While the Guvernator is licking his wounds over yesterday’s election, folks in Morgan Hill are still pouring champagne. Measure A, addressing downtown revitalization, passed with 60% support. Former Mayor/Campaign Chair Dennis Kennedy said it would help make downtown Morgan Hill more like Los Gatos or Santana Row. Really? I guess we'll soon see a downtown Morgan Hill Prada...
As we said yesterday, Election Day was followed up by (bail bonds) Fight Night...
Councilmember Sam Liccardo won the first several rounds... but the fight looks like it will continue as the City Council (unanimously) took the first step towards a temporary ban on new bail bonds. This turn of events must have pissed off Councilmembers Pete Constant, Nora Campos, and Ash Kalra who last week wanted to let the bail bonds folks operate 24 hours a day and have no moratorium. Their proposal wasn't even discussed last night. What did get discussed by several in the audience, was the Merc column from yesterday... much to the (public) chagrine of several City Councilmembers...
San Jose Revealed also jumped into the bail bonds ring this morning calling Liccardo's win "predictable." Really? Why would the Constant/Campos/Kalra Crew have pushed their bail bonds proposal if a loss was so "predictable"?
On to more important stuff... like football...
Santa Clara City Councilmembers took the next big step towards welcoming the 49ers. They worked out a plan to share the financial pain. Mayor Patricia Mahan says the next step is bringing the public in to see the proposal. Jamie McLeod, not a 49er cheerleader, said “I have some pretty strong concerns,” but wasn’t dishing.
Silicon Valley loses another local star to the bright lights of Washington, D.C. A Watch Dog favorite, County legal top dog Ann Ravel, is packing her bags to head up Office of Consumer Litigation. Ravel will be reporting to another local legal rockstar, Tony West who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
Speaking of justice...
The Merc’s Editorial Board calls on Santa Clara County Supervisors to reject District Attorney Dolores Carr’s request to move victim services out of FACES control. Citing improved management and increased victim services the Editorial Board suggests other counties adopt the FACES model.
Friends Outside, a San Jose non-profit helping inmates' loved ones, has an unlikely leader. Former Sheriff’s Deputy, and guard, Dave Gonzales took the helm in a pinch two years ago. Gonzales, who is not a “liberal do-gooder,” has developed friends like District Attorney Dolores Carr, politically connected Mike Fox, Sr., Sheriff Laurie Smith, and Labor to bring Friends the economic support it needs.
Morgan Hill’s Christian bookstore owner Richard Dresser turns out to be a perv, maybe. Dresser was picked up by police after an employee accused the boss of several inappropriate acts. Dresser confessed to most of the charges during the interview but later told reporters he didn’t do it. “These charges are wrong, and I know they’re going to be dropped,” Dresser told the Morgan Hill Times. (Not to be outdone in the sexual assault news today, Watch Dog San Mateo has a piece about the Belmont Chamber of Commerce Board President (allegedly) molesting his step-daughter...)
Mexican American Community Service Agency (MACSA) CEO Olivia Soza-Mendiola sent a last minute email to Trustees for the Gilroy Unified School District asking for a one year transition of their MACSA-managed Charter School to an unnamed partner. Trustee Rhoda Bress called it a stalling tactic and said the students deserved better. (At some point, we'll (hopefully) see what the DA has to say about the MACSA/Charter School/embezzlement case...)
The Los Gatos Planning Commission nixed development plans for Los Gatos Boulevard pointing at a lack of a long term vision for the area. Commission Chair Tom O’Donnell said he was uncomfortable approving plans without knowing the Town Council’s vision.
San Jose residents, welcome to the season of brown... lawns that is. Strict regulations are now there for water hog yards. The upside for scofflaws is the City is depending on your neighbor to rat you out. Adding to the complexity, different parts of the City may end up with different rules.
Thousands of Silicon Valley residents sought heat relief at the beach Sunday. The miserable trip home was caused by Caltrans roadwork which shutdown one lane, leaving beachgoers creeping along for hours. The Merc’s Mr. Roadshow, Gary Richards, asked Caltrans what was up. Repairs, heat, time, and apologies came from “Ben-the-Caltrans-Spokesman.” Watch Dog was in the traffic, panting out the window...
San Jose Insider Eric Johnson dishes on a (possible) battle of the electric cars. Fisker Automotive arrived in San Jose’s Santana Row the day “bitter rival” Tesla announced a deal with Daimler Motors. San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed was on hand to welcome Fisker adding it would help make the Bay Area the “electric vehicle capital of the world.” (Last time the Mayor stepped out to declare anything related to electric vehicles, Tesla turned around and screwed San Jose...)
When Foothill-De Anza Chancellor Martha Kanter was tapped by President Obama to be the Undersecretary of Education it left a big hole. Board President Betsy Bechtel announced retired Vice Chancellor Mike Brandy will return with “a steady hand and deep knowledge of the district,” to become the Interim Chancellor. What better time to take over the helm of a Community College than in the worst budget situation ever, and a State on the verge of financial collapse. Welcome back Mike...
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
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