Morning News Round-Up -- 4.26.10: to Round 2...

Let's start with all things South Bay professional sports related...

Sharks, Sharks, Sharks... onto round two of the playoffs. A choke-free playoffs, perhaps? Tickets go on sale Tuesday at 10 a.m. -- perhaps Councilmember Liccardo can help you score some tickets...

We learn today that 52 percent of folks in Santa Clara are supporting Measure J, the stadium measure, with 36 opposed and 11 percent undecided. Which begs the question, who are these 11 percent of the people. The stadium has been a civic question in Santa Clara for about 2 years, give or take. Have they not picked up the Weekly, the Mercury News, or talked to a neighbor in that period of time? And you know this must be newsworthy because the Chronicle picked up the poll numbers as well...

Lawyers, lawyer, lawyers. Cedar Fair, the folks that own Great America, love their lawyers. They are trying to renegotiate their lease at Great America in Santa Clara to account for the 49ers stadium.

San Jose is pushing forward with buying the land around the proposed A's baseball stadium site near Diridon Station. Tracy Seipel at the Merc has the run-down about which pieces of land need buying and which ones don't... (Note to Michelle McGurk: Please clip and send this story to Bud...)

Speaking of buying land... San Jose Councilmember Nora Campos gets a little piece in Internal Affairs written about her -- and not in a good way. The gossipy piece talks about how she was (perhaps?) shilling for her husband's unions when she made a stink about the sale of the $20 million pair of parking lots in downtown San Jose and if the eventual developers will use "prevailing wages" to pay its workers to build -- which, it is noted in the story, the City of San Jose and the Redevelopment Agency has no ability to demand or enforce...

Internal Affairs finally catches up with the Metro/ San Jose Inside (Chuck and Larry?, San Jose Inside, April 8th) in running a piece about a possible Mayoral endorsement of right winger Larry Pegram in the San Jose City Council District 9 race. The Mayor's spokesperson gives a classic non-answer/answer: "As of today, he has not endorsed anyone." Of course, that was yesterday, who knows about today...

Teresa Alvarado got the nod from the Mercury News Editorial Board for County Supervisor... they call her "a standout"... (Cindy Chavez is going to be really, really pissed about that endorsement... so will Forrest, Mike, Tom, and Peter...)

From the previous Hispanic Foundation chief to the current one... Ron Gonzales, you remember, the former San Jose Mayor, climbed out from under a proverbial rock to pen a piece for a newspaper that he had a pretty big feud with. Bygones, we guess... He writes about the need for companies to come to the aid of schools locally.

Speaking of feuds with the local paper... Here's something that Protect San Jose will actually like that is written in the Mercury News. The words "police tactics" and "widespread praise" are in the same headline... the story is about the downtown San Jose policing, which was (ahem) a bit of an issue for a while...

The San Jose City Council will consider (again) cutting its salary and the salary of high-ranking City officials. But that isn't the part of the story that is striking in any way, this passage is: "...a 10 percent salary cut would bring council members to $84,442 — less than the wage of the average city worker..." The average working in the City of San Jose makes $88,000. $88,000! To quote the head of the Municipal Employees' Federation (who was critical of how much high-ranking City officials make): I'd love to have that kind of accounting in my checkbook...

Interestingly, a similar story (sort of) appears in the Chronicle today, noting that 1 in 3 employees in the City and County of San Francisco government make over $100,000. Perhaps the Merc could re-run their numbers and find the same thing for the City of San Jose (and perhaps even for the County of Santa Clara...)

The Morgan Hill Times does a deep dive into the District Attorney's race... and uses more flattering pictures for both Carr and Rosen. That is something they can probably both agree on, that newspapers ought to use flattering pictures...

Meg Whitman = Big Connections... and she showed it on Friday night when Mitt Romney and John McCain showed up at an event in Redwood City. Of course, both of those guys lost their last election, so perhaps she should invite more folks on a winning streak... just a thought.

We love you too Mission City Lantern... and that is non-negotiable...

Good luck getting your Sharks' tickets everyone...

Morning News Round-Up -- 4.5.10: Garcia vs. Poizner...

First, the important stuff...

Go Stanford. Beat UConn...

Go A's. Beat Seattle (and move to San Jose...)

Now, to less important stuff...

