East Side Union High School District...the Shirakawa/Garcia shenanigans continue...

Imagine for a moment that the Governor of NY is appointing someone to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat. (Shouldn't be hard to imagine...) Then imagine the appointed person, say Caroline Kennedy, has to run for office in 2 years (2010). Again, not too hard to imagine. But imagine that she (sadly) loses that election.

Following me so far? Stay with me...I have a point:

In the same hypothetical election where Kennedy failed to defend her appointed seat, imagine that the OTHER Senator from NY moves onto a different office (or dies) and the OTHER Senate seat becomes vacant.

Do you think that the Governor of NY would re-appoint Kennedy who just failed to defend a seat that was given to her? No way...

And yet, this is exactly what the East Side Union High School District Board of Directors is likely to do in January if voices of reason (like ours) don't make a stink. (See, there is a point...)

Watch Dog has covered the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) before, so let's review a bit for newcomers...

• When Craig Mann was elected in 2006 to the County Board of Education, his ESUHSD Board seat became vacant...and was filled by Eddie Garcia (with strong support from Board Member George Shirakawa, Jr.) who was appointed to this vacant seat...
• This November 4th, ESUHSD Board Member George Shirakawa, Jr. was elected to the Board of Supervisors... (even though he jokingly referred to himself a "corrupt lobbyist"...)
• On that same fateful Tuesday in November, appointed ESUHSD Board Member Eddie Garcia failed to convince voters that he is worthy of the seat to which he was appointed... Garcia came in third place in a four-person race (for two open seats). Garcia received 14,000 votes fewer than the second place finisher...Eddie Garcia lost his bid to return to the Board.
• At the first opportunity in November, Shirakawa (winding down his reign/service on the ESUHSD Board) tried to get Garcia appointed as his replacement rather than opening up the process fully to applicants as defined by Board guidelines...and as followed by every other elected body. (Even this decidedly undemocratic body went through a public process...)
  
• Relatedly, on December 5th, Supervisor-elect Shirakawa's staffing decisions became public through a variety of news sources, including San Jose Revealed. (Watch Dog pointed out the inherent conflicts of interest for both Xavier Campos and Eddie Garcia -- who will both be collecting government checks thanks to Shirakawa's new title.)
• After finally agreeing to accept applications, the Board convened a Community Advisory Committee to interview and narrow the field from 14 to 3, 4, or 5. The Community Advisory Committee met last week to hold private discussions (in apparent violation of State law) and came up with a short list of possible appointees: Eddie Garcia (gee, really?), Barbara Boone, and William (not Wayne) Gretsky.

Now the good stuff...

Eddie Garcia is trying to make the case publicly that he deserves the seat, even though the voters have spoken...

Garcia sent this email last week to supporters...Remember, Eddie was appointed to this position already, lost an election to this position by 14,000 votes, and is looking to get reappointed to the same position.

(Recall that we started this post with this analogy: Caroline Kennedy losing a Senate election after being appointed to the Senate, only to be appointed a second time to post that she (obviously) cannot defend...)

Just as it wouldn't happen in NY, or California, or anywhere...it shouldn't happen in San Jose...even if George Shirakawa, Jr. wants it too...

On to Eddie's (unedited) email. (Note that there is no mention that he will be going to work for Shirakawa in a few weeks and that there is a typo/misspelling in the last sentence...)

----

December 20, 2009

Dear Friends and Supporters,

With your encouragement and support, I entered the appointment process to replace George Shirakawa on the the East Side Union High School District Board of Trustees. I was one of 14 candidates who applied for the appointment.

On Thursday, a Community Advisory Committee of 14 community members appointed by the Board of Trustees completed two days of candidate interviews and voted to recommend three finalists to the Board of Trustees. I'm proud and honored to share with you that 13 of the 14 committee members voted to recommend me to the Board. No other candidate received a majority of the committee's support. The two other finalists combined didn't receive as many votes. This further validates your support and the over 45,000 voters who supported our campaign on Election Day.

Of the three finalists, I'm the only candidate who has: (1) served on the Board, (2) made a full commitment to the students of the district by running for election, (3) earned the support and trust of a broad and diverse coalition of community leaders and over 45,000 district voters, (4) been associated with the district as a student, employee, AND board member, (5) broad experience as corporate executive, educational employee, AND community leader.

With my broad set of experiences and from the results of the Community Advisory process, it is clear that I'm the most qualified candidate among the finalists. As we enter the political phase of the process - public interviews with the Board of Trustees - I will share my values, ideas, and vision for the district: focusing on the student achievement gap, providing students, teachers, and employees with the tools for success, and demanding fiscal and governing integrity and accountability for the district.

As I also hope to continue demonstrating strong community support, I need your help with two efforts: (1) please continue sending e-mails to each Board member expressing support for my appointment, and (2) show your support by attending the January 8 public interviews - the meeting begins at 6:00 PM and it is the only item on the agenda. The Board will make the appointment that evening.

Thanks again for everything. We're almost there! Despite the challenging budget crisis, with your help and support, I truly believe that the East Side Union High District's best days are stil to come.

With Gratitude,

Eddie

"Mr. Garcia, is it possible at some point in the future that you will actually win an election?"

In cased you missed it, Watch Dog has been following the goings-on on the East Side Union High School District Board as they fill a (large) vacancy. A brief recap:

• Eddie Garcia (after being appointed to the Board in 2006) lost his seat on the Board during the November 2008 election -- coming in 3rd place.
• Despite Garcia's loss, outgoing Board member George Shirakawa (who was on his way off the East Side Board because of his election to the Board of Supervisors) tried to get Garcia appointed (again) to the Board.
• Apparently oblivious to ethics, or perhaps knowing people would ignore it, the Shirakawa/Garcia relationship was taken to another level as Garcia got a job in Shirakawa's office in the County Building.
• Watch Dog pointed out the shenanigans happening at the East Side Union High School District Board, and included an email Garcia sent to supporters.
• (As an aside, Watch Dog pointed out Craig Mann's apparent resume inflation...Mann was the guy that held the East Side Union seat before Garcia.)
  

Today, Watch Dog has another update.

This Thursday, the Board of East Side Union will make up their minds about whom to appoint to the open seat -- even though the process if obviously fixed and the outcome already a given.So, if you are brave enough to cross Shirakawa and his Soprano-esque effort to have Garcia "set up" with a job and a public office -- go ahead. Watch Dog doesn't want any dead fish in my mailbox...

