U.S. Patent Office in Silicon Valley

The U.S. Patent Office is working to reduce the patent approval process from an average of three years to a more competitive 18 months.
Kudos to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Patent Office Director David Kappos - a former IBM Executive - for streamlining a notoriously bureaucratic process.
In Silicon Valley, we know that three years equates to about four product cycles, slowing down innovation and job creation. It’s time for step two - a regional patent office in Silicon Valley. A regional office was recently approved - not for the world’s Capitol of Innovation - but for Detroit, Michigan.
Really.
Legislation is under consideration for three more regional offices. Silicon Valley is a natural. On April 14, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and Joint Venture: Silicon Valley will host Mr. Kappos to rally support for a regional office, right here in Silicon Valley. Let’s break down barriers to innovation, rather than erect them. To join us, visit SVLG.org.

San Jose City Councilman Sam Liccardo

Two public sector labor unions took to the pages of the San Jose Mercury News for a 600-word op/ed personally attacking San Jose City Councilmember Sam Liccardo about recent concerns he raised on budget and pension reforms currently under consideration.

Councilman Liccardo praised the progress of discussions with the firefighters union, but fears it's not enough to adequately address the budget shortfall.

One can agree or disagree with his assessment, but that debate should focus on dollars and cents, not demonizing the messenger with personal attacks and character assaults. In 600 words, the two union leaders didn't deny Liccardo's logic. Instead, they cast aspersions on his motives.

Let's back-up. We're best served when we attack issues - rather than the individuals or institutions who raise them.

California State Budget

As Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones reminds us, “You can’t always get what you want – but you can get what you need.”
That is the tune Governor Jerry Brown is singing to both Democrat and Republican state legislators, as he tries to close a 26 billion dollar hole in our state budget.
• Painful cuts
• Temporary tax extensions

On March 8, SunPower CEO Tom Werner – chair of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Board of Directors, along with board member Tim Guertin, CEO of Varian, accompanied me to Sacramento for an hour-long dialogue with the Governor on his budget. We also had an in-depth discussion on the need for:
• A California jobs & economic plan,
• Meaningful budget & governance reforms
• Pension reform
• Regulatory reform

We urge legislators to find common ground, both on the budget and these important issues. This budget has items everyone can hate & everyone can love. Done right – legislators may not get everything they want, but Californians will get what we need: a balanced budget and a path forward.

The Tour of California

For the fourth straight year, the Tour of California professional bicycle race is coming to San José. On May 18, some of the best cyclists on the planet will climb to a breath-taking mountain-top finish up Sierra Road – a 3.9 mile climb at an average grade of 12 percent.
Yet the real climb was made by Mayor Reed and the San José City Council, to keep the race in San José during difficult budget times.
To underwrite the race, the city sought a public-private partnership – in this case with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group – to raise roughly half the money.
Such is the respect among Valley employers for the mayor, the council and the city, that in one email to a small segment of our member companies, more than $150,000 was pledged – most from Valley firms not headquartered in San José, but part of the Silicon Valley family.
The Tour of California is much more than a bicycle race, it is a celebration of health and fitness. It also represents a viable option to the automobile and is a great example of the private sector stepping up to the plate to work with our public sector partners.
It’s not possible to fund every worthy request, but these partnerships – whether through time, talent or treasure – will further strengthen the bonds that make our Valley a community.

Measure A

Education and affordable homes are critical to our Valley’s success.
Sadly, these important building blocks of a strong economy and community are often pitted against each other. That is exactly what has happened in North San Jose with Measure A.
Measure A is a ballot measure before the voters of North San Jose within the Santa Clara Unified School District. It would place a tax on housing in order to pay for education costs. I have supported many tax and bond measures to fund schools, however, this tax is too high. It will stifle new construction jobs and put a significant economic development plan at risk. This is particularly alarming because North San Jose has been tagged by the region as an important growth area. Due to its central location to job centers and proximity to the airport and transit infrastructure, it is viewed as an appropriate location in which to direct future growth and economic development.
We can have our cake and eat it too – quality schools, homes for our workforce and a strong economy. There is no doubt that we need to plan for and fund future school needs but Measure A is not the right way to do it."

Meeting with Governor Jerry Brown

In Silicon Valley, content is king, while attire and appearance are all but irrelevant.

It was refreshing to see that our new Governor, Jerry Brown, understands this.

Last week, the Silicon Valley leadership group hosted a meeting with governor brown in his capitol office with 18 business leaders from throughout the state. In walked our Governor, wearing old tennis shoes and a 15-year old sweat-suit, complete with a hole in one pant leg.

It was completely disarming, absolutely endearing and entirely befitting of a meeting with anyone from Silicon Valley. With a $25 billion budget deficit, a 12 percent unemployment rate; and a need for jobs and economic competitiveness, pension and governance reforms, solutions and substance trump tailored suits & ties.

Our governor flies Southwest, eschews fancy shoes and travels solo.

He may not spend too much time wrestling with a neck-tie, but he is investing the time to grapple with the tough issues facing our state. I'll take that trade-off every time.

Governor, keep wearing those running shoes. Fixing our state will be a marathon - not a sprint - and Silicon Valley stands ready to run that race with you.

Silicon Valley needs a direct flight to Tokyo

Growing up, I was a fan of the Harlem Globetrotters. However, I have never been a fan of globetrotting local elected officials, who believe it is their job to trek around the planet.

I make an exception for San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, who hates frivolous travel as much as me. This past week, we traveled together to Tokyo - wheels up to wheels down: 71 hours.

The reason: meetings with the CEO and senior staff of ANA, Japan’s second largest airline, as we seek a direct flight between San Jose International and Tokyo.

More than 400 Silicon Valley residents take the trek daily to SFO - the airport with the worst on-time performance in the U.S. - to fly to Tokyo. It would be easier, more efficient and more economical to fly from San Jose, the airport with the nation's best on-time performance, and that is the mayor's and my shared goal.

It is refreshing to have a mayor who would rather work to improve our city than engage in foreign policy, but it is equally refreshing to know that when he does travel, it is solely when it is in the city's, and our valley's, best interest. Mayor Reed: globetrotter - no. World-class - yes.