Morning News Round-Up -- 3.26.10: Can you name the 1992 San Jose City Council?

A couple of days ago in the Palo Alto Daily News, there was a story about a Palo Alto City janitor who cashing out sick leave ($100k+) and retiring with a pension and benefits for life... well, the Merc must have seen that story and asked around San Jose City Hall if the same thing happens there. Guess what? It does. The total amount of sick leave cash outs in 2009 was $11.3 million, up from previous years. It is mostly to police officers and firefighters, who have unlimited (?) sick leave and vacation payouts when they are donPublish Poste with their stint with the City. The leader of the pack was a retiring deputy police chief who cashed in $305,447 of unpaid sick leave and vacation. Today's story also has a little history: "...But the presidents of the police and firefighters unions noted that city officials in 1992 gave them the unlimited sick-leave cash out benefit..." Ok all you old timers... We'll start the 1992 City Council list with Mayor Susan Hammer, David Pandori, Shirley Lewis, Pat Sausedo... can anyone out there name the rest?

(Not to be out-reported, the Palo Alto Weekly dives deep into how much 'cash outs' have cost Palo Alto... $5.3 million last year. We have no clue who was on the Palo Alto Council when those cash out decisions were made...)

The finalists for the now-high profile Independent Police Auditor's job in San Jose have been announced, even though the Merc caught wind of LaDoris Cordell's name prevoiusly. The other three:

• Jeff Schwartz, the head of Letra, a consulting firm that trains and researches law enforcement stuff,
• Marcos Soler, a director with the Research and Strategic Initiatives for the Civilian Complaint Review Board in NYC, and
• Victoria Urbi, a police review commission officer with Berkeley's civilian Police Review Commission.

Well, let's hope whomever gets the gig that they are not neutered like the last several IPAs have been... Because there's nothing a Watch Dog likes less than being neutered...

There is some closure to the sex with a student story in Santa Clara Unified. The Wilcox High School "special" education teacher Ed Slate will spend 2 years and 8 months for "...oral copulation with a minor, sexual penetration, and sodomy with a person younger than 18..."

While we are talking about schools, sort of... the County Office of Education is under the gun from "Alternative School" teachers and staff. The teachers are worried that by taking their concerns to the Board of Trustees, rather than the Superintendent Chuck Weis, that they may face retaliation...

No more classes, no more books, no more teachers dirty looks... at least for summer school. Morgan Hill closed summer school for the coming summer...

Morning News Round-Up – 9.7.09: A Political Carr Crash…

The dish according to the Merc’s Internal Affairs…

• District Attorney Dolores Carr stuffed her pointy toes in her mouth – again. Seems the DA won't be opening up the Grand Jury for the police shooting of a mentally ill Vietnamese man.
  
• State Senator Joe Simitian wasn’t snubbed. The Senator said leaving his water-loving self out was merely sound political maneuvering.
  
• San Jose’s Redevelopment Agency will not be pouring drinks at the Caravan.
  
• Republican/gubernatorial wannabe Steve Poizner tied fellow Republican/gubernatorial wannabe Meg Whitman to the entertaining Mr. (Van) Jones Leaves Washington saga. On an (un)related note, no word if Jones will return to his old gig…

The Merc’s Scott Herhold dishes another Dolores Carr story. Hoping no one would notice, the District Attorney’s office released the news late Friday afternoon that she was tossing the murder of Vahid Hosseini into the lap of Attorney General Jerry Brown. This after Hosseini’s widow uncovered a big no-no, (husband) Carr created a major conflict of interest in this potential death penalty case...

These folks had to enjoy the long weekend filled with (crashing) Carr news…

Disastrous Economy + 8 Years Red Ink = San Jose City Council Oversight?

Not an A’s fan, U of Maryland economics professor Dennis Coates said the “novelty effect” of a new baseball stadium wouldn’t last. San Jose’s chief development officer, Paul Krutko, countered saying city costs would be so low it wouldn’t be San Jose’s problem.

Gavilan College is pissed. A little annexation, paving a golf course and dorms caused Gilroy planners to declare Gavilan a developer – not a governmental agency. This is a problem because developers have to fork over extra bucks for city services. Expect a redux next year…

In 2005 San Jose’s Ambassador’s Lounge was the site of a shooting spree that landed co-owner E-40 in hot water. Over the weekend a young man was shot in the garage while upstairs in the convention center E-40’s latest gig was in full swing. Police Sgt. Ronnie Lopez says SJPD is investigating “whether or not this was related to the show.”

Meanwhile, no one was shot at San Jose’s Tapestry Arts Festival.

The Merc’s Editorial Board takes a peek at the new lives of former Agnews Developmental Center residents. Verdict: the developmentally disabled can live in neighborhoods more cheaply and receive top care. The editors cheer on private investment in green tech as Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla builds a $1 Billion clean/green tech fund.

