Morning News Round-Up -- 1.27.10: Joe Friday Wednesday...

We never came back for a post yesterday, apologies to everyone... we'll include some stories from yesterday, just in case you missed them...

The story about the toddler who lost his life because of a tree that crashed into the parked truck in San Jose took an interesting turn into yesterday's paper. Of course this is a huge tragedy, but yesterday's story shed light onto the City of San Jose's budget cuts over the past few years that has meant trees in front of houses (but in the public right-of-way) are now homeowners' responsibility... expect neighbors to show up at the next round of budget discussions talking about trees. Trees, police officers (and pensions), firefighers (and pensions), public employees (and pensions), library hours, parks, community centers -- the budget discussions will not be particularly fun this year.

And...

There is already a response from the City about trees in today's paper in the form of an "aggressive public awareness campaign"...

And...

The Merc Editorial Board chimes in and says San Jose's tree law make sense... which is perhaps the last popular position of the day.

Sheriff Laurie Smith is in a much better re-election position than the other County law enforcement officer (DA Dolores Carr) this year, but that doesn't mean she is getting a free re-election pass... there are three folks lining up to challenge Smith. The Merc singles out one candidate, retired SJPD Captain Richard Calderon, as a candidate that "...has issues of his own..." (Rich Robinson, clip that sentence from the story for your "op research" file...)

And if it is Wednesday (or any day, for that matter), Dolores Carr will be in the paper. Today she is there defending her boycott of a local judge. Using a double negative (sort of) she wrote to the Merc via email and said that boycotting a judge is "not unheard of"... Maybe, there are some legal experts in the story that have a different opinion. Until tomorrow's story about Dolores Carr...

San Jose's Club Wet is back open... but the Police Chief's ability to close down clubs in the future is about to be curbed by the City Council. Stemming from a lawsuit Club Wet brought against the City last year, the City (and club owners) have reworked the ordinance, started talking to each other, and apparently the clubs aren't the brawl-magnets they once were... for now. Anyway, club owners and the City (but perhaps not the Police Chief) seem happier than they were late last fall. That doesn't mean Watch Dog will be rolling into Club Wet anytime soon, but maybe...

Mayor Reed and Councilmembers Sam Liccardo and Rose Herrera proposed a job-spurring package this week to be heard in a few weeks that would encourage businesses to stay and grow or relocate to San Jose. Watch Dog doesn't know if it will help, but it probably can't hurt... Liccardo wrote about it this week on San Jose Inside.

Santa Clara County is the new Belmont? If a measure gets traction to ban smoking in apartment buildings, the County will join Belmont... it is one of the ideas Board of Supervisors President Ken Yeager is proposing. He also gave his State of the County yesterday and it was nice to see all of you there... it was perhaps the most political crowd ever at a State of the County with all the candidates and glad-handing. Is the County Building sexy again?

The 49er's vote in June in Santa Clara is even closer than it was. The Santa Clara Council voted on a procedural measure to move it forward. But the quote in this Merc story is a gem, from Councilmember Jamie Matthews: "Ultimately, the people will decide, and they are smarter than all of us..." ...Especially smarter than the Santa Clara City Council... just kidding. Perhaps the "no on stadium" folks can use that quote against Matthews in a Gavin-esque manner...

Protect San Jose gives us the (Just the) "Facts About Cannabis Use"... which was not written by Sgt. Joe Friday (or Chief Davis), but it might as well have been... Damn hippies!

Monday's gun-point gas station robbery in north Gilroy was caught on tape... Don't expect this video to appear on one of those late-night "America's Scariest Videos" anytime soon. The whole thing went down in a pretty orderly and mellow way actually. They were probably stealing money for pot...

Morning News Round-Up – 6.29.09: Council raises meet economic reality...

San Jose’s “huge sucking sound” comes from resident dollars landing outside San Jose according to Councilmember Sam Liccardo. To fix it San Jose had a dream of North San Jose becoming a second downtown – those dreams are now turning into visions of a McCarthy Ranch redux.

Gilroy Councilmember Craig Gartman has asked colleagues to ditch their $64,000 medical benefits in exchange for a council/mayoral raise. The part-time Councilmembers will consider their 106% raise while they ask police and fire unions to take a 15% paycut. Colleague Dion Bracco doubts the lost medical benefits will be gone for more than a year calling the move whimsical, self-serving tricky politics.

Also on the frontlines of salary wars...

San Jose Downtown Association President Scott Knies and Councilmember Nora Campos engaged in a salary throwdown. Campos wants to know if Knies really really got a 19% city pay raise. Knies salary is listed on city payrolls at $134,399 and in a report from the non-profit at $68,916. $134k + $69k = $203,000, could it be…

Our Sister Blog, Watch Dog San Mateo shares this cross over story… East Palo Alto’s Housing Director Wilbert Lee called the ongoing vandalism at the Courtyard at Bay Road unforeseen. Wheelchair bound Arnold Hart complains he can’t get in, carpets used as toilets and a crowbar modified elevator are a few of the problems giving San Jose’s Community Housing a headache.

Interim Santa Clara County Executive Gary Graves is sucking it up. although disappointed by the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey Smith. Graves says “sitting in the executive chair is a whole different ballgame.” Smith said negotiations on take home pay are in the works, the last exec took home $292,000.

