Pensioner/Pension Board Overseer/City Councilmember Pete Constant saw costs increase for the police/firefighter pensions 167% since he started his own retirement in 2000 -- a little over 7 times the Consumer Price Index for the Bay Area. When Constant joined the pension board 2 years ago he might have tried to figure out why, but he didn’t. Now that the Merc. is doing its Watch Dog best to investigate, Constant has decided, "We cannot as a council lose sight of the overall fiscal health of the city." Too bad Constant wasn’t this interested 2 years ago, or during the 6 years he received his own benefits. The Merc’s Editorial board jumps into the act pointing out the bonus checks to retirees is a problem -- um, yeah...especially when the funds lost a billion dollars recently. The Council is discussing this today...to be continued...
The Mayor Reed Drunk Task Force meets for the first time Thursday, 4 months after the racial profiling question was splattered across the pages of the Merc. Task Force member Bea Mendez, Silicon Valley Latino Democratic Forum, was concerned upon seeing this note in the staff report seeking “an expert on alcohol issues in the Latino community.” Mendez apparently thought the Task Force was all about racial profiling and San Jose’s arrest record which far outpaced the rest of the State. Why did she think that? Just because that was what the Task Force was supposed to be...but then the City's professional staff got involved. Task Force Chair/City Manager Debra Figone was quick to backtrack from the alcohol expert issue. Now, she says, "Our focus is police practices and developing noncriminal and alternative approaches to arrests (for public intoxication). It is not the issue of the use of alcohol among the Latino community." Figone’s second in command, Norberto Duenas provides proof that he has an outstanding command of the obvious: "I think we could have written it a different way.” You think? Task Force member and local ACLU head, Skyler Porras, responded, "I don't think the police department or the city ever does anything by mistake. My real concern is that the city may be moving to avoid the underlying issue." (You go girl!) All of this gives credence to what Councilmember Liccardo said the day the Task Force was set up..."[Task Forces] are where good ideas go to die..." From the looks of things, death has already started...
The Merc.’s Sal Pizzaro talks about the buzz around the South Bay about who is going to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration. Tamara Alvarado, director of 1stACT, and her husband, Julian Peeples, optimistically booked their trip in June. Also in the news, Congressmember Mike Honda’s ticket recipients included Stanford freshman Amani Green who made her own rap video to ask for a ticket.
San Jose has suffered its first murder of 2009, a young man was found shot to death in an East Side driveway. Police spokesman, Jermaine Thomas, said it’s unclear if it was a gang related shooting.
Los Gatos celebrated Police Officers Joe Romeo and Bryan Paul for rescuing residents whose car slid off the driveway and nearly 700 feet down a hillside embankment last October. Mayor Mike Wasserman, Vice Mayor Diane McNutt, Councilmember Joe Pirzynski, and Town Manager Greg Larson attended the officers' celebration. After officers freed the man, the car dragged Officer Romeo before he was able to escape, the car then slide down the hill, crashing into a tree.
Although the Morgan Hill School Board has cut $3 million from its budget, they may have to cut an additional $5.2 million. Board President Don Moody said closing a school is one of many options on the table and added, "It's premature for families to start getting emotional about it." Board Member Peter Mandel said that since enrollment is up the District may actually need another school and, "That is completely opposite to another scenario - we can't afford that, the general fund wouldn't support it, and we'll have to find ways to contract and not to expand." Britton Home and School Club President Lydie Jones has started a letter writing campaign attacking Sacramento legislators saying, "I hope (the State Legislators) understand the ramifications of their inaction." Ms. Jones, State Legislators understand the ramifications of their actions...they just don't care...
Watch Dog has followed Ante Bilic’s hopeful attempts to bring ta-ta’s to the garlic capital of the world with a club near Gilroy’s outlet mall. (Garlic Ta-Ta's would be a pretty good name for the club actually...) It looks like Home Depot lawyers have been following this issue as closely as we have. Home Depot's (well-funded) Watch Dogs have sniffed out dusty documents on file at Gilroy City Hall which prevents adult entertainment facilities in the mall. Watch Dog apology, a previous article should have said Gilroy Planners (i.e. Planning Department) not the Planning Commission, recommended approval of plans. The Planning Commission actually meets Thursday to make a recommendation. Gilroy Councilmembers meet later that night to review the mess. According to the Gilroy Dispatch poll, opinion runs 64% against Garlic Ta-Ta's. Perhaps Ante Bilic should show up with some of the future employees -- that might make things go a bit smoother...
Also on tap at Thursday's Gilroy Planning Commission meeting is a lively debate about cell phone towers and a report written by a T-Mobile engineer saying towers pose no health problems. (That's like tabacco companies testifying before Congress, no?) Also at issue is whether T-Mobile and Gilroy's City staff goofed by not looking at alternative sites for the proposed tower. Planning Commissioner Ben Anderson said, "We need an independent review at the applicant's expense," and described T-Mobile's alternative analysis as armchair engineering. "That was some guy pulling out a picture file and saying, 'Yeah, that'll work.'"
Dogs of all sizes (including us?) have a new place to play in Gilroy, the Las Animas Veterans (dog) Park. The big christening party is Saturday January 31. "I've been to dog parks in New York City to San Francisco, so it will be used. We just need to get the word out," said Donna Pray, Executive Director of the Gilroy Foundation and owner of Reggie, a yellow Labrador retriever.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
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