And because we can't resist, here is yesterday's email Garcia sent to supporters asking them to show up to the Board meeting where he will be anointed/appointed for the second time. One thing the Board won't ask, but should:

Mr. Garcia, is it possible at some point in the future that you will actually win an election?

Now on to Garcia's email -- WD's snotty comments in bold italics...

-------------

January 5, 2009

Dear Friends and Supporters,

In just four days, the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing to replace George Shirakawa on the the Board on:

WD: Grammar check your emails please...

Thursday, January 8 at 6:00 PM
ESUHSD Board Chambers
930 N. Capitol Avenue
San Jose, CA

After an open and transparent public interview process, I demonstrated that I am the best qualified applicant for the appointment for the following reasons:

(1) I am the only applicant who has served on a school board (ESUHSD, 2006-2008)

WD: This is true, but he was not elected to the Board in 2006 -- he was appointed...

(2) I am the only applicant who earned the support and trust of a broad and diverse coalition of over 100 elected officials, organizations, and community leaders

(3) I am the only applicant who has earned the trust and support of over 45,000 district voters

WD: Unfortunately for Garcia, he needed thousands more votes than that to actually get elected to the Board...

(4) I am the only applicant to have received the trust and support from 13 of the 14 Community Advisory Committee members appointed by the Board of Trustees

WD: "Appointed by the Board of Trustees" who were bullied by Shirakawa, no doubt...

(5) I am the only applicant who is a graduate of the ESUHSD, and has served the district as an employee, coach, and board member

(6) I am the only applicant who has broad experience as corporate executive, educational employee, and community leader

Although my qualifications are without equal among the applicants, Thursday's public hearing is a political process conducted by elected board members who will make the final decision. As in all political processes, some of the elected officials may make a decision based on personal preference rather than on qualifications.

WD: Weird...Voters made their decisions based on "qualifications" and didn't vote for Garcia...

That's why your attendance at the hearing is critical to demonstrate to the elected board members that the community supports my appointment to the board as the best qualified applicant.

WD: Even though voters thought otherwise...

I would be humbled and honored by your attendance: Thursday, January 8 at 6:00 PM at the ESUHSD Board Chambers, 930 N. Capitol Ave. in San Jose. The board appointment is the only issue on the agenda.

Please let me know if you will attend by replying to this e-mail.

Thanks again for everything. We're almost there! Despite the challenging budget crisis, with your help and support, I truly believe that the East Side Union High District's best days are still to come.

With Gratitude,

Eddie

The Appointment Do-Over: "Congratulations Trustee Garcia"

Well folks, today is the big day -- at least if you are Eddie Garcia.

Mr. Garcia will be reappointed to the East Side Union High School District Board of Trustees tonight. You think I'm jumping the gun because there are others that will be interviewed and considered tonight? Don't worry, I'm not. This is a sure thing.

If you want a complete history of how this came to pass, you can read this, this, or this. But don't think that because there was a public process that involved applicants and a Community Advisory Panel that the deck is anything but stacked for Garcia.

But just for the fun of it...

Here is a piece from YouTube of Eddie Garcia on Comcast News Makers in advance of his last (unsuccessful) election in November. Note that he and the host use the term "re-election" and "re-elected" a number of times referring to what he was running for -- even though he was not elected in the first place...















...and compare that to this footage. Here, he uses the phrase, "...running to retain my seat..." as opposed to re-elected.

(For both of these videos, the 'embed' function has been disabled on YouTube, so you have to click on them to view...)

Morning News Round-Up – 1.12.09: Manny Diaz for Secretary of Commerce?

Watch Dog San Mateo was way ahead of the City of San Jose in sniffing out recycling pilferers...But San Jose wants you on the hunt as well. San Jose leaders plan to stop would-be thieves from stealing recycling/money from the pros by asking you to turn in scavengers. Add this to your list of things the City wants you to patrol for. The list now includes watching to see if your neighbors are lighting a winter fire or an any other way are violating City codes. Perhaps we should all ask Mayor for a pay increase. Or at least a bonus to our pensions...

East Side Union High School District appointed Eddie Garcia for his second (unelected) stint on the Board. This is not a surprise -- it was a done deal a long time ago. What is surprising is the appointment was unanimously supported. Trustee Frank Biehl had originally supported Barbara Boone but gave in when three of his colleagues indicated support for Garcia. (Frank Biehl...a profile in courage...) Garcia faces yet another election in 2010, if he loses that one who will be there to get him re-appointed? Don't worry about Mr. Garcia though, he has landed a plum job as Supervisor George Shirakawa's Chief of Staff at the County. (Care to guess what a Chief of Staff at the County makes?) So, Garcia has Shirakawa to thank for this paycheck and his unelected political office -- the George and Eddie Show continues...

San Jose’s City Council will discuss a dollar for dollar match of Redevelopment funds with money from area hotels hoping to cash in on an expansive new convention center. With a little luck, the famously ugly blue tent will disappear along with the old library. The first City Council meeting of the year will also welcome newcomers Ash Kalra and Rose Herrera. Planning Commission Chair Jim Zito says of his former colleague "[Kalra] was well-informed, diligent, and did his research well." Zito's nice words about Kalra come in pretty stark contrast to the stories about Herrera in the past few weeks: first she hires then fires a staffer, then she puts the (apparent) kibosh on her former opponent's dream of becoming a Planning Commissioner...it sounds like she'll fit in fine on the 18th floor...

The Merc’s Internal Affairs heard from former Congressman Tom Campbell – coming clean to say, yep, he’s considering a run for the Guv’s seat. His two biggest challengers right now for the Republican nomination include eBay's Meg Whitman and Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner – along with their giant pocketbooks. Just some inside baseball stuff -- Meg Whitman leaked her possible run for Governor in an AP story that was covered State- and Nation-wide. Perhaps Campbell should think about a larger platform to make such announcements. Internal Affairs is widely read...but...

Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio may have been feeling a little saucy last week when he told the Merc. he would not be speaking with attorney James McManis about the McEnery as lobbyist saga and called the complaint a joke. McManis told the Merc.’s, “I don't think Pierluigi Whatever-his-name-is is serving the city by making cracks like that." McManis didn't go on to say, "...and his beard is weird..."