Gilroy’s tale of fence wars made the big time… Mercury News curmudgeon Scott Herhold heard from home invasion survivor when Chris Cote launched email to Herhold with his side of fence wars. Like Herhold, Watch Dog is sympathetic with Cote but thinks there has to be a better way than razor wire.

(Former) County Counsel/US Deputy Assistant District Attorney General Ann Ravel attended her own “wake” according to the Merc’s Sal Pizarro. Pizarro had a busy week including Falcons, interesting hands, and Teddy Bear Clinics. Los Lupenos is looking for alumni, email Barbara Perez Diaz lupenos40th@ix.netcom.com.

The Merc’s Internal Affairs entertains with various mini-soaps…

• Where was “No-Show Ngyuen” during San Jose City Council budget discussions? IA thinks the absences were a sign of avoiding contentious labor votes. IA sends props to council colleague Judy Chirco for donning a hat and joining discussions in spite of chemotherapy. San Jose Insider’s joined in via Rants and Raves…
  
• Supervisorial candidate Teresa Alvarado shot a “snarky” email to IA with a huffy retort to the implication that she and opponent Rosemary Kamei the same constituency.
  
• The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office anxiously awaits a report from (retired) Superior Court Judge/(former) Prosecutor William F. Martin about a “trove of some 3,300 tapes” of sexual assault medical exams. The DA’s hope they got their stories straight for the judge…
  

Los Gatos Planning Commissioners delayed a decision on creekside storage asking Extra Space to come back in August with a bigger parking lot and a shorter building. Extra Space’s Scott Wyckoff offered there would be “no significant” environmental impact and the 3 story storage facility would be “gorgeous.” No doubt a big parking lot will help with the aesthetics.

The Merc’s Mr. Roadshow (aka, Gary Richards) got the dish from the California Highway Patrol that 200,000 hands free scofflaws have been busted.

Sad news from Santa Teresa County Park, a woman was found dead on the trail by another hiker. No word if County budget woes (and a lack of park oversight) had anything to do with her death.

Today marks 2 weeks since San Jose Revealed ditched blogging for pneumonia. Could it be Revealed has ditched blogging or just ditched the moniker? Give up on all that good will, nah… Mission City Lantern suggests Revealed has headed for fashion world or maybe a Sanford like liaison.

Morning News Round-Up -- 6.26.09: Ich bin ein Berliner Day...

Seriously, it is Ich bin ein Berliner Day...

The estranged wife of San Jose pension fund Trustee Patrick Skillsky has come to his defense calling him a wonderful man. The Mrs. blames booze and stress for her husband trying to kill her and beating the tar out of San Mateo Police Officers. Stress and booze leading to domestic violence, sounds like just the type of guy you want overseeing billions of public employee pensions...

Aspiring politicos love to be on the San Jose Planning Commission. Unless, of course, you are involved in a controversy just as you prepare to run for City Council. That's what's happening right now on the Planning Commissioners. At the center of the controversy seems to be Xavier Campos, who denies that he violated the Brown Act open government rules.

East Side Union High School District Trustees saved sports! The formal (one time) money shuffle is complete. The future of East Side Union sports is up to athletes and donors to find another $1 million. Now, onto the academics...

The dip in White Road was not your imagination, there’s a busted water pipe leaking thousands of gallons of water a day. Santa Clara Water District spokesperson Susan Siravo is hoping the pipe and road will be up and running in a week. Your shocks and struts may not be so lucky...

The Merc’s Editorial Board cheers the County’s decision to bring Lawyer/Former Supervisor/Dr. Jeffrey Smith on board as the new County Executive. The Editorial closes with a nudge for the Supervisors “…find the political will to back him up...”

After “VIGOROUSLY” objecting to Morgan Hill’s “low-ball” offer for their downtown home, Dwight and Linda Jungkeit asked the City Council to delay the decision on eminent domain. Next time the attorney is expected to be in the room for what promises to be a fun discussion.

The party is over (for now) in Gilroy. Officials from the Department of Justice along with Morgan Hill and Gilroy Police swept up a “bevy” of coke, shrooms, pot, and the “Love Drug” along with guns not meant for a deer hunt.

A little over a decade ago, Morgan Hill Unified School District was ordered to stop harassment of gay students and pay over $1 million in damages to six gay students. The settlement period is finished. Status reports to the ACLU will stop, as will training. Oh, by the way, complaints of discrimination are up, according to Board President Don Moody.

Gilroy Unified School District needs a new Superintendent and is giving themselves 16 weeks to find the new Super. Watch Dog San Mateo has an idea...

Checking in on the local blogosphere:

San Jose Revealed seems to be sticking to the "pneumonia" excuse for a long, long time. Not to sound unsympathetic, but Watch Dog is skeptical... they haven't posted since June 14th. According to WebMd:

For most people, pneumonia can be treated at home. It often clears up in 2 to 3 weeks.

San Jose Inside gets in on Mayor Reed's trip up to the Most Dysfunctional Place on Earth (a.k.a. Sacramento) to tell the Governor to keep his hands off local funds. Sounds like an awesome meeting. (Mission City Lantern likes this story too...)

Protect San Jose has some reader-generated ideas about how to solve the City's budget mess. Most interesting to Watch Dog is that Councilmember Pete Constant takes aim at the Mariachi Festival. He and Bobby Lopez must share talking points...