Morning News Round-Up -- 2.1.10: Scary Legroom...

Before we do anything else, Watch Dog must welcome Sunnyvale Councilmember Otto Lee back from his one-year tour of duty in Iraq.

Sunday had the Merc's Internal Affairs center-stage on the political gossip front:

IA delved a bit into the departure of the once-considered Chris Constantin from the City Auditor's office to San Diego and what is likely to happen next in that office. IA also talked about San Jose City Council races that are taking shape -- District 9 (Judy Chirco's seat) and District 5 (Nora Campos' seat) are predicted to be battles.

• In District 5, we learn from IA that Magdalena Carrasco is slated to join the race. She has a high-placed ex-husband helping her out and we hear that former Supervisor Alvarado is also on the Carrasco train. Word on the street is that the Campos Camp is worried...
• In District 9, IA missed the entrant into the race that everyone is talking about and whose name rhymes with Scary Legroom... (Ironically, the aforementioned Chris Constantin was once rumored to be in the race...) Meanwhile in District 9, Don Rocha sent an email to supporters (and everyone else) to announce some key endorsements (Assemblymember Jim Beall and current District 9 Councilwoman Judy Chirco) and his fundraising total: $33,000. Everyone else's fundraising totals will be available today/tomorrow. We'll report on those numbers later.

In other political news... the Merc Editorial Board used Jeff Rosen's website to write an editorial against Dolores Carr... just kidding. But the Editorial Board was not shy in its criticism of the District Attorney, running through her ethical lapses and tone-deafness, from the De Anza rape case to the judge boycott... not missing a beat, Rosen has it up on his website with this url rosen4da.com/arrogance.html ...

Perhaps this DA, or the next, will get a chance to prosecute this: two young men beat a homeless man with a stick, and strangled him, in Gilroy last week. The Police are still investigating.

San Jose Family Camp, that family haven near Yosemite, may not open this coming summer because the dining hall is apparently unsafe and the drinking/ cooking water has E. Coli in it. San Jose, which owns and runs the Camp, is trying to figure out what to do and will have a meeting in late February or early March. Expect a big turnout for that meeting. On a someone separate note: Does anyone else find it ironic that there is tainted water at San Jose Family Camp? You could through a rock from that place and hit Hetch Hetchy...

Speaking of overdue repairs: the Merc did some digging and found that the expense to seismically retrofit homes could be too expensive for homeowners to actually do the work. And the cost varies greatly from city to city...

Scott Herhold takes a bunch of people to task for locking the doors of the Fairmont on the First Street side... he says they were always meant to be open, but the crowd is now "rougher"...

Oh no... "Sacramento to consider Little Siagon designation" Let the games begin...

Morning News Round-Up -- 1.6.10: Smoke 'em if you got 'em...

In case you missed it. Please check out Watch Dog's post yesterday pointing out how the San Francisco Giants are trying to meddle in San Jose politics... Survey Says!

Assemblymember Jim Beall is a patient man. Heck, anyone who can sit on the San Jose City Council, then the Board of Supervisors, and then the State Assembly must be willing to wait, and wait, and wait... and so Beall must wait some more regarding his plan to implement a per-alcoholic-drink fee to pay for some criminal justice and health costs in the State. Hang in there Assemblymember Beall... someday.

*A new technology could be making its way into California politics for signature gathering. The cleverly named "Verafirma" is co-founded by San Jose's own Jude Barry and will make it possible to collect signatures for ballot initiatives via smart phones. While technologists and political operatives may be drooling over the idea, some elections officials are not quite sure. Nonetheless, it seems some political organizations are signing up to use the technology.

Here's something the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce can promote: There's a place to smoke cigars in downtown Morgan Hill. One closed cigar shop has been replaced by another. Smoke 'em if you got 'em...

But this might be something the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce may not want to promote... the owners of the 65,000 acre Sargent Ranch just south of Gilroy filed for bankruptcy in San Diego. Expect interesting times in the future with the big piece of land which already has an interesting 'planning' history that includes Gilroy, the County, and the Amah Mutsun tribe. Gilroy A's anyone?

