Latest News from around West San Jose
December 11 - Councilmember Constant and Captain Calderon at the Mayor's Gang Prevention community meeting to discuss the recent shootings on Cadillac.
News Releases
October 19, 2007
Constant Recommends City Council Action to Reduce Dangers of Second-Hand Porn at Public Libraries
READ MORE: Pete Constant in the News (Read Additonal Articles) »
SEE ALSO: Pete Constant in the News Archives »June 18, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Budget deal to add 25 cops
"We can save money without impacting services," said Councilman Pete Constant, a retired cop and current pension fund trustee. "This is by all accounts a great idea."June 16, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose mayor, councilwoman verbally tussle over hiring more cops
Constant put it more bluntly. "We have to balance the budget without playing political games and grandstanding," said Constant, in a jab at Campos, who has raised her profile in recent months by sharply criticizing the mayor.June 11, 2008
The Metro, Certified Crazy
Constant summed up the surprise result like this: "Look how much the Vietnamese love me, and I'm not Vietnamese." Indeed, Constant became something of a hero in the Viet community when he supported the popular Little Saigon name for the business district. "I think people are looking for more conservatism in the fiscal areas," says Constant. "You can't deny we are in a financial crunch."June 6, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, S.J. mayor wants to hire 25 new cops despite deficit, but police union not satisfied
"I think it's a step in the right direction," said Councilman Pete Constant, a retired policeman. "In a perfect world, we'd all like to do more. It's such a delicate balancing act to provide all the services throughout the city."May 31. 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Anti-porn test not too revealing
Constant said afterward the demo went "as I expected." While the demonstration may not have swayed any critics, Constant noted that several council member aides were in the room quietly observing. "Those are the ones that count," he said.May 30, 2008
KGO TV, Councilman pushes for computer filters
"I think we need to make sure that our libraries are safe friendly environments for families and children, number one. And number two, I don't think it's our responsibility as a city to pay for and provide pornography to people," said Constant.May 29, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Councilman plans demo of porn filter
San Jose City Councilman Pete Constant on Friday will host a public demonstration of technology he says can effectively filter Internet pornography without impeding legitimate research.May 22, 2008
West San Jose Resident, Groups take sides in debate over blocking porn on library computers
Despite opposition from San Jose's Library Commission, Youth Commission and the city's library director, Councilman Pete Constant is not backing down in his bid to filter pornography on library computers. "My intent is to make libraries clean, safe and attractive places. Kids shouldn't be exposed to porn," Constant said.May 15, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose council to reconsider policy on porn filters at libraries
Councilman Pete Constant in October asked the council to reconsider its current policy, adopted in 1997, which allows unfiltered Web access at all city libraries. He said the policy has made libraries a magnet for men viewing porn and exposing themselves in public, resulting in more than a dozen arrests at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. main library.May 14, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, S.J. council to keep legal memo about developers secret
Councilman Pete Constant, a property rights advocate, had pushed for the release of the controversial memo. "Unfortunately, this practice has expanded," Constant wrote in requesting the information be released.May 10, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose retirement officials' pricey travel paid at pensions' expense
"When you're traveling on the public's money, you need to be cautious about how much money you're spending," said Councilman Pete Constant. He is a trustee of the pension fund for the city's civilian workers and, as a retired policeman, a beneficiary of San Jose's other pension
May 7, 2008
San Jose Biz Journal, San Jose City Council won't allow rezoning of 7 acres near Santana Row
Pete Constant, Forrest Williams, Nora Campos and David Cortese and Nancy Pyle voted in favor of the proposal.May 2, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Nguyen recall effort is just plain wrong
Nguyen's service to San Jose should be judged not by this one issue, but by everything she has done since taking office. Attempting to recall her will splinter the community, pit leaders against each other and reopen wounds that will take years to heal.May 1, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Cities worry about 911 fee
San Jose Councilman Pete Constant called 911 "one of the most essential core city services that we offer, and I don't think you should be taxed for it. That's what we pay our basic property and other taxes for."April 30, 2008
The Metro, I Love a Staff In Uniform