The Mercury News Editorial Board (unsurprisingly) endorsed Jeff Rosen... But the language they used was harsh, and Watch Dog is certain that voters will see this phrase over and over again...: "...Dolores Carr has shown that she lacks the moral compass and clear judgment to serve as the county's top law enforcement official..."

Speaking of skyrocketing public employee pension and benefits cost... actually, we weren't, but this story is the result of those things: Pools in San Jose may not open as planned this summer. Swimming, swimming in the swimming pool, when days are hot, when days are cold, in the swimming pool... or not.

San Jose Councilmember Kansen Chu woke up Saturday morning to this headline: "San Jose Councilman Kansen Chu violated state, city limits on gifts..." No word yet if Chu's first call was to Sam Liccardo for advice...

Stanford and Palo Alto don't get along. If you missed that, then you are very, very new to Silicon Valley... In exchange for Palo Alto putting up a huge stink about Stanford's hospital expansion plans, Palo Alto wants Stanford to help pay for the the PAPD's new building. Usually those deals are cut behind closed doors, but this quid pro quo is right out in the public...

In other unsurprising news: Caltrain is in deep shit... and it may be taxpayers who need to keep it afloat, because riders can't afford the $50/day to ride the train what it would take to keep Caltrains running... Good times.

The folks at Protect San Jose can't type fast enough to counter this Merc profile of Raj Jayadev, the head of De-Bug and a thorn in the side of SJPD. You'll remember Raj as the dude the San Jose Police Officers' Association made fun of in their video last year. In an ironic twist, that video which mocked Raj actually gave him a bigger pedestal to blast the Police... now culminating in a (mostly) positive story about Raj and De-Bug. Good work SJPOA...

It was quite a day for Steve Poizner on Friday. Having nothing to do with his run for Governor, folks from the East Side Union High School District, and Mount Pleasant High School specifically, protested him at the mall where Poizner was signing his new book about teaching in the East Side Union High School District. In this news clip, we see Eddie Garcia getting in the face of Poizner. Poizner could have responded, "Mr. Garcia, as soon as the voters elect you to something, I will listen..." But Poizner didn't do that...

Speaking of troubled high schools... a victim of a stabbing was dropped off (or stabbed) at the entrance to Gilroy High School.

Yesterday was Sunday, which is the reporters at the Merc fun day, at least in terms of Internal Affairs. Here's the fun stuff we learned...

• The Santa Clara County Bar Association like Jeff Rosen better than Dolores Carr... so does Scott Herhold and nearly everyone who works in the DA's office...
• The East Side Superintendent that got fired before the most recent one got fired is getting fired again... from the Alisal Union School District. They sure do know how to pick 'em at ESUHSD...
• And perhaps most shocking is this: Steve Poizner had a man-crush on Ron Gonzales... Oh, as shocking, someone actually had to read Poizner's book to find out that info...

One task force to talk about tree removal and another to talk about tree planting. That's the plan for TJ Martin and Fontana Parks in San Jose because PG&E needs to remove trees and neighbors are not pleased...

The Merc Editorial Board continues with its political endorsements... beyond the really fun one for Jeff Rosen, a really not fun unendorsement for Proposition 17... which is funded by Mercury Insurance. (Note to Mercury Insurance: Please don't raise Watch Dog's rates...)

Morning News Round-Up -- 11.2.09: Change of Culture Edition...

Well, Sunday's paper had some more bad news for the embattled San Jose Police Department. Let's review: first it was drunk arrests, then it was attitude arrests, then it was a shooting of a mentally-ill man and the corresponding non-release of the 911 tapes, then it was the beating/ Tasing of the San Jose State student. All of this has kept the Merc's Sean Webby extremely busy. Sunday's expose on the San Jose Police Department was thorough -- and while we await Protest San Jose's response, you should read the story. In a nutshell, the San Jose Police Department uses force a lot in resisting-arrest cases, which comes as no surprise to some, but may surprise a few folks on the City Council...

The Sunday Merc also had some pretty shocking examples of use of force during fairly innocuous stuff... followed by today's paper with another story about a female San Jose State student who was roughed up during the evening of the 2006 Mardi Gras. (It isn't all bad news for San Jose PD however, a rookie Officer saved a toddler from choking on candy this weekend.)

And, of course, the corresponding Merc Editorial calling for a "culture change" for San Jose Police.