Internal Affairs also dishes on recommendations by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of prominent Latinos to fill the Cabinet shoes of embarrassed New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson when he had to withdraw his bid to be Obama’s Commerce Secretary. Among the locals nominated by LULAC is Hector Ruiz, whose claim to fame having been fired after driving AMD into the ground. IA was also a little mystified to see "Manny Diaz" listed until they realized it wasn’t San Jose’s own on again/off again politician/lobbyist.

Santa Clara University is celebrating the success of alumni Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and former Congressman Leon Panetta (a.k.a. Leo McGarry) as President-elect Obama taps them to head to D.C. with the administration.

The Merc.’s Patty Fisher jumps into the political tug-of-war over Moffett Field's Hangar One. The Navy says preservationists can keep it – after they strip it bare of walls leaving only a giant exoskeleton behind. The new landlord, NASA, sent Deputy Director Lewis Braxton a note to say that unless the hangar was in use-able condition, NASA didn’t want any part of it – and that restoration was part of the deal. The costs are dizzying with $30 million to tear away the old siding and possibly $15 million to get something else installed. If only there was someone who had local knowledge of the issue, held an elective office, and had a connection to the Navy...

Violence is erupting around San Jose. A hostage situation in Councilmember Judy Chirco’s District ended late Sunday night without injuries. In Councilmember Kansen Chu’s North San Jose District, two people were stabbed at a mobile home park. Perhaps downtown is the safest place to be...with the number of arrests and all...

Around Silicon Valley, elected officials shake off the last vestiges’ of the holidays and begin the New Year with a vengeance. San Jose’s City Council will review the $1 billion dollar losses in pension funds, attempt to correct chronic deficits, and review a cost-benefit analysis for the Convention Center. Sounds like fun... New Supervisors Dave Cortese and George Shirakawa, Jr. take their seats for the first time and Liz Kniss takes the helm as Board Chair.

Tenet Healthcare, which is operating Community Hospital, has given Los Gatos residents until April 10 to use the hospital and emergency room. After that, the doors close until the new owner, El Camino Hospital moves in June 1. The Town's Mayor Mike Wasserman said of the temporary closing, "My concern is that the residents of Los Gatos know what's going on and where to go in an emergency." The El Camino Hospital District Board will meet Wednesday to talk about the acquisition, and perhaps an early opening?

Proving it’s never too late to give bad news, the Morgan Hill Times reported yesterday the Salvation Army was burglarized nearly two weeks before Christmas losing bicycles, food, and toys intended for needy families. Really? You are running a story a month late?

Shirakawa/Campos/Garcia -- a conflict of interest waiting to happen...

I guess Watch Dog doesn't have all the news or all the sources...

San Jose Revealed just posted a nugget about Supervisor-elect George Shirakawa Jr.'s plans for his Supervisorial staff...none of this is surprising, Shirakawa has never been accused of being anything but uber-political...but what Revealed doesn't say is this...

Re: Xavier Campos as Chief of Staff
This will clearly put him in some positions of conflict when dealing with planning issues in the City of San Jose because of his position on the San Jose Planning Commission. After all, the City and the County don't always/ever get along, especially on development issues. Not to mention the messiness because he is widely expected to run for his sister's seat in a few years. Also not to mention that developers will be meeting with Xavier on County development issues while those same developers will want to meet with Xavier on City development issues...

Re: Eddie Garcia as Xavier's Lacky
According to Watch Dog's own spies, Supervisor-elect Shirakawa was adamant about trying to have Eddie appointed to replace him on the East Side Union High School District Board of Directors, even though Garcia lost his re-election bid in November. So Shirakawa was actually trying to get him an elected-appointed position and a job...that's more than Comcast (or voters) ever did for Eddie.

Morning News Round-Up – 1.2.09: Eddie Garcia as a County Supervisor?

Not everyone is happy with the (backroom deal) way in which Sunnyvale Councilmember/Naval Officer Otto Lee’s seat was filled while he left for Iraq. For those who haven’t been paying attention, Dean Chu was appointed to fill Lee's seat while Lee serves in Iraq. Chu, however, failed in 2007 to get reelected to his seat on the Sunnyvale City Council. Lucky for him, his former Council colleagues still like him. Lee, on the other hand, is using his deployment as a fundraising vehicle to help retire campaign debt from his failed bid for the Board of Supervisors. Which raises the obvious questions:

• What if Lee had won his race for Supervisor but was not able to serve?
• What would have the Board of Supervisors have done then?

Perhaps George Shirakawa could have tried to get Eddie Garcia appointed...("Appointment Shenanigans" are now a theme across the Watch Dog world: East Side Union High School District has their issues and so does San Mateo County.)

Cupertino Union School District is holding meetings to fill everyone in on the budget disaster that looms. Superintendent Phil Quon will be presenting the idea of a parcel tax saying, "This parcel tax is not for extra cash; this is about survival. It's about sustaining what we have."

Trustee and Superintendent. Lafayette resident Richard Whitmore pulls double education duty. At night he is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Acalanes Union High School District ranked #1 in California. During the day as Superintendent for Los Gatos Union School District, ranked #36 in the State. One can assume that the commute between his District job and his District Board seat could make him a candidate to replace John Wailin, the Super Commuter...

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 -- 7.10.09: The Los Altos Giants

Hoping to nuke San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed’s “A’s to San Jose” dreams, Giants CEO Bill Neukom laid down the law at the Los Altos Rotary. “It’s our territory,” Neukom said, confident San Jose and Bud Selig take marching orders from Los Altans.

Looks like everyone has now read the recent Civil Grand Jury report on local school districts “questionable” expenses. The Merc’s Editorial Board joins the chorus calling for financial restructuring. Like zapping health benefits for Trustees. If they do, what’ll Unelected East Side Trustee/Supervisorial staffer Eddie Garcia do, after all, you might remember that he generously turned down County health benefits in exchange for a (much) larger salary…

The Merc’s Sal Pizarro sends kudo’s to San Jose Museum of Art, Children's Musical Theater of San Jose, TheatreWorks, and San Jose Jazz for landing some of those Federal dollars. Pizarro also chatted with Poor House Bistro owner Jay Meduri whose Saturday gig should raise the roof, literally.

Just in time for some of that school district re-vamp… The Foothill-De Anza College District Board is looking for a new board member. That would be where Assemblymember Paul Fong and D.C. bound Hal Plotkin got their feet wet…

Palo Alto’s College Terrace neighborhood board wants to make sure the City Council knows how they feel about the JJ&F grocery’s “inadequate” neighborhood benefits. JJ&F owner John Garcia is getting frustrated and said if they don’t want a grocery “they can keep fighting this.”

