Morning News Round-Up -- 5.1.09: "Size does matter..." according to Mayor Reed

Trying to catch up with Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio's use of inappropriate, sexual references in public, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed declared, “Size does matter” discussing San Jose's population (finally) hitting 1 million residents. (Rumors that Mayor Reed blushed and giggled after uttering the double entendre are unconfirmed...)

Swine Flu update: Four more Silicon Valley schools shut their doors for flu days. While Watch Dog is ready to ditch the Swine Flu mania it is nice to see all the kids wandering aimlessly, in public, with school doors shuttered.

San Jose City Manager Debra Figone put the budget axe to the grindstone. The result, no one is going to be happy. San Jose, trying to close a $77.5 million deficit, is losing nearly 150 people, closing libraries half the week, ditching the mounted police, and closing parks on slow days.

Fire Marshal David Schoonover isn’t a fan of San Jose restaurants’ tents and won’t be a welcome guest for garlic fries and Amber Ale. Visits from Schoonover to the Poor House Bistro, Gordon Biersch, and Smoke Tiki Lounge landed restaurant owners in hot water for their tents. Downtown Councilmember Sam Liccardo is hopeful the businesses and the Fire Marshal will work it out without costing businesses big bucks.

Former Mayor/lobbyist Tom McEnery hoisted a celebratory beer and danced a jig in the tent-free O’Flaherty’s when San Jose Elections Commissioners dismissed the anonymous complaint. Elections Commission Chairman Fred de Funiak was pissed saying the “commission was used,” to go after McEnery. Big guns Supervisor Dave Cortese and Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino showed up to tell the Commission not to accept anonymous complaints. Way to use the Rolodex, Tom. Yesterday, San Jose Revealed posted a scathing challenge to the Merc’s Editors to actually read the report...

Speaking of Dave Cortese... Supervisor Cortese hopes to prevent little kids from landing in the pokey and Silicon Valley from having the youngest child ever locked up.

Silicon Valley hookers will be happy to hear the news, Dean Rish from San Ramon was busted for robbing women in the world’s oldest profession. Public safety officials working with the District Attorney’s office used the internet to find hookers with information about the East Bay robber before busting him.

Alum Rock Union School District Trustees have renegotiated outgoing Superintendent Norma Martinez’ severance package. Gone (finally) are the half million in cash and monthly benefits over $1,500. Martinez’ revised deal of less than $200,000 and half the benefits will allow the District to “move forward” according to Board President Gustavo Gonzalez.

Earlier in the week we wrote about a development in Palo Alto that got shot down by the City's Planning and Transportation Committee... well, the developers had this to say: "This project has been in the works for five years, and this is the kind of dysfunctional process that drives business and tax revenue out of Palo Alto..." How do you really feel?

A grumpy Saratoga Planning Commission approved plans to expand the Inn at Saratoga but let owner Kwan Lee know they were pissed about his refusal to roll in improved handicap access. Commissioner Linda Rodgers said she was disappointed while Commissioner Mary-Lynne Bernald symbolically voted ‘no.’

Sunnyvale’s City Council is declaring Sunnyvale will be a safe place for bicycles and pedestrians at the same time and street parking will have to be sacrificed for the bicycle when needed. That’s putting the green vision where it counts…

Also insisting on going green… Saratoga Mayor Chuck Page is visiting each of his restaurants to ask they ditch the Styrofoam voluntarily. We understand that the American Chemistry Council is trying to track down Mayor Page...

Saratoga’s City Council has been working with Civica Software since November to update the website and settled on the new design this week. Mayor Chuck Page asked the background be white for easy reading while Councilmember Howard Miller said simply “it might be good to find out how to simplify this design to have less words and less clutter,” Miller continued with "one of the problems with websites for infrequent users ... is that they can get lost if there's too much going on." Apparently, this conversation about web-design is what constitutes hard-hitting news coverage in Saratoga...

The Merc’s Sal Pizarro can be found tonight ambling through San Jose’s SoFA district celebrating First Friday with music, art, and a little shopping. Pizarro also dishes former Mayor Ron Gonzales pouring a little red at a Silicon Valley Capital Club fundraiser and former Councilmember/Supervisorial wannabe Forrest Williams has declared himself green from his name to his business cards.