Morning News Round-Up -- 8.27.09: A Cause for NIMBY Celebration

High-Speed Rail foes have something, other than their never-ending NIMBYism, to hang their hats on today. A Judge questioned the Environmental Impact Report for the proposed route over Pacheco Pass (and into San Jose). This has NIMBYs pretty psyched. Not so fast, say High-Speed Rail advocates, because the Judge also called the other possible routes, over Altamont Pass and across the Bay, too expensive. Nonetheless, this means delay, and cost, and probably huge parties up and down the Caltrain corridor this weekend. Remember, if you drink at these parties NIMBYs, take the train home...

Speaking of High-Speed Rail, perhaps it is the only issue that could be less fun for local a member of Congress to hear about than healthcare at a Town Hall these days... And Congresswoman Eshoo heard all about it this week.

Speaking of Speaking...

The Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was in town yesterday greeted by San Jose's Rotary Club (and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren...) The Merc focused their coverage (and headline) of the story on the protesters outside the Rotary meeting while San Jose Inside focused on what the Speaker said...

And speaking of trains...

Diridon Station was closed for a period of time yesterday afternoon after a written bomb threat was found.

Prosecutors from the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office are in the news today, and (amazingly) the story doesn't involved the words "lack of ethics" or "Dolores Carr"... (They are supporting a bill that the Governor is expected to sign to crack down on fraudulent mortgage brokers.)

It seems access to public information isn't an issue only in San Jose (think text messages)... Saratoga is dealing with it too. Saratoga officials are complaining that they have received 20 requests so far this year. (San Jose's City Clerk Lee Price is ROFL at that HUGE number.)

Here are the scrolling headlines of the Gilroy Dispatch today.

• Police arrest man after high speed drunken chase.
• Murder suspect pleads guilty to unrelated drug charge.
• Wanted man adds stolen gun, stolen motorcycle charges to list.

Need we say more?

The Morgan Hill Times has a slightly different crime story: Skaters attack ice cream truck...

Your South County papers, all crime, all the time.

And finally, the Merc's Scott Herhold provides a local angle (Jude Barry) to the death of Senator Kennedy. The Editorial page also pays respects.

Morning News Round-Up -- 3.18.09: The Appointed One Writes...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pushing the once unthinkable: Consolidation of the Bay Area's daily newspapers. On a related note: Watch Dog is thriving, even though we are anonymous Mr. Herhold...

The Merc's Editorial Board stands up for Councilmember Pete Constant in his pissing match with the San Jose Police Officers Association. The union is not happy with their former police colleague because (they believe) he turned their back on them on the City Council. (They are so mad, in fact, that they are seeking candidates to run against him next year.) But reading the Editorial, Watch Dog couldn't help but notice that the Editorial Board had to distance themselves from Constant twice, while standing up for him once. Take a look at these two lines:

• "...We don't always agree with him..."
• "...Constant's calls on some issues are definitely worth debating..."

The Editorial Board also chimes in a spat between the South Bay and the Association of Bay Area Governments...

Supervisorial Chief of Staff/The Appointed One/(unelected) School Board member Eddie Garcia also graces the back of today's front section and stands up for sports in the East Side Union High School District in the pages of the Merc...(and yes, wise ass, everything is spelled correctly.)

It has been a devastating year for the young folks at Los Gatos High School. Three students have died in one school year.

Cupertino's 'green coordinator' gets profiled in the Courier...so does Sunnyvale's new Library Director in the Sun...(both papers are 'powered by the Mercury News'...Watch Dog would be petrified if we were 'powered by the Mercury News' these days...)

First Saratoga raised garbage rates to pay for road repairs...now Campbell gets in on the action. Watch Dog predicts San Jose (and other cities) will get in on the action...

This should make you feel safer...a San Jose man was arrested for stealing guns from a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Morgan Hill. Does this mean he'll never pass a background check...probably not.

San Jose Revealed has a Quick Note and a history lesson about Tom McEnery, Bill Clinton, and a sluethy phone call from Arkansas...

Mission City Lantern doesn't like baseball...or does he?