Speaking of Palo Alto... Expect the next City Council race to be a biggy. Councilman John Barton is not seeking another term. That makes three Council-folk from Palo Alto that won't be on the ballot in November: Barton, Yoriko Kishimoto, and Jack Morton. The other folks up in November are Larry Klein, who is running again, and Peter Drekmeier, who will let us all know on Monday. Hold on to your hats, it could be a real barn burner in Palo Alto in November.

Morgan Hill is tired of dumping dollars into the Cochrane Commons and is moving on to greener pastures…

Cabbie/kidnapper Tarandeep Singh “might” have had the proper papers to pick up passengers in San Jose according to Morgan Hill Police Sgt. Jerry Neumayer. After all, attorney Richard Pointer says, Alpha Cab wouldn’t let him drive “...if he was not properly permitted...”

San Jose Inside doubts BART will find its way to San Jose… But, more interesting it looks like San Jose Inside has bailed on the time honored tradition of newspaper reporters and moved to news aggregation. Imitation being the sincerest form, etc., etc.

In other blog news:

• James Rowen at Mission City Lantern has a theory about Ben Field joining the South Bay Labor Council and how that relates to San Jose Revealed's "pneumonia"...
• San Jose POA Chief Bobby Lopez is a good writer... who knew? See for yourself at Protect San Jose...
• And Bobby Lopez's BFF, Silicon Valley De-Bug checks in on the possibility of San Jose getting an "Independent" Police Auditor...

Morning News Round-Up -- 5.6.10: Too...Many...Margaritas...

Oh, poor Mineta San Jose (International?) Airport. They are considering cutting positions, contracting out services, and generally driving Cindy Chavez absolutely bonkers... the proposed cuts/contracting could save a whole bunch of cash all in an effort to get airlines to start coming back, or at least to stop cutting flights...

And no amount of cutting or contracting out will bring Tapestry in Arts back this year apparently... it joins the fireworks display downtown as canceled events in San Jose...

Scott Herhold follows the County budget closer than some Supervisors do. Especially Supervisor George Shirakawa. (Remember, Herhold told the story about District Attorney Dolores Carr's car...) Shirakawa and his fiscally responsible staff, headed up by Eddie Garcia, are over budget and don't seem to know why, which is reassuring. The curious part is that Herhold's story doesn't mention the second in charge to Garcia: Xavier Campos. You'd think Campos would be able to deal with the budget in the office, y'know, because of the bang-up job he did as MACSA's Chief Operating Officer...

San Jose District 5 got the breakdown treatment this week, so did Districts 1 and 3 (from Joe Rodriguez), and now it is District 7's turn, where incumbent Madison Nguyen runs for that seat for the 17th time... John Woolfolk at the Merc has been very, very busy...

Speaking of the District 3 run-down, it seems Councilmember Sam Liccardo disagrees with some (or all) of what Joe Rodriguez wrote according to Liccardo's letter to the editor...

George Beattie, the not-nearly-as-much-fun successor to Bobby Lopez at the San Jose Police Officers' Association, writes for Protect San Jose about the back and forth and back and forth between the POA and the City of San Jose, with copies of the letters that are flying between North 4th and Santa Clara Street...

Guess what Steve Poizner's internal polls say? That he's catching up. Guess what Sarah Palin's polls said about her? That she was qualified... it doesn't make it so Steve, it doesn't make it so...

In other political news (about people way behind in the polls), Yoriko Kishimoto gets a write up in the Almanac/Palo Alto Weekly. She is running for State Assembly for Ira Ruskin's seat against Josh Becker and Rich Gordon.

Stanford Hospital and nurses still aren't getting along nicely. The hospitals just rejected a proposal from the nurses... who previously had rejected the "last, best, and final" offer from the hospital.

Just to give you fair warning, four students were sent home from school at Live Oak High School yesterday for wearing American flag t-shirts on Cinco de Mayo, it was viewed as incendiary. (Perhaps it was the t-shirts and the tight-cropped hair cuts...) This will be a controversial issue that will likely make Fox News, the Rush Limbaugh Show, and probably spark a Tea Party rally as well.

This is a story from Watch Dog San Mateo.. the Almanac actually... but it will send shock-waves up and down Silicon Valley. Menlo Park is imposing a two-tier pension system for its municipal employees. The beginning of a trend, or the shot heard round the union world?

More from San Mateo County... To Tweet (or Facebook) or not to Tweet during a City Council meeting... something that more than one Watch Dog has commented on in the past related to at least one San Jose City Council member whose name starts with P and ends in ETE. A Tweet from a Councilmember in San Carlos has stirred up the usually sleepy town...

Finally, Tom Campbell's campaign has released an online campaign video (and taken their gloves off) that you absolutely have to see. Seriously. It makes the weird sheep thing Carly Fiorina's campaign put out a while ago seem mild. Take a gander... love the head-bob...

Morning News Round-Up -- 7.28.09: Political Impact

Today, we have several stories that may have long-term, political impacts...

There is another weird, but fascinating, turn in the DA Dolores Carr story. Remember, she recused herself from a murder prosecution because her husband was on contract with the victim's family for their civil trial. Now, a judge hearing motions in the case, Judge Joyce Allegro, is also backing away from the case as she, the DA, and the DA's husband are buddies. The most immediate implication of these shenanigans are that the DA may actually get the case taken away from her office and kicked to the State Attorney General... Oops.

Feeling the (not so good kind of) love from the Civil Grand Jury, East Side Union High School (unelected/ twice-appointed) Trustee Eddie Garcia has a whole bunch of questions for Superintendent Bob Nunez's vacation time pay (and probably why the Superintendent asks for reimbursements for coffee)... Watch Dog has to ask: Where was the oversight from Garcia (and his boss) during this spending-spree? Could it be for this exact reason that voters did not vote for an "incumbent" in this District.

The Merc's Scott Herhold rips into his least-favorite government agency today -- the Santa Clara Valley Water District. In the process, he provides a political Profile in Courage-scenario for Water District Board Member (Supervisorial wanna-be) Rosemary Kamei.

Palo Alto's College Terrace Centre took an important step forward yesterday when the City Council approved a requested zoning change for the site. Two "public benefits" that the neighbors were looking for were a JJ&F subsidy and affordable housing. The neighbors are likely to get both -- but also get more office space than they probably wanted.

