Morning News Round-Up -- 4.29.10: Palin and Dellums share a speech-writer?

Shock of shocks! Oakland is now trying to keep the A's in Oakland, after ignoring them for a decade... they have some sites picked out and now they have an economic study that states the obvious: MLB is good for business and jobs. Perhaps former Mayor Jerry Brown should have commissioned that study and then tried to keep the team 10 years ago... But you have to love Mayor Dellums' quote about the new economic study: "We know that it has a spiritual quality in that people love very much to be excited by the ability to root for the home team..." Is Sarah Palin now writing talking points for Mayor Dellums? Either that, or Dellums has morphed into Yoda...

And if that wasn't reason enough to leave Oakland... a follow-up from yesterday's news that folks were kicked out of the stadium for criticizing Lew Wolff... the Oakland City Attorney says that banning signs from the stadium is unconstitutional and is making a big fuss... there is a 100 percent chance that San Jose's City Attorney Rick Doyle would never do such a thing. Welcome Lew Wolff... no signs, no politically ambitious City Attorney's, and no crazy Mayors (see above)...

But leave it up to some SF-based media to bring hyperbole into the mix when it comes to Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose and the A's plans... the same study that garnered the totally awesome (and weird) Dellums' quote brought this headline: A's leaving Oakland would devastate city's economy. Which begs the question: What does it do to for Oakland's economy when nobody actually goes to the games? (Or when folks get killed in broad daylight downtown?) We're just saying...

Speaking of sports teams... the Red Wings are in town for the NHL playoffs, but they landed past the curfew, and like in high school, breaking curfew has consequences. While the Red Wings won't be grounded for Game 1 tonight, let's all get on the bandwagon for the Sharks, shall we?

"Damn it Google, why are you so good at finding out all those Mercury News stories about me..." While that probably is not a direct quote from San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis, it might as well have been as he lost out as a finalist for the Dallas Police Department top job... I wonder if it the Merc's Sean Webby finds irony in the fact that he gets to write the story about the Chief not getting the job in Dallas when Webby's previous stories were likely a factor in the Chief not getting the job...

The Merc Editorial Board sends props to the San Jose City Council for taking a paycut and paycutting the building inspectors' union... (yes, we made up a word, paycutting...)

HP is buying Palm for a cool $1.2 billion... with the history of Compaq, how could this go wrong?

Morning News Round-Up – 12.24.09: More news from the broom closet...

Mistrust and low morale mark the relationship between the city of Palo Alto and its largest union. Accusations from the largest union include use of funds to fix the city’s $4.8 million budget screw-up. Not a big deal, except union leader Lynn King wonders where those funds were during negotiations. City Administrative Services Director Lalo Perez says it’s all untrue.

Thanks to a Watch Dog spy we go back to the troubles at Wilcox High. Seems principal Tab Taber is accused of his own Lolita who referred to her 3 ½ years with Taber as “very good.” Any more skeletons bouncing out of this (broom) closet?

Understatement of the year, “this hasn’t been a good year for us,” said Tasha Bartholomew following the latest train vs. pedestrian death. This year 17 people have died along the Caltrain tracks.

Palo Alto assistant City Attorney Don Larkin says the affordable housing regulations are not “invalid and we have no plans to end or significantly revamp” the rules following a second developer lawsuit.

San Jose High football’s Matt Blea was sprung from the hospital following visits from Stanford’s Toby Gerhart and three Raiderettes. Blea’s doctor, Lisa Lombard, joked Blea’s “eyes popped out of his head” adding “that’s not usually one of the techniques we use.”

San Jose Inside/Metro report Sarah Palin might be coming to town for a sit down with the Chamber of Commerce. San Jose Insider Pete Campbell seems confused why Caribou Barbie’s (possible) visit stirs emotions.

Before Watch Dog heads out for the long holiday weekend, advice from the locals.

• Stay out of the drunk tank.
• Get your Yule Log on screen. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is sending sniffers to your neighborhood in search of illegal wood fires.