And to the blogs...

*Protect San Jose gives props to Scott Herhold and the Merc. Seriously...

Joseph DiSalvo sets forth his ideas about Charter Schools in Santa Clara County with his post on San Jose Inside...

*Mission City Lantern points readers to the Santa Clarans for Economic Progress (pro-49er's) website. James calls the SCEP site "smashing"...

* If you know why there is an asterisk next to these stories, email Watch Dog.

Morning News Round-Up – 10.12.09:

Senator Joe Simitian breathed a sigh of relief, the Governor took time to sign his SB19 bill that puts California in line for as much as $4.5 Billion in federal Race to the Top dollars. Also a winner in the Schwarzenegger signing frenzy was San Jose State Senator Elaine Alquist (digital textbooks/health information/instructional materials). Not faring as well were Assemblymembers Joe Coto (pawnbrokers), Paul Fong (community colleges), and Jim Beall (aging). There's a joke in here somewhere about aging pawnbrokers....

(soon to be retired) San Jose Police Officer Association president Bobby Lopez is pissed Dr. Rajiv Das wants injured retirees to have doctors sign a 2 page form. The Merc dug deep to uncover statistics : San Jose has the highest rate of retired police and firefighters on disability in the state and saying “No” isn’t part of the Trustees game plan. (un)Surprisingly, Lopez is calling for Das’ ouster…

The Merc’s Internal Affairs was sniffing around the San Jose Police Officers Association website and found president Bobby Lopez talking retirement, and encouraging his colleagues to do the same. Suggestions that Lopez may be trying to strip San Jose of experienced officers as a bargaining ploy caused Lopez to respond “am I being disingenuous?” Also in IA blogger/former South Bay Labor Council political director Philip Bump landed in his hometown paper as juror #3 causing a stir at a San Jose Downtown Association confab according to San Jose Inside, and IA boredom and annoyance at the NASA Ames LCROSS lunar bashing.

Sports loving San Jose is adding the Sacramento Kings to the list of San Jose hopefuls.

“It’s so much cheaper… to give somebody a flu shot than to let a child make a whole classroom sick,” according to Health Trust spokesperson Nicole Kohleriter at Saturdays free Flea Market health clinic. With 400 volunteers the Health Trust poked and prodded the thousands showing up for free medical care this weekend.

Also thinking healthcare… The Merc’s Scott Herhold took pity on Congressman Mike Honda for never having tasted the delights of a Gilroy Garlic Milkshake. Herhold, without claiming culinary expertise, mailed a shake to D.C. for the Congressman’s enjoyment – or not. All Watch Dog can say is we’re glad Herhold doesn’t experiment in the kitchen on our behalf…

The Merc’s Sal Pizarro offers an invitation to “golf with a shotgun” benefitting the San Jose Police Foundation, rent a shotgun for $175, or bring your own, to shoot clay pigeons out of the sky. Also in Pizarro news… A Bert George wine tasting treat, boot camp for event organizers and Santa Clara University’s Professor Francisco Jimenez is honored by the Governor of Jalisco.

On to the week in government…

• San Jose’s Elections Commission looks at changing city campaign finance and lobbying laws as well as forbidding anonymous complaints.
• The Los Altos School District considers parcel-tax renewal and talks about funding retiree health benefits.
• In Mountain View the Mountain View – Los Altos School District talks tests with SAT/ACT results.
• Fiscal manager reclassification is on tap for the Los Gatos Union School District.
• The tiny, one school district, Luther Burbank, considers a response to grand jury reports spanking the district and approving a contract with preschool teachers.
• Budget reductions and pre-school programs are on the minds of the Palo Alto Unified School District Trustees.
• Mountain View – Whisman considers approving site plans for Crittenden Middle and Bubb Elementary schools.
• Trustees in San Jose’s East Side Union High School District listen to the public on proposed audit committee guidelines.

Protect San Jose’s Open Forum Friday is on tap with complaints of speeders in Willow Glen and PAL salaries…

Morning News Round-Up – 6.19.09: No Video-Gate News, sorry...