The whole point is to make his staff stand out at these events so that constituents and other folks know them, Constant said, and he claims that at a recent event, the uniform was a hit. "It looks professional for all of us to wear matching shirts and jackets," Constant said. "It really looked like we knew what we were doing."April 30, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Later hours for downtown S.J. nightlife
Councilman Pete Constant, a retired police officer, backed the chief. "I really am concerned about some of the public safety issues," he said, "and the strain we continue to put on the department as we give them more and more to do with less resources."April 25, 2008
San Jose Biz Journal, Small signs, big problem
"This doesn't make sense for an auto row when right across the street is the city of Santa Clara, which makes it much easier to do business," says San Jose Councilman Pete Constant, who called the code "almost incomprehensible," requiring business owners to hire consultants to decipher it. "As a city we should be giving them the tools to succeed," Constant says. "There was a time in San Jose when signs were equal to bad. We still have that mentality."April 17, 2008
San Jose Resident, West San Jose neighborhood gets stop sign after years of trying
Wardall did not give up. He succeeded in obtaining another traffic study a year later with the help of District 1 Councilman Pete Constant. "He was very committed, and it is good to see people whose actions speak louder than words," Constant said.April 11, 2008
West San Jose Resident, Valley Fair mall hosts walking event for seniors
"The purpose of this walk is to motivate seniors," said San Jose City Councilman Pete Constant, who hosted the event. "This is the biggest year yet," Constant said of the event that drew more than double the participants than previous years.April 8, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Leaders talk budget with public
Constant compared the city's money woes to that of a family that overspends. "We have done a great job charging," he said, "but we haven't done a great job paying off those balances."April 7, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose leaders look to loosen downtown restrictions for street vendor
Councilmembers Nancy Pyle, Pete Constant, Nora Campos and Sam Liccardo showed early support for the idea, but Liccardo questioned whether more street vendors would sap money from street fairs. Attendance has dropped at some events, and organizers of the San Jose Jazz Festival and Christmas in the Park indicated that sponsors do not like outside competition. Constant said it seemed unfair to make vendors leave when big crowds visit downtown.March 25, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Pizarro: Flying Colors
Normally, flag-raising ceremonies are held during the week, but San Jose City Councilman Pete Constant - whose father immigrated to the United States from Greece - wanted it to take place last Saturday so more families could attend. "My father came here with nothing and built a better life for his family through hard work and determination," Constant said. "He also taught us to be proud of our Greek heritage, through our church and, of course, Greek food."March 20, 20008
San Jose Mercury News, Petition about 'Little Saigon' called bogus, but not illegal
"These individuals are not under oath," Councilman Pete Constant said. "They didn't sign anything saying they were testifying under penalty of perjury."
March 5, 2008
NBC11, SJ 'Little Saigon' Name Debate In New Hands
"I'm very confident that what I saw was a significant number of people that were on the side of Little Saigon," Constant said. "There is a consensus or an overwhelming majority."March 5, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose council again shoots down 'Little Saigon' name
Constant agreed, saying business owners who came forward only in recent weeks to voice their opposition to the name had missed their chance. "You can't show up late to the prom and then complain that you missed the first dance, and that is exactly what is happening here," Constant said.February 28, 2008
The Almaden Times Weekly, Breaking ground for new SJPD home
“We have to stop putting things off to pay for later,” said Councilmember Pete Constant at the Dec. 18 council meeting prior to the vote approving construction. “We can’t ignore the fact that we not only have a $175 million deficit, we also have $700 million in deferred maintenance. We really need to struggle with those issues. I can’t see making sacrifices in infrastructure and public safety…” he said.February 21, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose budget process secretive, critics say
Constant said: "I don't see anything improper with those types of informative meetings. . . . Now, if we'd agendized to accept those recommendations and put them into the budget, then I wouldn't have been comfortable."February 21, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose city auditor's right to examine travel costs questioned
The council's Rules and Open Government Committee voted 2-1 to revisit the matter in two weeks so lawyers for the city and the trustees could discuss their differences. That suggestion was made by Councilman Pete Constant, who is a beneficiary of one pension fund and a trustee of the other.
