Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Morning News Round-Up -- 2.11.09: Newsom (and Coto?) Bashes Mayor Reed...

Yesterday, we mentioned San Jose’s Mayor Chuck Reed would be hopping on a red-eye flight to D.C. to join Mayors Antonio Villaraigosa and Jerry Sanders in search of stimulus (money). What we didn’t know was he’d be introducing San Francisco Mayor/Gubernatorial hopeful Gavin Newsom at a San Jose town hall where Newsom referred to the D.C. trip as a “photo op.” Ouch.

Perhaps it isn't just Newsom who is making fun of Chuck Reed. Today, Metro/San Jose Inside serve as the vehicle for a trial balloon for a possible Coto for Mayor campaign in 2010. This could get more and more interesting...(Watch Dog anxiously awaits...)

The Fed’s showed up in Palo Alto’s Utilities Department and left with 7 boxes filled with documents about the qualifications (or lack thereof) of pipeline workers. Utilities' Director Valerie Fong isn’t worried, Palo Alto conducted its own investigation after questions were raised about employee qualifications. Fong said, “Our own assessment was that these tests were conducted with integrity, and the folks who work on the gas pipeline were indeed qualified."

The drama of San Jose’s 2006 Mayoral race continues Wednesday when Elections Commissioners revisit charges that the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce’s political arm, COMPAC, violated campaign finance rules when producing campaign hits against then-Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez. To further complicate matters the City law requires the same Commissioners who identified the violation to impose the fine...which would be ok, except only one of them remains on the Commission. City Attorney Rick Doyle has recommended changing those rules first -- sounds like a good idea.

Shut that tap! Fix that faucet! Water rationing is coming to Silicon Valley. The question is when...Santa Clara Water District Board Chair Sig Sanchez said, "Unless a miracle happens, we're going to go to mandatory rationing at some point." Not all Board members were happy delaying the decision to March and wanted something more immediate...Board member/Alviso Mayor Richard Santos said, "Mandatory water conservation now. Not in March, not in April, my vote is now. Thank you."

Vowing Los Gatos Boulevard would “…never become El Camino or Stevens Creek," Los Gatos Councilmember Joe Pirzynski warned against dumbing down the vision for the Boulevard to accommodate the recession. The Council is dusting off the 12 year old Los Gatos Boulevard Plan while another car dealership leaves town.

The big excitement of the month will be happen next week when the Amgen Tour of California comes roaring through with Lance Armstrong and local pro Justin Robinson. It is unclear if these two guys will be riding...

Marcus Keppert was 15 when he was killed by drunk driver speeding down San Jose’s Almaden Expressway. Three years after he died, George Xinos is facing felony charges and (perhaps) 9 years in jail. Prosecutor Charles Gillingham said, "Marcus has paid for his actions. Now the defendant needs to be held accountable."

San Jose Police tossed Andrew Chavez and Juan Arias into jail for the murder of Kimo Fernandez early Sunday morning at a house party gone wrong. Officer Jermaine Thomas said the three were at a party when a fight broke out leaving Fernandez as San Jose’s third homicide of the year. (The fourth homicide was found only hours later when Fisaha Isaac Cunningham was found shot to death in South San Jose.)

San Jose Revealed goes into full Nguyen Defense Mode today...

One last note:

Watch Dog is flattered, really, by the acclaim resulting from Scott Herhold’s column yesterday...Today, Mission City Lantern responds to Herhold...James, why don't you tell us what you really think? (Thanks James...)

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