Leaders in the San Jose firefighter’s union are blistering in the glare of a Civil Grand Jury report entitled “City of San Jose Hosed by IAFF Local 230 Executives.” The report calls firefighters courageous and dedicated but their union leaders created a “toxic relationship." Union President Randy Sekany says no one from the Grand Jury ever talked to him. There is no truth to the rumor that Police Officers Association President Bobby Lopez was jumping for joy that the heat was off of him for a day...

The Merc’s Editorial Board cheers Joint Venture Silicon Valley’s efforts to turn El Camino Real into Main Street Silicon Valley.

San Jose’s Mayor and City Council are breathing a sigh of relief. Two more unions will pass on raises to save the city $6 million and keep 46 people working. City Manager Debra Figone praised the unions and union leader Yolanda Cruz called the move a community investment.

San Jose saw the third in a string of Silicon Valley pedestrian fatalities. A young man riding a scooter was killed by the lightrail after went under the crossing arm. In another (un)related train incident, a 19 year old was busted for DUI after he tried pushing his car across Caltrain tracks. You can guess the rest. No one was hurt but the kid’s been busted for DUI.

San Jose Unified School District Board President Leslie Reynolds likened their decision to “…holding your nose and taking the least stinking thing on the list,” as Trustees last night increased class sizes. Thank you Sacramento...

Speaking of which...

The Merc’s Patty Fisher lends support to Assemblymember Jim Beall’s push for increased alcohol taxes. Party pooper Beall points to voter support, 17 years without a tax increase, and children with developmental defects due to fetal alcohol syndrome as justification. On the other side, “anti-tax Republicans and the powerful alcohol lobby.”

San Jose Inside/Silicon Valley Newsroom hung out for a discussion with Mayor Chuck Reed who kicked things off with “this is a no-bad-news zone.” Reed, no doubt eager to shake off the budget gloom, talked about sidewalk cafes and baseball.

San Jose and Campbell will be negotiating (or battling) over 68 to 130 acres of land in San Jose’s Cambrian neighborhood, surrounded by Campbell… Campbell Mayor Jane Kennedy called annexation to Campbell the most sensible course of action. In the mix, talks with the Local Agency Formation Commission and San Jose.

Campbell also has a battle heating up over an all-night gas station. Station representative Jonathan Ramos with Stantec Architecture said the owner pulled his application for late night use because “… there is no legal requirement” for the business to comply with City ordinances. (That sounds vaguely familiar...)

It’s buyer beware according to the Mountain View City Councilmember John Inks who supported taxi deregulation saying “competition – that’s the key to customer satisfaction." Straight from the Libertarian talking points, no doubt.

Gilroy’s City Council (and City Attorney) had a second look at City ordinances and decided maybe they couldn’t let Garlic City Casino run a blackjack game after all. Counciclmember Dion Bracco asked to have the proposal reconsidered saying he didn’t think either the Council or Police understood what they were doing.

Former Olympic wrestler Marco Sanchez steps up as Gilroy High’s new principal. Superintendent Deborah Flores called it a “new era” at Gilroy. Sanchez arrives just as Gilroy hands schools a bill for $1.8 million, School District Trustee Denise Apuzzo called the city’s bill “ridiculous.”

Mountain View Whisman School District Trustees are talking 10 year plans, bond measures, and “guiding principles” as they struggle with current budget problems.

San Jose Revealed’s pneumonia wears on leaving us breathless in anticipation of this week's “thinly veiled hostility and revelations of hypocrisy:” San Jose City Manager Debra Figone as an unquotable toughie, ongoing attacks from Police Officers Association President Bobby Lopez and yesterday’s grand jury report. (Feel better soon…)

Morning News Round-Up – 5.28.09: Please, Sir, may I have some more...

The aftermath of the May 19 special election is starting to hit home. Will Lightbourne, Santa Clara county social services director, said the Guvernator’s proposed cuts were Dickensian and would remove a safety net for children that “every first-world nation has.” San Jose Assemblymember Jim Beall said the CalWORKS demise would result in “a lot of little kids begging on the streets.”