Ironically, it is the second call for a change in culture in the Merc Editorial pages this week. The first was for Wilcox High School after Teacher/Sex Gate and the Broom Closet Modeling Agency was uncovered...

And if that all wasn't enough news about the need for a change of culture, another one bites the dust in the East Side Union High School District. Superintendent Bob Nunez was finally sacked after 12 hours of hearings and lots and lots of expensive Starbucks coffees... (read that story, that is a pun...) Perhaps this is an an elaborate effort to get the seat warm again for Joe Coto when his stint in Sacramento is over...

You may have heard that these are tough economic times... well, VTA is feeling the tough economic times as hard, or harder, than anyone else. They have an operating deficit of $98 million over the next 2 years. That should be fun to deal with...

And if it is Monday, that means we read Internal Affairs this weekend. IA goes in depth about the Forbe's Magazine safe cities rankings... ironic, given what else was the in paper on Sunday (see top story above)... the Santa Clara Valley Water District passed The Dick Santos Project in Alviso, much to the delight of the opposition researchers in the Supervisor's race next year... and Deputy District Attorney is officially looking to remove the word Deputy from his name and is taking on embattled DA Dolores Carr.

Gilroy Unified has a new high school and by the accounts in the story in the Dispatch, it is one cool high school.

And could it be that the same golf course that gave headaches (both golf and political) to former San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales could host a PGA Tour event? The Morgan Hill Times asks and answers the questions...

Morning News Round-Up -- 10.20.09: Age of Aquarius, but not for Mayor Reed or Bobby Lopez (or Dolores Carr)...

Mayor Reed got together with San Jose Police Officers' Association head honcho to pen an OpEd in the Mercury News today about government Sunshine and how releasing police records would "threaten victims' rights..." Which is it Mayor/Lopez, would it threaten victims' rights or hurt public safety? Watch Dog loves the visual of Mayor Reed sending drafts back and forth to Bobby Lopez... "Bobby, I suggest we make this a little punchier... Love, Chuck." The issue is coming before Council tonight -- so get there early and reserve a seat...

Continuing with the songs about sunshine theme... "Let the sunshine in..." The Merc’s Editorial Board offers an opinion that District Attorney Dolores Carr goofed by not following the tradition of sharing details on high profile Grand Jury cases. The Merc. also offers the opinion that allowing a little Sunshine might be hard in the beginning but hard isn’t a reason not to move forward with the Sunshine Task Force recommendations. Unless, of course your last name is Reed, Lopez, or Carr...

The Merc’s Scott Herhold shares thoughts on Santa Clara County’s missteps leading up to a $500,000 check made out to the California First Amendment Coalition. Perhaps Herhold is hoping San Jose Councilmembers will reconsider what information is meant to be public. We also learn that Scott Herhold is "...pretty much a First Amendment absolutist..."

Gilroy Councilmembers said no to a request to spread out. In a contentious meeting with environmentalists, developers, County representatives, and residents (which included 3 hours of debate) a final 4-3 vote was cast against a proposals from Lucky Day Ranch and Wren Investors. Gilroy Councilmembers also dished out raises to City Administrator Tom Haglund (nearly $10,000) and City Clerk Shawna Freels (nearly $5,000). Really? Raises? We wonder how Dr. Pete Arellano's vote to give City Administrators pay raises will play in the coming election... hmmm...

Milpitas Police stay mum on the subject of a fatal shooting at the Great Mall. Police spokesperson Officer Gene Smith shrugged “there’s not a whole lot of information yet.” If you’ve got something to share call Milpitas police at 408-586-2400. This brings the total homocides in Milpitas to two for the year... but two killings in Milpitas is a crime spree.

Protect San Jose’s Sgt. Jim Unland doesn’t share the Merc’s opinion on openness (shocker) and dismisses proponents as “conspiracy theorists” saying the Merc’s interest is in selling “a few extra papers…” Just a note to Sgt. Unland, selling a few extra newspapers is not going to help the Merc. Selling a LOT of extra newspapers might...

Oops, the allure of all that money may have pushed Silicon Valley money moguls Anil Kumar and Rajiv Goel into trading insider secrets. The Feds think they’re involved in the largest hedge-fund insider trading scandal in history. Perhaps Boots has room in his cell...