February 20, 2008
The Metro, Mr. Saigon
It was at that meeting that many Vietnamese-Americans stepped up to the microphone to endorse Chu's proposal—which was co-authored by Councilman Pete Constant. It gave Constant a funny feeling inside. "I got the feeling he went out and drummed up people to come forth," Constant said. "You might speculate ... not only is Daisy running, but he is running.February 16, 2008
The New York Times, In San Jose, Disputes and Anger After Vote on Street Name
“You simply can’t impose a community name on a community,” said Councilman Pete Constant, one of three members to support the Little Saigon name. “It was clear to me there was almost unanimous support for Little Saigon,” Mr. Constant said. “I felt it was my job to help the community get ownership of the name.”February 14, 2008
FogCityJournal.com, San Jose City Council schedules vote for naming of Vietnamese business district
"We owe it to the community to have certainty, to have some consistency to what we do,'' Councilman Pete Constant said at Wednesday's committee meeting. "In this case we've kind of made a mess.''February 10, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Dispute colors Tet celebration
Little Saigon politics have split the city council, leading to unprecedented no-shows at an event that celebrates the heritage of 10 percent of San Jose residents. But councilmen Kansen Chu, Dave Cortese, Pierluigi Oliverio, Pete Constant and Forrest Williams enthusiastically participated in the parade.
February 10, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, A night of dueling galas in Silicon Valley
Golden Circle is a dizzying affair to say the least. I ran into far too many people to mention, though I’ll give it a shot: ...Pete and Julie Constant...
February 9, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Reed recasts 911 fee opinion
San Jose Councilman Pete Constant, also a critic of the 911 fee, appreciates Reed's dilemma. He hasn't decided whether the council should seek a vote on the fee, noting that "we haven't been very successful" asking voters to approve taxes.
February 8, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Internal Affairs: Guess Who's Coming to the Tet Parade
So for members of the public who are actually capable of recognizing a city council member, look for Forrest Williams, Pete Constant, Pierluigi Oliverio, Dave Cortese and Kansen Chu riding up Market Street in classic Thunderbird convertibles.February 8, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, 'Little Saigon' vote in question
Councilman Pete Constant - one of three council members who voted against the Nov. 20 motion, citing concerns the community was being steamrolled - said the matter should be investigated."If you know that people are going to be with you and follow you whatever the name is going to be, I think that is a violation," Constant said. "I think the Brown Act is pretty clear."February 1, 2008
The Vanguard, Featured Article: Councilmember Pete Constant
"My goal is to get District 1 organized into neighborhood organizations to bring back that sense of community-people who know each other, socialize with each other, help each other-I've been very successful in starting neighborhood organizations and getting the leadership started and getting different parts of the district to work together so that they are not reinventing the wheel. On the City-wide level, my number one priority is the budget." Constant said.February 1, 2008
West San Jose Resident, 'City paves way for new public access TV studio'
At a Jan. 17 meeting of the city's public safety, finance and strategic support committee, city staff members described the changes to Councilmembers Pete Constant, Pierluigi Oliverio, Madison Nguyen and Forrest Williams, and they indicated their early support.January 30, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Peace sought in 'Saigon' dispute
Councilman Pete Constant - who voted against Saigon Business District out of concern the council was ignoring popular sentiment - was surprised by Cortese's sudden turn. "It's kind of late to start on these efforts," Constant said. "The listening should have started before the council's vote."January 28, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose council calendars out of date
"I'm disappointed," said Councilman Pete Constant, who began posting his calendar online with weekly updates in March - months before the council made it a requirement. "It's disheartening to me to see council members not taking this as seriously as they should. I feel it's important that the public knows what we're doing."January 27, 2008
San Jose Mercury News, Pizarro: 'Body Worlds' is a Tech Museum blockbuster, attracting 285,000
But while the financial picture was good, Friess was even happier about the visibility gained by the Tech. Saturday morning, he said, San Jose City Councilman Pete Constant visited the exhibit.
January 11, 2008
West San Jose Resident, Constant backs new memorial for SJ's public safety officials
"I think it's important that there's a memorial that reminds the general public of the ultimate sacrifice by city employees to keep people safe," Constant said.January 3, 2008
West San Jose Resident, 'Cheap Hauling' trucks face scrutiny from some neighbors
"I'm very concerned that the company is doing business without regard to the image and appearance of our community." Constant said.December 24, 2007
San Jose Mercury News, Offical hopes for San Jose memorial
"It is important that cities recognize the extreme sacrifices made by our public safety employees," said Constant, a former police officer, who retired after being injured during an undercover drug enforcement arrest in 1997. "We can't forget that ultimate sacrifice that people have made on behalf of every single resident of the city."