Foothill-De Anza will cut 65 positions, 34 people and 31 empty gigs are gone. D.C. bound Chancellor Martha Kanter said the aftermath of the May 19 election is “devastating news for all of education.”

San Jose is moving forward on freezing salaries for the Operating Engineers after failed contract negotiations. Union representative Bill Pope said medical co-pay and how long the freeze would last were stumbling blocks, and the city was too rigid.

Speaking of frozen salaries…

San Jose Revealed dug through City Hall archives to bring new quotable moments, and another nickname, for Councilmember Pete Constant. Revealed is all over the councilmember’s new found determination to “lead by example.” Watch Dog is flattered Revealed is a loyal reader…

The screw-up could cost the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority $57 million, but they’re hoping you won’t ask for your $130. Sierra Club director, Melissa Hippard, calls turning down the dough “a no brainer.” Really?

Teen blogger/artist Katy Hughes and her Mother Elizabeth won’t be getting any money from the Open Space, they are looking for permanent housing, again. The story is a familiar one to Jennifer Van Every of EHC LifeBuilders, “it’s reflective of the economic crisis.”

Seven and a half years after San Jose police officer Jeffrey Fontana was killed in Almaden Valley, DeShawn Campbell was convicted of his murder. Judge Diane Northway called the jurors “shining stars,” while Police Chief Rob Davis and District Attorney Dolores Carr sent props to prosecutor Lane Liroff.

Swim coach Andrew King was on his way to court for charges related to “inappropriate relations with a child” when he was busted by the San Leandro police for the same thing. King had swim meets as far as Canada so expect more fallout.

There’s another perv on the loose in Gilroy. Police are looking for a man in a white SUV who circled around sisters 5 times before taking off.

The Merc’s Scott Herhold has a couple of choice words for San Jose police after withholding the 911 tapes. Pompous and manure. San Jose Insider/De-Bug’s Raj Jayadev reflects on teaching moments lost in time…

Mountain View residents can expect a call from pollsters for the school district. Mountain View Whisman trustee Ellen Wheeler calls the poll necessary saying even she doesn’t know where she stands on the proposed bond. Gene Bergman & Assoc and political consultants Tramutola are happy as well…

The Los Altos Planning Commission is recommending the city council approve expansion of the Pilgrim Haven retirement community following a stream of Los Altans worried about traffic and time. Commissioner John Baer encouraged opponents to take “another shot” saying “council likes to hear from all the residents,” as he laughed.

Los Gatos town manager Greg Larson is celebrating the efforts of employees who used pedal power to get to work earlier this month. Town attorney Orry Korb rode his bike from Santa Cruz. Also using pedal power Mayor Mike Wasserman, police Capt. Alana Forrest, town finance director Steve Conway . Watch Dog hopes Larson provided them showers before the cocktails…

Some of you wish you’d been on your bike last weekend… Santa Clara County police officers busted 115 drivers for drinking, or drugging, and driving.

Caltrain riders worried about fare increases and decreasing service affecting riders from Gilroy to San Francisco were joined by Chamber of Commerce officials. There’s always the bike, just ask Orry.

If you tweet much you were probably already at Mountain View’s Computer History Museum when Twitter’s Anamitra Banerji denied the making of a Twitter TV show.

Morning News Round-Up – 4.21.09: It was an interesting fact...

It's been a fun filled month in San Jose with Porn BFF's Larry Pegram and Pete Constant battling for headlines over Mayor Chuck Reed's "clownish" IPA mishap and the ongoing Drunk Task Force drama. Rep's from the rest of Silicon Valley are breathing a deep sigh of relief as San Jose stays firmly in the spotlight.