Santa Clara University is celebrating as engineering students representing California in the international Solar Decathlon take home the bronze. Empty nesters from Los Gatos will be happy to know the students built the home for them.

Former Mayor/Hispanic Foundation CEO Ron Gonzales was busy celebrating a new gig and adding tables to the Foundations Charity Ball while next door former Mayor Janet Gray Hayes celebrated the 40th anniversary of the San Jose Museum of Art. (Thanks Sal for the update...)

San Jose Insider/Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio offers quotes from a public safety meeting on the eve of Council decisions on Police openness. Very original PO...
Mission City Lantern suggests Santa Clarans engage in self-reflection and sends props to Watch Dog (twice).

Morning News Round-Up -- 8.17.09: LOL edition...

It isn't just teenagers that are texting constantly, apparently so are San Jose Councilmembers and lobbyists... Accusations of dragging Sunshine into darkness follow San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed according to Sunshine Task Force Member/ Working Partnerships policy wonk Bob Brownstein. Councilmember Pete Constant, who mostly texts during Council meetings, declined providing text messages to the Merc. but Councilmember Sam Liccardo provided them. (un)Surprisingly, the Merc.’s Editorial Board weighs in calling for release of personal texts and emails.

Former Vice Mayor/Labor Chief Cindy Chavez goes ever more public. Pointing to a 2008 Fair Political Practices Commission report calling uncapped independent expenditures that thwart “the will of the people,” Chavez lends her support to a contentious San Jose City Council vote. Or in text, "wll o d ppl"

Expect a lot of finger pointing as the cost of San Jose’s first Police substation continues to head North. This week the San Jose City Council discusses adding more than $5 million (on top of March’s $4.5 million) to fix design flaws. Like the 15,000 gallon fuel tank listed at 1,500 gallons.

San Jose Firefighters couldn’t have been happy to see the San Francisco Chronicle’s City Insider calling them out as the highest paid of big California cities. Those pesky reporters...

During the State’s trying budget days it’s surprising to see local legislators handing out raises. Assemblymember Joe Coto gave 2 staffers raises, bumping salaries to $56,880. Assemblymember Anna Caballero bumped 6 staffers to a whopping $19,278 annually and Jim Beall increased pay for 4 staff members to $27,510. Actually, scratch that, nothing in Sacramento is surprising...

Following up on last week's news that San Jose State University is making it difficult for unprepared students… The Merc’s Editorial Board calls on high schools to prepare students for college. What a concept…

(un)Happy trails. Fremont’s Nummi plant is packing the bags and heading to Texas leaving nearly 5,000 newly unemployed in its wake. Perhaps a Fremont ballpark can actually happen now? Watch Dog sources say no...

Two groups of teenagers battled at the Alum Rock lightrail station in East San Jose. When the dust settled a 19 year old woman was dead while a 16 year old and 19 year old were hospitalized. The Sheriff’s office won’t (yet) declare this a gang related fight. If you have details, call detective Sgt. Herman Leon or detective Sgt. Ryan Elder at 408-808-4500.

The Merc’s Internal Affairs crew follows the confusing assortment of local legislators as they angle for higher office. (current and former) Assemblymembers Ira Ruskin, John Laird, and Jim Beall plan to duke it out with freshman Assemblymember Paul Fong for Senator Joe Simitian’s seat in 2010. Senator Elaine Alquist hopes to be your next Secretary of State while (current and former) Assemblymembers Joe Coto and Sally Lieber will go after Alquist’s Senate gig. Looming ahead, the inevitable redistricting after the 2010 census.

The fallout from Scott Herhold’s wishful list of District Attorney wannabe’s brought more than a little grief to Deputy District Attorney/”Most Respected” Jeff Rosen.

The Merc’s Internal Affairs also pokes fun at (former) Mayor Ron Gonzales email sign-off.

The Merc’s Sal Pizarro celebrates the opening of the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce offices and Garden City Construction’s loving restoration of a 1941 bank, more restoration for San Jose’s Civic Center, bike building at Applied Micro, and Cadence employee’s blowing through a fundraising goal to triple the joy.