And if neighbors are super-pissed (or super-happy) with the City Council in Palo Alto, they can let them know in November because Palo Alto's ever-growing list of folks that want to serve on the City Council is ever-growing still. Gregory Scharff (lawyer), Nancy Shepherd ("school activist"), and Brian Steen (land-use consultant) are all throwing their hats in the ring. They join Planning Commissioner Karen Holman, Gail Price, realtor Dan Dykwel, realtor Leon Leong, business-dude Tim Gray, and man-about-town Victor Frost. Oh yeah, current Councilmember Larry Klein is also running. They are all vying for five seats.

One issue these Palo Alto Council wanna-be's won't have to deal with is a big-mouth Police Chief. (In case you forgot why this is an issue in Palo Alto...) The three new Police Chief finalists have been announced: Interim Chief Dennis Burns, Fairfield Police Chief Kenton Rainey, and San Carlos Police Chief Gregory Rothaus.

Young folks in Mountain View are advocating on their own behalf to put a youth center into The Rock Church. Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga said discussions on how to use the City-owned church should start in the Fall. (The Rock Church: Is that where Black Sabbath plays?)

The Gilroy Dispatch just noticed the Civil Grand Jury report leaping in to discover Gilroy Unified Superintendent Deborah Flores is paid below most other Superintendent and doesn't get the $48,000 housing allowance that Saratoga Union dishes out.

Onto blogs...

• Blogwars continue (in the comment sections) regarding the (possible) revealing of Revealed by Inside. Revealed responded with a shot of its own... Mission City Lantern is still in the Revealed revealed game... but has plenty of free time to write a bunch of other stuff too... like the first chapter of a novel. In an interesting twist, Phil Bump recalls his conversation with Mr. Lantern/ James Rowen. In Bump's words, he "...fed the troll..." (Bump had Rowen's phone number? Weird.)
  
• Protect San Jose is stangely silent on the biggest public safety issue of the day -- the DA stepping aside in the prosecution of a high-profile murder because of her husband's (a former San Jose Police Officer) financial relationship with the victim's family. Instead, they open their blog up to Denelle Fedor for her Mounted Unit opinions... (If Fedor speaking up for the Mounted Unit sounds familiar, it's because she published a very, very similar piece in the Merc. in May...)

Morning News Round-Up -- 2.3.10: Scrappy or Wimpy?

Unbelievably, there is no story about District Attorney Dolores Carr today...

Downtown San Jose may start looking a downtown in real city now that the City Council has allowed more electronic signs. Now the "going out of business" signs will attract a lot more attention... just kidding everyone, just kidding.

Poor Republican Gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner. Obviously not the 'poor' like he has not money, but the 'poor' like he keeps tripping over himself... In a sad piece, the Merc's Scott Herhold rips into Mr. Poizner (as the students once called him and will call him again... soon) for his weak press conference earlier in the week where he likened the 'threats' the Whitman camp had thrown at him to the Sopranos... Herhold calls him a "laughingstock"... Poizner's Last Stand got another story today about whether the press conference made Poizner look scrappy or wimpy, wimpy, wimpy... We know what Herhold thinks...

Another local rich guy is running for statewide office as well... Chris Kelly of Facebook fame, put in $2 million into his own campaign last year to lead all the Attorney General candidates in "fundraising"... of course, his rivals actually had to fundraise rather than get out their checkbooks. Leading the real fundraising is Kamala Harris ($1,247,353) then Rocky Delgadillo ($1,185,429) then Silicon Valley's neighbor Alberto Torrico ($1,125,982) then Ted Lieu ($1,023,357)... Watch Dog guesses that anyone who is willing to put $2 million into a race is probably willing to put at least $2 million more... sort of the Meg Whitman strategy. (Thank you Politicon Valley...)

In other campaign finance news...

No shock here, the 49ers are putting money into the campaign that will (they hope) get them a new stadium in Santa Clara. So far, the 49ers have spent $350k on campaign stuff... expect more, a lot more. The 49ers must be freaked out... their opponents raised $825. Plus, the 49ers have James Rowen beating up the opposition everyday at Mission City Lantern...

The East Side Union High School District had some good news in the paper today...

Eddie Garcia, the President of the Board of the East Side Union High School District, adapted his State of the District speech for the Mercury News Editorial pages today. He lays out what 2010 will look like for the ESUHSD. Which brings up the question: How did someone who voters neglected to put into office actually become President of the Board? (Remember, Garcia is a twice-appointed Board member...)

and some East Side Union High School District bad news...

"Audit blames East Side board, not former Superintendent Bob Nunez, for lapses" Perhaps the voters were right...

You remember the story of the Sarah Botill (daughter of a Firefighter) in Gilroy who died after a night drinking (at a former City Councilmembers house). Well, the toxicology report came back and it says that she only had a "moderate amount of alcohol in her blood."

Joe DiSalvo over at San Jose Inside recaps a Charter School Summit that happened last Saturday. He hopes the Summit will start to heal old wounds... good luck with that Mr. DiSalvo.

Morning News Round-Up – 1.9.09: Trustee (or trusty?) Garcia?

Before we begin with the Round-Up...does anyone know how the conversation went last night when Eddie Garcia was re-appointed to the East Side Union High School District Board? Just wondering...

It pays to receive a City pension in San Jose. Seems the pension system has been paying a bonus to retirees over the past few years, which doesn't seem to be a problem when the pension fund is exceeding expectations. But now the fund is losing money...so it's a bit different. Pensioner/Pension Board Overseer/City Councilmember Pete Constant said, "Multiple millions may have been distributed in error." To make up for his (apparent) poor oversight of the funds, Pete Constant may be showing up at your door asking for a refund. The last time the City made the overpayment goof, men and women serving in the military were faced further financial challenges coming home and had to pay back the City.

Late last year, County Prosecutor Marc Buller flatly denied any knowledge of videos from sexual assault interviews. Buller went so far as to use the damning “…not being truthful…” in accusing a Valley Med nurse who made the videos known. The DA’s office is now letting official spokesperson Nick Muyo sheepishly admit that the nurse is no longer being accused of lying. At risk are hundreds of convictions of pervs who assault children. Don't worry, San Jose Revealed is on the case...

It was only a matter of time before former Mayor Tom McEnery popped off on the public brouhaha that he is at the center of related to the Peralta/McEnery plan. Thursday, McEnery filed his own legal demand to force Councilmember Nora Campos to spill the beans on the identity of the secret complainer that started this thing. According to complainer John Doe’s lawyer, James McManis "… as far as I know, John Doe and Nora Campos wouldn't know each other if they passed each other on the street." She may not recognize him or her on the street, but she certainly knows what John Doe looks like online...