Silicon Valley Reads takes on a controversial read with Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.” Health Trust CEO Fred Ferrer helps and won’t be grabbing a double-double, extra fries on the way to the January kickoff. The Merc’s Sal Pizarro also dishes there’s wine and jewelry from State Senator Elaine Alquist and Assemblymember Jim Beall at Korks for Kids.

It’s a short week for government watch dogs…

• Santa Clara County’s Finance and Government Operations Committee does a double take on the county’s vehicle fleet following a critical audit.
  
• The Santa Clara County Juvenile Justice Systems Collaborative Case Systems and Processes Work Group (mouthful much?) tries to move kids from jail to court faster.
  
• Those fun loving Elections Commissioners in San Jose noodle over ditching anonymous complaints. (Whistleblowers watch out)
  
• San Jose’s City Council talks parks and recreation.

Mission City Lantern’s James Rowen is sharing a cuppa with Santa Clara Councilmember Jamie McLeod. Legislators for (and against) State Senator Elaine Alquist’s 49er/SB43 are called out. Party poopers Tom Ammiano and Fiona Ma said no.

San Jose Insider Eric Johnson tried to kick off Rants and Raves over the long weekend, as of Monday there were no takers. Ouch. Insider/San Jose Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio spanks General Plan colleagues and invites you to “the scariest film” at Sundance. No, not this…

Morning News Round-Up -- 12.02.08: Campos as Reed's attack-dog?

Still trying to fill retail space in San Jose City Hall? It took Councilmember Pete Constant almost a year to come up with his solution to the retail space conundrum at City Hall, causing his already irritated colleagues further annoyance. "Last-minute recommendations to change terms developed in an extensive, yearlong outreach process circumvent the City's efforts to conduct an open, inclusive process and deny the council sufficient time to explore potential repercussions," responded Councilmember Nora Campos. Perhaps this response from Campos to Constant shows what role she would play as Mayor Reed's Vice Mayor -- similar to the role by this famous "Vice"...

San Jose Inside blogger and San Jose Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio has concluded that the way to build community is with more sporting events.

Garbage is all the rage in San Mateo County according to Watch Dog San Mateo – but it is termed out (and charming) Santa Cruz Assemblymember John Laird who will join the California Integrated Waste Management Board for a nice retirement salary - $132,178.

Charm doesn’t seem to be winning friends for the opponents of Measure B. Superior Court Judge Mary Jo Levinger scolded them for filing a lawsuit in the wrong County and sent them scurrying for San Francisco in an attempt to force a recount – at the County’s expense. Transportation Solutions Defense Fund pPresident David Schonbrunn complained they were being forced "… to go to two different courts." Watch Dog will try to get an update out as soon as possible about what happens in San Francisco today.

Former San Jose Councilmember/Current DA David Pandori and Merc columnist Scott Herhold are taking it on the chin from San Jose Revealed for an old Herhold piece defending Pandori on the Kali-Rai/Arreolla incident.

James Rowen at Mission City Lantern is heading to San Francisco to shop (so much for tax dollars in his home community) but not before posting his own gadfly musical.

The City of Campbell is trying to figure out how to get 892 new homes built –- and they’re getting plenty of comments from residents according to Housing Coordinator Sharon Teeter.

Meanwhile, cold weather homeless shelters opened in Sunnyvale and Gilroy last night. Jennifer Loving, CEO for EHC Lifebuilders says they’ve seen a substantial increase in people seeking shelter, “The economic crisis, coupled with the rising unemployment rate and high cost of living in Silicon Valley is creating a challenging situation for many Santa Clara County residents."

Outgoing Supervisor Blanca Alvarado was pleased to hear county employees donated over $1 million this year to area non-profits, "While our country is going through economic uncertainty and so many people are struggling, I'm heartened by the generosity of County employees."

Folks in Palo Alto were also feeling generous – Oak Investment Partners gave Arianna Huffington $25 million for her political blog site The Huffington Post.

The labor ire continues in Morgan Hill as teachers' union rep’s are transferred. In a move that sounds a tiny bit retaliatory, teacher John Loyd was given one days notice before being told about the transfer. School Board President Julia Hover-Smoot said the transfers were not retaliatory, “The district would not do that, and the board would never support that activity." Ok...

Building permits in Gilroy? Take asprin and meditate. Gilroy’s Community Development Department has been slashed and the loss is expected to result in long lines and stressed out employees. Parks and Recreation Commissioner (and area developer) Steve Ashford had a few thoughts, "It seems like they're keeping all the higher-ups instead of the folks who know what's going on, the people out in the streets and roads and parks -- the workers. They're the people doing the work. They need to clean house."