Local government in action around Silicon Valley…

• The County Board of Supervisors' Health and Hospital Committee discusses reports on County programs for uninsured children – now that the State wants to cut funds.
• Cupertino Union School District talks energy management.
• Fremont Union High School District gets an update on Measure B.
• East Side Union High School gets dollars for sports…
• San Jose Unified School District Superintendent Don Iglesias hopes for an agreement with the San Jose Teachers Association.
• San Jose City Council talks Sunshine and cost overruns. (Or in text: cst ovrrns)
• Santa Clara City Council tackles charter changes for football while a 49er stadium subcommittee recommends a 2nd ballot measure.

Mission City Lantern shares that (special) love with Berryessa Union School District Trustee David Cohen. Lantern is (apparently) pissed over Cohen’s San Jose Inside column remembering Woodstock on the 40th Anniversary.

Morning News Round-Up -- 7.9.09: A story that never seems to die...

There have been a few stories in the past week about former San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales and some job applications he's filled out. Watch Dog bets that he likes those stories better than the one that is landing in San Mateo County right now. You see, there is an ongoing Garbage Saga in San Mateo County that our sister blog Watch Dog San Mateo has been covering for sometime. Well, the Civil Grand Jury up there just issued some findings about their newest County garbage contract. That's where San Jose and Ron Gonzales come in. The San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury goes into depth about San Jose's botched garbage deal, Mayor Gonzales' deal with Norcal, and how that should have been taken into consideration before Norcal landed the San Mateo County contract... I guess that story will never, ever die... (We will link the full report when it comes online...)

“Quite honestly, this is an embarrassment,” according to San Jose City Attorney Rick Doyle. Silicon Valley cities face the expensive task of chasing down crooks and suspects whose loot the County District Attorney confiscated – but never asked to keep. DA Dolores Carr pointed an accusing finger at her predecessor for the costly foul-up.

The growth of South Bay gangs gets a double dose of love from the Metro. Gilroy Mayor Al Pinheiro snapped “…let’s not get the media hyped up and point to Gilroy as a hard-core gang kind of place,” in response to accusation that a lack of political will is at the heart of Gilroy’s gang problems.

Lawsuits, exploding toilets, and sewage spills have Palo Alto’s City Council considering handing responsibility for sewer lines to residents. Neighborhood policy wonk Bob Moss is rallying the troops before the City’s meeting.

“Poison pill,” “clueless staff,” and “squandered dollars” highlight a Mercury News Editorial call to rid the State budget of the costly requirement to re-study High-speed rail alternatives. How do you really feel?

At least 16 acres of the San Antonio shopping center in Mountain View are slated for a “pedestrian friendly” make over to become a “really modern” shopping center. Really...

Shut those taps, people! For now Los Altos is asking residents politely to curb water use. Assistant City Manager Jay Logan is hopeful the “intelligent skill-set” in Los Altos will cooperate. Of course, the "intelligent skill-set" generally have huge lawns...

Former San Jose Councilmember/Santa Clara County Affordable Housing Director Margie Matthews reports there are more people living on the street. Supervisor Don Gage called the increase “troubling.”

Morning News Round-Up -- 7.7.09: Revealed Reveals...

Revealed is back, and they are mad at the Mercury News. Their post is ironic: they bash the paper constantly and then they want to be treated with kid gloves... Get well Revealed...

Rod Diridon is also really pissed... The budget disaster in Sacramento has Legislators finger pointing and blaming staff for a sentence stuck in the State budget bill – a sentence that could derail Federal dollars and the speedy High-Speed Rail in Northern California. Imagine, something getting screwed up in Sacramento. At least everyone in Sacramento is working in the best interest of the State today...

For the second time in a few days San Jose’s former (beleaguered) Mayor Ron Gonzales is in the news. The Merc’s Internal Affairs reported Gonzo was a contender for top dog at the San Francisco-based Coro Center for Civic Leadership -- but didn't get it. Today, he’s gunning for (Supervisorial wannabe) Teresa Alvarado’s old gig at the Hispanic Foundation in San Jose. Watch Dog can only guess that Gonzales didn't think that these two job applications would be newsworthy this soon... We also surmise the coverage doesn't help his chances much.

Large company (Facebook) + Neighborhood = Parking Nightmare

It’s summer and the allure of the outdoors beckons. Mountain View aims to please with outdoor movies and concerts under the stars.

Not for the first time, Watch Dog wonders if District Attorney Dolores Carr has regrets… Carr declared there was no “misconduct or error of legal significance” when former prosecutor/Judge Joyce Allegro withheld evidence in a death penalty case.