San Jose Unified has been installing fake grass in an effort to save water and save money. The parents at Trace Elementary have launched an all out war to, “keep plastic out of the Rose Garden.” Apparently no one thought to study the health or environmental consequences of the synthetic stuff. Really? State Senator Abe Maldonado says, "Blood, sweat, skin cells, and other materials can remain on the turf because the fields are not washed or cleaned. It's like playing on a giant used Band-Aid. I'm not against turf, but I want to make sure that it's totally safe for kids. The parents at Trace have a right to raise concerns.” Super Senator Maldonado to the rescue!

The Morgan Hill budget discussion sounds more like a corporate “cafeteria” style benefits plan, and probably is just as confusing. Councilmember Marby Lee wants to stop layoffs. Mayor Steve Tate along with Councilmembers Larry Carr and Greg Sellers want to dip deeper into reserves. Tate and Carr want to protect environmental services. They haven't said, "Ok, put everything into the hat and we'll pull stuff out as a way to decide what to cut and what to keep..." They still sound more sophisticated about the budget than our State Legislature...

Gilroy may be getting its Ta-Ta’s after all. The Gilroy Planning Commission has recommended approval of Ante Bilic’s topless bar. It’s now up to the City Council to make the final decision. 19 year old Roy Lopez is excited saying, "You can't do anything these days without getting into trouble. It would be something to keep us out of trouble." Sounds like a good strategy for the proprietors-to-be, have a 19 year old making the case for a topless club...

San Jose Revealed is giddy with excitement over next weeks’ Elections Commission meeting in San Jose. The issue is the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber's PAC (COMPAC) actions in 2006. After a lengthy court battle, the Chamber CEO Pat Dando and former Chamber-turned-Silicon Valley Leadership Group VP Bob Hines will likely get a public (well, closed session) spanking from the City. (Calm down Councilmember Constant, Watch Dog is talking about a metaphorical spanking...)

San Jose Inside’s Fly wasn't surprised that failed-San Jose Council candidate Pat Waite wanted to be on the Planning Commission. Fly was surprised (and so was everyone else) that Waite received support from Madison Nguyen for his bid. Hey Madison, it probably isn't great form to welcome your new colleague's old nemesis to spend more time in City Hall. Imagine if someone invited Linda Nguyen to the Planning Commission after Madison beat her for City Council. I'm sure Madison would have been pleased with that scenario...

Morning News Round-Up –- 11.27.08: "Final" Semi-Official Results...

The election is over...really. The Santa Clara Registrar of Voters has posted the “Final – Semi-Official Results.” Only the Registrar could use the phrase "Final" and "Semi-Official" right next to each other...Automatic re-counts happened in 3 races West Valley/Mission Community College District, Gilroy Unified School District, and Berryessa Union. So what happened in these ‘recount’ seats?:

• …West Valley/Mission will see incumbent Chris Constantin and newcomer Adrienne Grey taking seats.
• …the Berryessa drama concluded with Richard Claspill and Khoa Nguyen taking seats, incumbent Rudy Nasol lost his.
• ...in Gilroy, Fred Tovar, Rhoda Bress, and Mark Good held on. Jaime Rosso lost his seat by a mere 6 votes…if only Rosso had walked/called 7 more voters...

And in everyone’s favorite ballot fight, Measure B…after what looked like a heartbreakingly close defeat on election night, the yes folks pulled it out after all the provisional ballots were counted with 66.78%. But this may drag on for a bit…

Santa Clara Unified School District Trustee Don Bordenave hung on to his seat by just 29 votes, while newcomer Albert Gonzalez came in nearly 6,000 votes ahead of Bordenave. What happened there? Incumbents don’t usually get smoked.

Did all the election silliness get your juices flowing? Well, it ain’t over yet. The election of George Shirakawa, Jr. to the Board of Supervisors has left a vacancy in San Jose’s East Side Union High School District, applications will be accepted through December 10. If Eddie Garcia didn’t burn bridges perhaps he can get back on, after all, Eddie is one of the Bay Areas Most Inspirational Latino Leaders.

The Mission City Lantern offers gift suggestions for everyone from Mayor Reed's bud Vic Ajlouny to Erlinda Estrada – all this was all posted a minute after wishing everyone a peaceful and joyous 2009...ironic.

Letterman would be proud... Scott Herhold wrote the Ten Reasons to be Thankful. Among them the end (for now) of the mania for Coyote Valley development and Little Saigon. Wait until March, however, when the Little Saigon issue will be all over the place in the recall election of San Jose Councilmember Madison Nguyen.

The Thanksgiving free-for-all dates back to 1991 when Los Gatos residents Matt Ober, Brock Baxter, Kevin Sweatt, Ted Sweatt, Joey Alvarado, Wes Coy, Craig Evansa, Mike Ortega, Jeff Frederick, Huy-Lin Nguyen, and Jeremy Harms headed out to play pad-free football at LGHS. It has since grown to be the National Turkey Bowl League, "Where Athletes Are Reborn Once A Year — Thanksgiving Day."

Saratoga Councilwoman Jill Hunter learned the Village Post Office would be leaving town for the first time at a hastily called community meeting.

Facing a $3.3 million shortfall Morgan Hill will be adding to its financial woes. After more than 3 years of negotiations, the City Council unanimously approved purchase of Associated Concrete’s property for $3.9 million.

The Gilroy Dispatch wants to know your thoughts on which local governmental agency is the worst run. Your choices are the Water District, VTA, Gilroy Unified School District, or the City of Gilroy. So far, Gilroy itself is running away with the vote. Perhaps Watch Dog should run the “Which local newspaper is the worst run”…

Morning News Round-Up – 3.5.09: Santa Clara County Raiders?

Santa Clara County Supervisor George Shirakawa, Jr. continues his “quixotic quest" to toss the County’s plans for housing at the fairgrounds in order to bring pro football to San Jose. The Supervisor, referred to by the Merc. as “burly” (and by Watch Dog as Grand Poobah), met with Raiders Chief Executive Amy Trask and Finance Director Mark Badain. Rumors that Shirakawa has abandoned his Supervisorial post to negotiate a coaching job for Eddie Garcia are unfounded.