San Jose’s IPA screw-up continued. Unless you were under a rock you saw this one coming…

• The newly appointed Independent Police Auditor Chris Constantin quits under the growing outrage.
• San Jose officials sheepishly admit newly appointed Independent Police Auditor Chris Constantin would be auditing his own brother.
• Watch Dog posted the early rumor about the eminent demise of Chris Constantin as Independent Police Auditor.
• Mayor Reed : When asked about the brother “It was an interesting fact and probably should have been in there. But it was one of a whole series of facts about the man.''
• Councilmember Nora Campos stomps her foot saying she received a promise from the Mayor.
• Merc Editorial : Constantin did not disclose the brotherly love in his application. City leaders did not tell a citizen review panel about Constantin’s brother, those same leaders did not ask the city attorney about any conflict.
• Scott Herhold : Mayor Reed’s staffers were unenthusiastic about Constantin, it was a clownish affair. Way to turn on the boss...
• San Jose Revealed : That was quick, followed by a public spanking of Constantin and Mayor Reed.

Tonight San Jose’s city council will decide whether to back the guy with limited punctuation skills!!!! Or, library proponents, Books Not Filters. For all your (unfiltered) viewing pleasure…

• The Spartan Daily revisits the redux of the decade old proposal. With millions of visitors and internet sessions were the handful of complaints worth all the hoopla?
• A Watch Dog tipster sent the message Pegram had his army storming city hall, much to the dismay of the folks on the 18th floor. (Thanks, tipster, if you see them today shoot Watch Dog a note)
• Watch Dog shares Exclamation Points from the Loudest Filter Screamer, the Rovian Larry Pegram!!! Exclamation point count: 5.
• A pissed off library patron shared Pegram’s (not so) well designed flyer. Exclamation point count: 8.
• Pegram sends email with dire warnings. Exclamation point count: 5.
• The Merc Editorial Board appears bored with the ongoing BFF Pegram/Constant drama.
• Newsweek takes a shot at Pegram with the End of Christian America.
  Watch Dog spies at city hall, keep us informed…
  

If you live in Mountain View, well, you probably can’t afford it, or anywhere else in Silicon Valley. The Environmental Planning Commission hears the grim news this week. Mountain View planner Scott Plambaeck was philosophical saying “yeah, housing’s expensive here.”

Morgan Hill’s Measure A advocates are leaving nothing to chance. They’ve got their own blogging and mixers with movers and shakers, including Mayor Steve Tate and former Mayors John Varela and Dennis Kennedy. Without any organized opposition the measure depends on voters optimism about the future.

A few of Gilroy’s finest received raises over 30% in the last few years. Councilmember Craig Gartman is getting pissed at slow disclosure from city administration and wonders if he should keep turning over rocks or ignore them. This is one case where ignorance is not bliss…

Yesterday’s 420 was largely ignored by the local press but Watch Dog bets the Beer Tax will get pot brewing. Assemblymember Jim Beall is hoping the second time around will help to fill the state’s empty coffers. Prepare for marches from pissed off grape stompers and hops swillers…

Los Gatos town council is proposing more new and higher fees to help raise funds. You know that safe where you hide your guns to protect you from thieves, count on it costing you…. Mayor Wasserman wants to charge for false alarms and you might end up paying more for using that park.

Open space in Mountain View is about to become a Summerhill Homes construction zone. The Los Altos NIMBY’s are getting support from Los Altos councilmember David Casas who says “I will be encouraging the neighborhood ... to vocalize and coordinate their activities to make sure that their interests (are represented).”

Julie Packard, yes, that Packard, was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Morning News Round-Up -- 4.20.09: Porn on 420...a perfect day?

Where to begin today's Round-Up? That is the question. Let's go with porn...

If you missed it, a pissed-off library patron shot Watch Dog a copy of a flier that "Values" Advocacy Council folks were handing out San Jose libraries this weekend. Please notice that none of these folks bothered to enter the library and take a look through the Chicago Manual of Style...or an 8th Grade English text book.

While we are on it, the Merc’s Editorial Board chimes in on Internet filters and advocates common sense and spending money where it helps over fear-mongering. “The long-expected showdown over censorship at San Jose's public libraries has fizzled into a squabble over money. And that is a very good thing.” Watch Dog will have more on this subject as today (and tomorrow) roll on.