Santa Clara Police killed Airman Ian York following the death of York’s girlfriend and shots at Police. The District Attorney’s office will be conducting the investigation of York’s death. Big news for a small town...

Gilroy voters gave their School District an early Christmas present last year passing a $150 million facilities bond. Facing poor planning and bickering between Trustees and staff the Gilroy Unified School District now struggles to spend the money well. Trustee Mark Good called a new wing at Las Animas Elementary a “perfect example of a project run amok.”

Mission City Lantern continues their foray into lucidity… Profile in Cowardice (Abel Maldonado, James means you…). The San Jose Revealed clues that could land you a prize.

San Jose Insider/Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio sings the praises of the neighborhood Fourth of July Parade and historic pillars. Watch Dog note, that caffeine buzz you get next to the pillar comes from Peet’s Coffee, not Pete’s.

Morning News Round-Up -- 5.1.09: "Size does matter..." according to Mayor Reed

Trying to catch up with Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio's use of inappropriate, sexual references in public, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed declared, “Size does matter” discussing San Jose's population (finally) hitting 1 million residents. (Rumors that Mayor Reed blushed and giggled after uttering the double entendre are unconfirmed...)

Swine Flu update: Four more Silicon Valley schools shut their doors for flu days. While Watch Dog is ready to ditch the Swine Flu mania it is nice to see all the kids wandering aimlessly, in public, with school doors shuttered.

San Jose City Manager Debra Figone put the budget axe to the grindstone. The result, no one is going to be happy. San Jose, trying to close a $77.5 million deficit, is losing nearly 150 people, closing libraries half the week, ditching the mounted police, and closing parks on slow days.

Fire Marshal David Schoonover isn’t a fan of San Jose restaurants’ tents and won’t be a welcome guest for garlic fries and Amber Ale. Visits from Schoonover to the Poor House Bistro, Gordon Biersch, and Smoke Tiki Lounge landed restaurant owners in hot water for their tents. Downtown Councilmember Sam Liccardo is hopeful the businesses and the Fire Marshal will work it out without costing businesses big bucks.

Former Mayor/lobbyist Tom McEnery hoisted a celebratory beer and danced a jig in the tent-free O’Flaherty’s when San Jose Elections Commissioners dismissed the anonymous complaint. Elections Commission Chairman Fred de Funiak was pissed saying the “commission was used,” to go after McEnery. Big guns Supervisor Dave Cortese and Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino showed up to tell the Commission not to accept anonymous complaints. Way to use the Rolodex, Tom. Yesterday, San Jose Revealed posted a scathing challenge to the Merc’s Editors to actually read the report...

Speaking of Dave Cortese... Supervisor Cortese hopes to prevent little kids from landing in the pokey and Silicon Valley from having the youngest child ever locked up.

Silicon Valley hookers will be happy to hear the news, Dean Rish from San Ramon was busted for robbing women in the world’s oldest profession. Public safety officials working with the District Attorney’s office used the internet to find hookers with information about the East Bay robber before busting him.

Alum Rock Union School District Trustees have renegotiated outgoing Superintendent Norma Martinez’ severance package. Gone (finally) are the half million in cash and monthly benefits over $1,500. Martinez’ revised deal of less than $200,000 and half the benefits will allow the District to “move forward” according to Board President Gustavo Gonzalez.

Earlier in the week we wrote about a development in Palo Alto that got shot down by the City's Planning and Transportation Committee... well, the developers had this to say: "This project has been in the works for five years, and this is the kind of dysfunctional process that drives business and tax revenue out of Palo Alto..." How do you really feel?

A grumpy Saratoga Planning Commission approved plans to expand the Inn at Saratoga but let owner Kwan Lee know they were pissed about his refusal to roll in improved handicap access. Commissioner Linda Rodgers said she was disappointed while Commissioner Mary-Lynne Bernald symbolically voted ‘no.’

Sunnyvale’s City Council is declaring Sunnyvale will be a safe place for bicycles and pedestrians at the same time and street parking will have to be sacrificed for the bicycle when needed. That’s putting the green vision where it counts…

Also insisting on going green… Saratoga Mayor Chuck Page is visiting each of his restaurants to ask they ditch the Styrofoam voluntarily. We understand that the American Chemistry Council is trying to track down Mayor Page...