The failed recall effort against San Jose Councilmember Madison Nguyen is over...save the spin. The Merc. digs in with local wonk/SJSU political science Professor Larry Gerston and spinmeister/failed campaign manager Andre Charles. The Editorial Board offers up an opinion that it is time to move on and hopes Nguyen does indeed reach out to her opponents. San Jose Revealed also assesses the results and declares there was never any doubt about the outcome.

So much for the Smoke Police. Over 175 Santa Clara County residents complained about winter fires on Spare the Air days. Fewer than 35 firebugs received warnings. No one was slapped with a fine. Bay Area Air Quality Management District rep Kristine Roeselius said fines weren’t the focus, the goal is air quality improvement. The number of people wanting Spare the Air days email alerts doubled between September and November to 100,000.

Los Altos School District Trustees have proposed cutting their budget $2.3 million in response to the draconian budget from the State Legislature. They’ll be waving goodbye to 18 teachers and 28 support staffers.

Los Altans will be happy to know a second suspect has been arrested for the brazen November robbery of Harold’s Jewelry. The two suspects were both already in jail at the Elmwood Correctional Complex. Police warn there are other suspects still at large and hopes for a dramatic Hollywood style car chase remain.

Mountain View NIMBY’s have coughed up $346 to appeal placement of the Day Worker Center nearby. Opponents to the center include Brad Kellar who wrote "Please protect our neighborhood property values!" Appellant Vince Racifi worries the center will distract police from the growing gang problem.

There is (apparently) a big-time power outage in Palo Alto this morning. Crews are "scrambling" to get folks back online...this is the type of problem that the Utilities Department should be handling, rather than this type of problem with Federal law enforcement agents...(thank you Watch Dog San Mateo...)

Looks like the American Chemistry Association/plastic bag lover Manny Diaz has successfully convinced the Santa Clara County Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission to ignore plastic bags. The Commission had proposed charging consumers for “single-use” bags. According to Commission member/Mountain View Councilmember Ronit Bryant they’re hoping education will drag consumers away from plastics. Really?

California Lottery officials took over as undercover cops to ferret out local retailers separating lottery winners from their tickets. Owners (or employees) from Jerry’s Market on Main in Milpitas along with Mercado y Carneceria Moreno, 4th Street Bowl, and Guru’s on N. 13th have lost their lottery contracts and could head to prison. Alex Traverso with the California Lottery wants to send a message to would be scammers “…we’re coming after you...”

Sal Pizzaro, the Merc’s man about town, fills us in on San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed’s dinner plans in Washington, D.C. where he met with SJSU President Jon Whitmore and former San Jose Mayor/Congressman/U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta. Pizzaro muses over the selection of a bi-coastal chain restaurant for the dining luminaries.

The Merc’s Mr. Roadshow, Gary Richards, has received loads of queries asking whether BART does know the way to San Jose. Math and farm animals collide in questions about counting unhatched chickens and the weak tax projections.

The suicide death of SJSU/Sigma Chi’s Gregory Marcel Johnson, Jr. has grief stricken parents calling for a deeper investigation. The Metro’s Jessica Fromm covers all sides of the story. Mission City Lantern sends props to Metro for their coverage.

Metro/San Jose Inside’s Fly digs a little deeper into Saratoga/San Jose/Santa Maria Senator Abel Maldonado’s (conceited) demands in exchange for his support to pass the budget. Apparently the “outrageous” proposal to spend $1 million on office furniture by Controller John Chiang was just a tad less outrageous than Maldo wants us to believe. Maldonado dramatically tosses darts at former Assemblymember Fred Keely and waves his arms.

Solution to Drunk Arrests: A Task Force...Obviously

It was a long night for the Watch Dogs who went to San Jose City Hall to see San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis and City Manager Debra Figone face a packed council chambers (but a Constant-free dais), telling the huge audience they were saddened the community was upset over the stories of drunk arrests.

Tuesday night’s meeting brought out a Who’s Who of concerned Latino leaders including outgoing Supervisor Blanca Alvarado, Latina Coalition President Andrea Flores Shelton, Esau Herrera, Manny Diaz, Manuel Herrera, Eddie Garcia, etc., etc. Former Councilmember/former lobbyist/Supervisor-elect George Shirakawa, Jr., the ACLU’s Skyler Porras, and dozens and dozens of other heavyweights were also there.

Chief Davis pointed to the lack of a 'sobering station' as the reason for so many arrests...but Watch Dog can’t help but wonder, if no breathalyzer or other drunk-proving evidence is collected, how do officers know the more than 4,600 arrested were drunk or whether the crowd's accusations of arrest for 'attitude' were accurate? (To read accounts of 'attitude' arrests, visit Silicon Valley DeBug.)

The conclusion of the meeting led to some tension on the dais…

Councilwoman Nora Campos and Mayor Chuck Reed called for a Task Force on TUESDAY after Councilman Sam Liccardo had put forward a Memo seeking a wide range of options on MONDAY.

According to a Watch Dog insider who watched the late meeting on cable, Campos said she and the Mayor had met extensively to figure out how to ensure the task force had clear outcomes. She also accepted most/all of Liccardo’s ideas from his Memo/friendly amendments…her acceptance of his ideas did not stop Liccardo from calling task forces “…the place where good ideas go to die...” (Video of this will be posted when the City IT Department wakes up from a late night.)

It seems Liccardo was channeling President-Elect Barack Obama who, when hearing about John McCain's plans to help the economy, famously said:

"…Senator McCain offered up the oldest Washington stunt in the book – you pass the buck to a commission to study the problem…"

I'll leave it up to all of you who Mayor Reed and Councilmember Campos are in that analogy…to be continued...

The Rise and Fall of Local Political Fortunes...a West (Chavez/Diaz) Story...

The election of Barack Obama to President has changed the national political landscape dramatically. But Watch Dog is focused locally and we want in on the action.

So today, a local political history lesson with an Obama twist entitled: The Rise and Fall of Local Political Fortunes...

For the beginning of this lesson, type "metro tony west manny diaz" into Google, and we can begin this lesson. Here are excerpts from an article you will find in that Google search from the March 16, 2000 Metro following Manny Diaz's victory over Tony West in a Democratic Primary for State Assembly...some of these names might sound familiar...

Mo' Manny

...the post-election healing process continues at San Jose City Hall. [Manny] Diaz, one regular groans, "has been walking around like a rooster on acid. He's got his chest puffed out and keeps pecking at everyone and getting in their faces." Diaz, of course, has reason to be miffed at some of his sixth-floor colleagues...To bring home the point of who was still standing after election day, Diaz and his council ally, Cindy Chavez, hung up a Merc article with the headline, "Diaz dominant player after primary win."

