Comments on: Sunnyvale in 2010 http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/05/21/sunnyvale-in-2010/ my semi-regular stream of consciousness Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:54:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Adam Nash http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/05/21/sunnyvale-in-2010/#comment-9067 Adam Nash Sat, 30 May 2009 05:38:17 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/?p=957#comment-9067 This is very, very interesting. Do you have any insight on how much progress is being made to restart the Sunnyvale downtown efforts? Not sure I love seeing that $7-$8M in additional costs are due to pensions. In some ways, having 20-year planning is almost insufficient compared to having 30-50 year liabilities on your books. Adam This is very, very interesting. Do you have any insight on how much progress is being made to restart the Sunnyvale downtown efforts?

Not sure I love seeing that $7-$8M in additional costs are due to pensions. In some ways, having 20-year planning is almost insufficient compared to having 30-50 year liabilities on your books.

Adam

]]> By: John Lilly http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/05/21/sunnyvale-in-2010/#comment-9037 John Lilly Tue, 26 May 2009 14:39:15 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/?p=957#comment-9037 Hey Gerv -- What I mean specifically, is that the benefits of dealing with this (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime downturn do not outweigh the negative consequences of the financial straitjacket that happens in all of the other periods. Hey Gerv — What I mean specifically, is that the benefits of dealing with this (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime downturn do not outweigh the negative consequences of the financial straitjacket that happens in all of the other periods.

]]> By: Gerv http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/05/21/sunnyvale-in-2010/#comment-9033 Gerv Tue, 26 May 2009 11:56:31 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/?p=957#comment-9033 Right. But my point is that you can't call it _over_-constraining without repudiating the benefits of that constrainment. You can either have "easy to do new things" or you can have "safe in a crisis". Or a mix which is half and half. But you can't have the full benefits of both. Right. But my point is that you can’t call it _over_-constraining without repudiating the benefits of that constrainment. You can either have “easy to do new things” or you can have “safe in a crisis”. Or a mix which is half and half. But you can’t have the full benefits of both.

]]> By: Jim http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/05/21/sunnyvale-in-2010/#comment-9029 Jim Tue, 26 May 2009 05:14:41 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/?p=957#comment-9029 John's right in his description. Sunnyvale's 20-year budgeting process helps minimize disasters like this one. But it makes it extremely difficult to do new things, because you have to provide for the added cost of the new thing for the next 20 years right when you want to add it. So it makes the City resistant to new things, not by philosophy, but by inertia. John’s right in his description. Sunnyvale’s 20-year budgeting process helps minimize disasters like this one. But it makes it extremely difficult to do new things, because you have to provide for the added cost of the new thing for the next 20 years right when you want to add it. So it makes the City resistant to new things, not by philosophy, but by inertia.

]]> By: Gerv http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/05/21/sunnyvale-in-2010/#comment-9024 Gerv Mon, 25 May 2009 13:55:28 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/?p=957#comment-9024 How can such planning be over-constraining in normal times but incredibly helpful when faced with "financial meltdown"? Surely it's only able to be incredibly helpful now because it was conservative in the past, and thereby built up the budget stabilization fund? You can't have it both ways :-) How can such planning be over-constraining in normal times but incredibly helpful when faced with “financial meltdown”? Surely it’s only able to be incredibly helpful now because it was conservative in the past, and thereby built up the budget stabilization fund? You can’t have it both ways :-)

]]>