December 22, 2007
San Jose Mercury News, Some reservists pressed on debt to city after return from duty
"I'm shocked the city would be going this aggressively," said Councilman Pete Constant. "We know who they are. We should be sitting down with them and seeing where the problem is. We have to face the fact that these guys didn't cause the problem, the city made the mistake."December 21, 2007
West San Jose Resident, Local residents get update from police about recent shootings
"It is our job to take the youth back, take the streets back, but we need your help." Constant said.December 8, 2007
San Jose Mercury News, Homicide level still climbing
The increase in gang violence "is as serious as they think it is, and we will talk with them how we can deal with it." Constant said. "The important thing to remember is these mostly are not random acts of violence. As a resident, I don't worry about walking down the street and getting shot."December 4, 2007
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose councilwoman won't cross picket line to go meetings
"We still have a city to run," said Councilman Pete Constant. " We have a responsibility not only to our employees, but all our residents who are not on strike."November 30, 2007
West San Jose Resident, City leaders OK 2-year project to hear more from neighbors
"I just want to make sure that it's implemented in a way that empowers neighborhoods and doesn't hinder them," Constant said. "It's a good place for things that fall through the cracks, and that's not to say they just get the scraps."
November 15, 2007
San Jose Mercury News, Porn filters' costs tallied
Councilman wants San Jose to reconsider Internet filtering at libraries.November 8, 2007
San Jose Mercury News, San Jose considers citywide 'green building' rules
"When you start mandating and regulating in a haphazard way, there's no way the market is going to respond well."October 21, 2007
San Jose Mercury News, Councilman wants San Jose libraries to block online porn
"The libraries do not protect children from viewing pornographic and obscene images on the Internet or from others who are publicly viewing such material," Constant said. "It is unlikely that this is the kind of 'education' parents expect their children to get at San Jose libraries."
October 19, 2007
ABC 7, Plan To Ban Porn Sites At S.J. Libraries
"I'm a father of five children, five small young children that I like to take to the library very frequently. I think we need to make our libraries a safe place for our children," says Constant.
October 18, 2007
San Jose Mercury News, Council members snipe over East San Jose fire station
"When we are spending the public's money, we need to look at the best value in every purchase we make," Constant said. "It is every council member's job to be a shepherd of the public's money."October 17, 2007
KGO TV, Plans For Expanded Free Parking Delayed
"San Jose's parking perks may be the last of a dying breed. Gone are the federal rebates for buying a hybrid and the state has now run out of those carpool stickers for hybrid drivers."October 5, 2007
San Jose Mercury News, Parochialism leads to wasteful San Jose spending
"Mutual purpose must lead the way in decision-making, not the interests of one district or one project. As council members, we should be concerned about delivering appropriate levels of city services to all districts, not about how many dollars we are delivering to our own."October 5, 2007
San Jose Mercury News, Task force backs fuller disclosure of arrest reports
"If we do anything that hinders our ability to arrest criminals and hold them accountable, that would be a travesty," said Councilman Pete Constant, a retired police officer. "The safety of our public has to be No. 1, period."October 3, 2007
Metro Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley News Notes: The Audit Couple
"I clearly am troubled if there is work being done that has not been reported to the council, especially if it's outside the authority that has been granted to her," Constant said. "We deserve an answer."September 30, 2007
San Jose Mercury News, Internal Affairs: Campos playing with fire on fire station plan
"'I am confident that there was a violation of the Brown Act,' Constant told IA."September 7, 2007
San Jose Biz Journal, Fight begins over city's plan to expand affordable housing
Councilmember Pete Constant made perhaps the most telling observation of the day. He reminded his fellows that when the city of San Jose sought to speed high-density, high-rise housing development in downtown several years ago, it eliminated the inclusionary housing requirement for a period of time. "This (proposal) is the opposite," he noted.