Well...fast forward from 2000 to this week and we learn our lesson in political fortunes are highlighted in a "where are they now" moment...

Manny Diaz: As the story says, he won the 2000 primary against West and went on to an undistinguished tenure in Sacramento. That 2000 race was the last contested race he won...he ran against Elaine Alquist for State Senate in 2004 and lost. He ran against (West's friend) Sam Liccardo in 2006 for City Council and lost. He is now a lobbyist in Sacramento representing companies that want less-strict air-quality standards...

Cindy Chavez: This article doesn't mention that Chavez beat Tony West in 1998 for City Council before the Diaz/West show-down for State Assembly. That might help explain the sign that her office hung up...But, like Diaz, that was the last contested election she won. She lost her election in 2006 against Chuck Reed for Mayor of San Jose. She is now also a sort of lobbyist for Working Partnerships as well as a teacher at San Jose State...

Tony West: Yes, he lost two elections -- to Chavez in 1998 and later to Diaz in 2000. (Although those races seemingly took a lot out of Chavez and Diaz -- because they never won a contested race again...) He then practiced law at a major San Francisco law firm, but stayed involved politically. One of his political allies and friends ran for President recently...perhaps you've heard of him. West was Obama's Californian Finance Committee Co-Chair. Now, West is headed to DC to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division in the Department of Justice.

So...as Cindy (sort of) lobbies (and teaches) and Manny lobbies...Tony West heads to DC to serve the Obama administration. It seems the political fortunes of these three folks are intertwined, but have shifted dramatically and quickly...

Like any good teacher, perhaps Watch Dog's visual will help make the point...Like Madoff investments, Chavez's and Diaz's Political Stocks are in a bit of a downswing...like Eddie Garcia's salary, West's Stock is on the way (way) up.

The Morning Round-up -- 11/05/2008

The Santa Clara Registrar has posted results in an "easy to read" format on their Semi-Final Unofficial results page. Turnout was high in the County, over 79% of registered voters turned out with 47% of registered voters taking advantage of the kitchen table, coffee, and slippers version of voting through Vote by Mail.

Incumbent Congressmembers Jerry McNerney, Anna Eshoo, Mike Honda, and Zoe Lofgren coasted to victory. Only McNerney's seat was considered contentious. State Senators Joe Simitian, Elaine Alquist, Abe Maldonado, Alberto Torrico, Ira Ruskin, Joe Coto, and Jim Beall held on to their jobs -- no surprise there. The freshman Assembly will see two new faces Attorney Bill Monning will take over for the 27th AD as Assemblymember John Laird terms out. The 22nd AD will see teacher Paul Fong replacing Assemblymember Sally Lieber.

San Jose Defense Attorney Ash Kalra will be replacing outgoing District 2's Councilman Forest Williams. Kalra won (only) 55% of the vote against challenger Jackie Adams, who dropped out before the primary. Kalra should pay close attention to the 45% the challenger that wasn't received, he has a lot of work to win over the rest of his district.

San Jose's Vice Mayor Dave Cortese engaged in a friendly campaign with Sunnyvale Councilman Otto Lee. Both maintained a polite relationship throughout, in the end it was Cortese who took Supervisor Pete McHugh's seat on the County Board of Supervisors.

Cortese's seat in San Jose's Evergreen area will be filled by Rose Herrera whose race against Pat Waite was not as polite.

Surprises happened around the Valley on School Boards. Losing their seats were Eddie Garcia, a Comcast executive, on the East Side Union High School District and Lalo Morales at the Alum Rock Union School District. Nearly bounced was Santa Clara Unified School Boardmember Don Bordenave who was bested by newcomer Albert Gonzalez and nearly taken out by his friend Noelani Sallings. This race is still very close and as results come in Watch Dog will be watching.

No sooner is one election over than another is gearing up. San Jose Councilwoman Madison Nguyen stepped in it when she held fast to naming a strip of Story Road Vietnam Town as suggested by the Vietnamese American Business Access Group (VABA) . A little background, San Jose residents will remember the uproar, the first Vietnamese-American elected to City Council thought she was doing the right thing in respecting the many accomplishments of San Jose's Vietnamese community. The past year has included San Jose's Council chambers filled to overflowing and a war hero engaged in a hunger strike. This is the story that wouldn't die, San Jose's City Council decided to flip flop and support the Little Saigon name. Little Saigon activists are preparing for a special election in March in an attempt to recall Nguyen.

San Jose Council hopeful Pat Waite jumped into the act hoping to garner support from District 8's Vietnamese community with a video circulating on city hall's 18th floor supporting the effort to recall Nguyen. The move didn't help and Waite has denied support for the recall effort, Watch Dog can't find the video, looking forward to a Watch Dog insider sharing the film. At this point it seems the recall advocates have other motives, Little Saigon has been named and welcome signs are posted. The road to the recall election in March will be interesting, if not confusing. Stay tuned with Watch Dog as developments progress.

Times are hard even for the oldest profession, San Franciscans rejected a ballot measure to decriminalize prostitution and, in the days leading up to the election, 136 arrests were made locally in an FBI sting on child prostitution and the Governor signed a bill recognizing minors as sexually exploited children rather than criminals. Nationwide over 600 people were arrested. Even quiet Morgan Hill did not escape and ended up with 11 arrests

Los Altans have the opportunity to weigh in on a new civic center and parking garage. At 18 acres the site is less than 1% of the total land mass. Residents are invited to a November 15 meeting to review design options. The proposal is 300% larger than the current town hall.

The election is over and the residents of Los Altos are going to have to accept each other regardless of their presidential choices. It was lawn sign madness in Los Altos with signs stolen from both sides, perhaps it was supporters without time to swing by campaign offices. McCain supporters filed multiple police reports. Detective John Korges doubted it was an organized attempt to stifle freespeech. Dick Blanding, a Republican volunteer estimated more than 40 residents had signs stolen. Obama supporter Juli Kline chastised would be thieves by writing on the replacement sign "Whoever stole my sign, shame on you."

The economy hurts everyone these days, thieves broke through the wall between a tax office and Harold's Jewelry's in Los Altos to steal more than $300,000 of jewelry and loose stones. Could this be the same savvy thief who struck Los Gatos stealing a ring out of the shop window?