Now, onto the San Jose and another controversy about police and police oversight...not as sexy as pornography, but...

The new Independent Police Auditor may have a tiny conflict of interest. Ok, probably a bit larger than tiny. It seems seems Chris Constantin’s brother is a San Jose homicide detective. Mayor Chuck Reed and the City Council were aware but no one bothered to mention it during the press roll-out. (Check out the Mayor's press release here. See if you can find mention of Chris Constantin's brother...) Downtown Association President Scott Knies called for Constantin’s resignation. San Jose Revealed offered up the news as well…

District Attorney Dolores Carr has yet another prosecutorial mishap on her hands. This time David Tomkin’s identified his status as prosecutor in a letter to the Santa Cruz Planning Commission. The husband and wife duo of Cheryl and Thad Poland called it inappropriate and so does the State Bar code.

In an obvious sign that there are a lot of folks who are willing to work for free and do tedious work...San Jose Revealed has a new Friday feature – “Next Week’s Agenda.” This week Revealed is excited to see:

• Retiree Healthcare
• Porn-For-All
• No Free Parks
• Drunk Latino Task Force Squabbles
• Who Hangs in Downtown San Jose

Retired San Jose firefighter James Carter collected a cool quarter million for unused sick days. Apparently not getting his talking points from Jack Salois, even Mr. Carter thinks it was over the top. When told the amount he’d collected a surprised “Holy Cow” popped out of his mouth.

Baseball neighborhood NIMBY’s get their Easter cocktails at Patty’s Inn with Baseball San Jose fans according to bartender Ken Tonelli. Neighbor Bobby Menbari is worried about drunk baseball fans ambling through the neighborhood. Neighborhood President Helen Chapman says the new ballpark should be built “…really, really well.” As opposed to what, Ms. Chapman?

Roll out the bike – it’s a Spare the Air Day – no free transit though on this record breaking hot day.

San Jose Insider/Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio confesses that, although a San Jose native, safety concerns kept him out of East San Jose. The Campos combo of Councilmember Nora Campos and Planning Commissioner Xavier Campos took Oliverio touring to dispel his childhood bias. It must have worked, Oliverio becomes a pitchman for Council wannabe Xavier Campos.

The Metro/Inside Fly got a giggle when Council candidate Pam Foley received a plug (and dinner) from San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Pat Dando. The irony is, Foley’s opponent in the race, Ball Gag’s Chief of Staff Jim Cogan, once worked for Dando. Cogan was a no show at the Chamber event. The following night Foley was the guest of Silicon Valley Assemblyman Jim Beall at the annual Santa Clara County Democratic Party dinner. Watch Dog spies tell us Cogan did make the Democratic Dinner which featured Gubernatorial wannabes John Garamendi and Gavin Newsom.

Speaking of Pat Dando..."Run, Patsy, Run!" Is the word from the Merc’s Internal Affairs about Chamber CEO Pat Dando’s toying with a shot at County Supervisor next year. Dando says she’s interested in balancing the views on the Board, not that she’s politically ambitious. Good thing the political reporters at the Merc. read the Metro a few weeks ago or they would have missed this one...

The Merc’s Joe Rodriguez shares the life of San Jose’s Yosimar Reyes and asks “Poor, brown and gay: Poetry makes his day, but does it pay?” MACLA leader Tamara Alvarado said slam poets tend to fade quickly but “Yosi” is a natural writer. With friends like Carlos Santana and Harry Belafonte, the poet is headed for good rhythms.

Internal Affairs also reports a squabble is brewing between GOP gubernatorial wannabe/neighbors Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner. Poizner is calling Whitman’s handling of eBay finances “disastrous. Easy for Poizner to say, he sold his company at the peak of the original tech boom and didn't have to manage it through any busts...

Finally, Internal Affairs calls out San Jose’s Mayor Chuck Reed for “stupidest statement of the year.” His Mayoralness apparently thinks Silicon Valley families earning $250,000 can’t buy a house and created the up and coming “upper working class.” Really, Chuck?