Morning News Round-Up -- 2.19.09: "Your Cell Phone Law Sucks" Edition...

San Jose/Santa Maria State Senator Abel Maldonado got his wish while others called it "blackmail, extortion, and skulduggery." This morning, the State Senate approved the budget along with Maldonado’s proposed Constitutional Amendments for an open primary system and banning legislative pay increases during deficit years. Legislative leaders refused to cut their pay altogether when the budget is late. Maldonado said, “I'd like to have seen somebody else vote for this budget. And it would have been easy for me to cast a 'no' vote." San Jose State Senator Elaine Alquist said, "I'm a realist and I understood we needed a two-thirds vote. I did what I had to do."

Speaking of Sacramento...

"Senator Joe Simitian: Your cell phone law sucks." That's not Watch Dog saying that, that is a billboard on 101 in East Palo Alto, thanks a wasteful-spending angry man named Grant Paulson...

San Jose Revealed said something we never thought we’d hear: they agree with San Jose Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio. Mayor Chuck Reed has given City Manager Debra Figone free rein in developing the strategy for this daunting task. Revealed doesn’t agree with this approach and Oliverio is struggling with it as well. Revealed and Oliverio agreeing...can hell freezing over be far behind?

San Jose Inside’s Pete Campbell was also keeping an eye on San Jose’s budget workshop. Campbell’s take was a little different: he proposes outsourcing economic development to the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and giving the Office of Cultural Affairs funding to private donors, corporations, and “other groups.” Campbell also proposes handing the Housing Department over to the County. That's pretty radical stuff...incredibly unlikely, but radical...

Also on San Jose Inside: Metro's Fly asks some questions about Labor leader Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins' sabbatical and what that means for former Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez. From 'working on the transition' for several months to being on 'sabbatical'...Really? Watch Dog predicts more news on this front...

Be careful what you wish for...young, “scrappy” lawyers with Legal Advocates for Children and Youth will take representation of Santa Clara County’s foster youth away from the District Attorney’s office in the coming months. The new lawyers earn a fraction of prosecutors $188,000 salary and plan to spend oodles of time working with each child. They want a case load of 175 children per lawyer, well below the State standard of 188 and a fraction of the sometimes over 400 per lawyer seen at the DA’s office. Get ready to work your ass off Legal Advocates...

Speaking of the DA's office...

The Merc.’s Scott Herhold takes a day off, instead letting readers that are annoyed at him for his support of troubled District Attorney Ben Fields (and other things) fill his column. Herhold pokes fun at readers comments along the way...careful Scott, those readers are fewer and farther between than they used to be...

Santa Clara County’s Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team made a field trip to San Francisco to raid ‘the Castle’ and arrest 4 people for dealing meth. Meth users in the “more affluent residential areas” of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties can look for their dealer in jail. David Hendrickson, an investigator with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office who headed the task force said the investigation started with informants in San Mateo County.

In front of a packed house, the Los Altos City Council selected plans for their new Civic Plaza. Dominant in the drawings are trees – lots and lots of trees.

It was standing room only at the Los Altos School District meeting when the discussion was cutting $3.4 million from programs. Randy Kenyon, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services, said “…programs mean people...” Board member Mark Goines said he wants to review cuts totaling $5 million, to prepare for years of deficits the District faces down the line. The Board meets March 2nd to make its final decisions.

Parts of Stevens Creek will be moved, others restored as it flows through Cupertino. (The actual Creek not the street.) Ralph Qualls (of San Jose fame), Cupertino's Director of Public Works is planning for a 4th of July re-opening. Cupertino spent more than 20 years cobbling together the land along the corridor.

Like the rest of America, Sunnyvale is slashing expenses. With a $12 million shortfall this year and a $9 million deficit the loser in this economic crisis is likely to be the Morse Park near Tasman. Developer fees cover construction but the more than $100,000 in projected annual maintenance is more than Sunnyvale can bear. Morse Park Neighborhood Association Chair Adam Berkan said that by not building the park "they've actually hurt a neighborhood." City Manager Gary Luebbers said, "Things are tough right now, and I don't see the park in the mix this year."

Perhaps this will help...

Sunnyvale joined San Jose’s Mayor Chuck Reed in asking for federal dollars. Asking for $64.5 million to support 15 projects, City spokesman John Pilger said, "there's a significant trickle-down within private industry if we have a major construction job like the rehabilitation of a bridge." Adam Berkan is looking for some of the trickling to flow towards Morse Park.

Maybe she was trying to be efficient, or maybe she just really, really wanted her Starbucks fix. Whatever the reason, an unnamed woman drove her gold Jaguar through the window of Gilroy’s Starbucks. Sgt. Jim Gillio said no alcohol (perhaps caffeine?) was involved and, "It was pretty shocking but these types of things happen now and again."

A week ago, the Gilroy Pontiac Buick GMC left 26 people without jobs as they shuttered their doors. This week, it’s Gilroy Ford Lincoln Mercury leaving town, with 31 people getting cut. City Administrator Tom Haglund met with owner Don Malinoff and General Manager Joe Lopez Tuesday to see if the city could dig up extra cash for the dealership, but Lopez said Wednesday that it was not likely any arrangement would be reached. As tough as it is to have folks lose their jobs...this must be a huge sales tax hit to Gilroy. That's why the Gilroy Economic Development Director didn't say, "Pretty please come to the outlets..."