going beyond the call. Not many, it appears. Pyle, not to be one-upped, said she would reduce her salary 5 percent. Constant said he would abide by his original proposal and take both the 3.75 percent pay cut and just $350 of the monthly car allowance. Liccardo said he'd simply stick with the approved cut, as did Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio, who added that the city could save a lot more money by not subsidizing two money-losing golf courses. Other council members didn't indicate any plans to expand their sacrifice. And Mayor Chuck Reed has noted that he's already going beyond the call, having refused the big raises and car allowance approved two years ago Internal Affairs is compiled by Mercury News staff. This week's items were written by Tracey Kaplan, John Woolfolk, Mike Zapler and Peter Delevett. Send tips to internalaffairs@mercurynews.com or call 408-271-3638.