Saratoga’s City Council has been working with Civica Software since November to update the website and settled on the new design this week. Mayor Chuck Page asked the background be white for easy reading while Councilmember Howard Miller said simply “it might be good to find out how to simplify this design to have less words and less clutter,” Miller continued with "one of the problems with websites for infrequent users ... is that they can get lost if there's too much going on." Apparently, this conversation about web-design is what constitutes hard-hitting news coverage in Saratoga...

The Merc’s Sal Pizarro can be found tonight ambling through San Jose’s SoFA district celebrating First Friday with music, art, and a little shopping. Pizarro also dishes former Mayor Ron Gonzales pouring a little red at a Silicon Valley Capital Club fundraiser and former Councilmember/Supervisorial wannabe Forrest Williams has declared himself green from his name to his business cards.

Morning News Round-Up -- 3.12.09: More Former Mayors in the News...

Baseball is back in the news…Mayor Chuck Reed and Company settled on an April 7 public meeting about bringing the A’s to San Jose. The decision followed input from the A's to San Jose Study Group Co-Chair Michael Mulcahy...and residents for and against a little springtime action. Metro’s Erin Sherbert weighs in on the growing excitement about the A’s. So does the Baseball San Jose blog...

The Merc’s Scott Herhold dedicates his space to musings over the Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins/Cindy Chavez shuffle at the South Bay Labor Council -- the impact to the Labor movement, to City Hall, and to local politics overall. (Herhold also mentions another Former Mayor in his piece...bringing the week's total of San Jose's Former Mayors mentioned on Watch Dog to 2, Former Mayoral Candidates remain at 3, and Current Mayors at 1.)

San Jose Inside/Metro’s Fly has been cruising Facebook (again) and found San Jose Councilmember Pete Constant's Chief of Staff, Jim Cogan, once again expressing an opinion in opposition to his boss. High on the list of all time best lines, Fly accuses Cogan of “performing rhetorical backflips” to explain his support of an anti-Internet filter group ‘Books Not Filters’. (There is no truth to the rumor that Constant is searching for his ball gag for Jim...)

San Jose Inside blogger/Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio blogs that those who “choose to live outside” (i.e., homeless) are here because San Jose is unable to put a border around itself. Tough talk for a guy with a guaranteed job…

The Merc’s Editorial Board puzzles over the "layoffs" at San Jose’s City Hall. Expect a loud (obvious) response from San Jose Revealed...

The San Jose Medical Center closed its doors in 2004, with neighbors in an uproar over the loss of a downtown hospital. The Merc’s Editorial Board lends its support to a Gardner Family Health Network urgent care facility to replace at least some of the medical services for San Jose’s growing downtown. A few obstacles lay in the path of making this real – most notably the former SJMC owner HCA who is not likely to support a competitor. (HCA also runs/owns Regional Medical Center...)

San Jose’s Elections Commission is irritated by the anonymity of a complaint against former Mayor/lobbyist Tom McEnery. (Former Mayor count is now at 3 for the week...) Chairman Fred de Funiak is irked that Commission rules allow for anonymous sources but is unwilling to change those rules in the middle of the McEnery complaint. Attorney James McManis points out the complaint is based on public information...

McManis is busy these days...

James McManis is pleased to see the end of the decade long gambling lawsuit. His client, Bay 101 and San Jose’s other gambling paradise, Garden City, will be able to remain open 24 hours. Gamblers must, however take a mandatory 4 hour bet-free break. One wonders exactly how that will be enforced…

San Jose Revealed uncovers the insecurities that San Jose struggles with: does anyone know the way to San Jose, does anyone really care? Revealed poses questions about San Jose’s political relevance both State- and nation-wide while wondering when San Jose Mayors will get press for something other than being a stiff, a philanderer, a criminal, or all three.

Saratoga Mayor Chuck Page calls it a victory in the making. The Council has asked staff to examine Saratoga's permitting process with an eye towards decreasing the number of eyes that have to review. Will Saratoga NIMBYs still be allowed to oppose permits?

Warning to anyone living near a Caltrain line: an improvement project will be keeping you up at night, at least temporarily. Eventually the rail grinding project will decrease the noise but for now anyone hoping to sleep between 10 pm and 4:30 am better get earplugs.

A suspicious package in Palo Alto down the street from a Jewish day school caused the school's evacuation. The make-shift package was made to look like a bomb and carried with it a menacing note...That is a scary story...

So is this...Sunnyvale as beach front property? The Pacific Institute has released a report identifying Alviso, along with hazardous dump sites, power plants, sewer plants, and communities around the Bay as being in danger as sea levels rise. Jim Wunderman, CEO of the Bay Area Council, recommends moving at high speed to resolve the problem. (Watch Dog San Mateo laments the possible loss of a blog-buddy during the rising tides...)

The City of Palo Alto and Stanford University don't always get along. Although neighbors and inextricably linked, land-use and taxes and traffic and housing cause all kinds of disputes. Take the proposed new hospital Stanford would like to build. Palo Alto is concerned about the impacts to roads, housing, etc. The City of Palo Alto and Stanford officials are set to meet to discuss the hospital and other Stanford-expansion projects in 3 days...in a thinly-veiled move to make the hospital look better to residents (and perhaps to the Palo Alto City Council as well) -- Stanford released a report yesterday pointing out that the hospital expansion would add $18 million in revenue to the City of Palo Alto...

Morning News Round-Up -- 1.1.09: Feliz ano...

Watch Dog Silicon Valley salutes all who celebrated the New Year all the way to dawn, Watch Dog San Mateo offers this to help cure what ails you.

Incoming San Jose councilmember Rose Herrera is off to a curious start as reported by the Fly on SanJoseInside. Watch Dog will try to make some sense of it. Herrera promised Mark Tiernan the top dog seat in her office, then Tiernan told her he wouldn’t be available full-time until March. Herrera downgraded Tiernan to policy director and hired Jennifer Malutta as top dog. According to Fly Malutta wasn’t happy with the new Tiernan title and had Herrera give Tiernan the boot. Watch Dog note: Malutta’s claim to fame was as Deputy Chief of Staff to Ron Gonzales. A staffer on the 18th floor wondered “How do you go from being No. 1 to being let go the day before break?”

The quiet release of interesting news continues with Santa Clara county officials declaring a much improved process for delinquent kids in court. Watch Dog San Mateo last week highlighted the holidays as an ideal time to bury news. It was only this summer that the county was described as “one of the worst-performing" of 100 nationwide sites working on detention alternatives. Patricia Gardner, with the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits, gives props to the courts saying "What great transparency for a court to give such a report."

(Un)Surprisingly, San Jose police officer Julio Morales denies any inappropriate touching of a young woman picked up in downtown San Jose. Police Watch Dogs, (San Jose dumped theirs) will be snooping around to see if the officer believed the 18 year old was involved in criminal activity and was armed at touch time.

It took a little over ten years from campaign promise to grand opening but Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves says the library opening in January is on time and on budget – built with funds approved in 2000. And that was with 3 terms as Mayor under his belt.

Before the festivities were underway a pedestrian was killed by a train in Mountain View, near Castro Street. 2008 saw 16 deaths on the tracks, 8 from suicide by CalTrain.

Sunnyvale Councilmember Otto Lee is off to do battle in Iraq, leaving behind a wife, two daughters and $182,000 in campaign debt. Lee wants friends to send money, not care packages, to recover from the expenses generated by his failed run for Supervisor.

The Merc’s Scott Herhold provides a list of resolutions he hopes others will make this year from living scandal free to kid-free political ads. Herhold doesn’t say what his own resolutions are, tomorrow?

SanJoseRevealed asks for your predictions on the biggest items in 2009, topping the list so far are Tom McEnery gets busted for lobbying boo-boos, the Vietnamese community gets pissed, and the Merc leaves town. Revealed’s parting photo for 2008 has Santa Clara city councilmember Kevin Moore (reportedly) dressed as Buckwheat getting cuddly with Fred Flintstone (Chuck Blair). Blair, with two failed attempts at Santa Clara city council, is (perhaps) more pre-historic character than he thinks.

MissionCityLantern closes the year with a backgrounder for their numerous international visitors. Rowen reports the blog is biting sarcasm engaged in “drive by shooting” wit and cynicism (with a typo we hope will be fixed), that may be rancid butter but at least is on “your side of the bread.”

And now Watch Dog is curling up in front of a roaring fire with a little hair of the dog… Wishing all a Happy New Year.