Morning News Round-Up -- 1.21.10: Nazis, Tornadoes, and Parcel Taxes, OH MY!

It is no secret that Reverend Jethroe Moore II, the head of the Silicon Valley branch of the NAACP, has been vocal about his displeasure with the San Jose Police Officers' Association overall. It came to the forefront recently when Moore pulled the NAACP's support for the Freedom Train ride on Martin Luther King Day because the POA were sponsors. Well, it turns out Moore's colorful quotes about the POA may have been a little too colorful during a KCBS interview. He likened the POA's support of the Freedom Train to Nazis supporting Jewish causes. San Jose Inside nails the story. Watch Dog predicts that the NAACP Board may be trying to get Rick Callendar back soon... but for the sake of colorful future quotes, we hope Moore stays put.

It was (another) $20 million week for Meg Whitman... Can you just imagine the campaign

strategists sitting around plotting how to approach Ms. Whitman about plopping more money into the campaign? It must be sort of like siblings strategizing how to ask their parents for more money:

Campaign Staff/Kid 1: "Um Meg... can we get another $20 million?"

Whitman/Parent: "What did you do with the last $20 million I gave you?"

Campaign Staff/Kid 2: "Kid 1 spent it all on sports talk radio..."

Whitman/Parent: "Ok, here's $20 million more, but don't spend it all in one place.

Expect Poizner's staff/kids to be asking for a bigger allowance some as well... Meanwhile, in

Almaden Valley, Tom Campbell woke up today very pleased with his decision.

Those days of Councilmembers in San Jose furiously texting away in advance of their vote on important issues may be behind us. The Council is due to consider (and probably approve) some legislation that makes those texts more public -- and therefore less frequent. Rumors that both the South Bay Labor Council and the Chamber of Commerce leaders will be learning (and teaching the Council) sign language are apparently not true.

Santa Clara County's Superior Court Judge Lucy Koh is being nominated

for a Federal Judgeship in California's Northern District Court by President Obama. Senator Barbara Boxer recommended Ko. If confirmed, Ko will be the first Korean-American Federal Court judge in the country. Of course, the Senate just got a little less blue-state friendly...

Sunnyvale Town Center, the major project that is stalled "indefinitely" is still the center-piece of Sunnyvale's 5 year development plans... perhaps 5 years the economic double whammy (downtown Sunnyvale overall and the Recession) might be over... might...

While we are in Sunnyvale... (recently) former Mayor Tony Spitaleri spoke at a public protest of the sale of the preschool at the Congregational Community Church and it may have jeopardized the sale of the building, which kind of sucks. And that's why the Church is raising ethical questions about Spitaleri's actions. Intrigue in Sunnyvale...

And one more nugget from Sunnyvale... the City will be considering (again, again) publicly funding City Council campaigns. Just what the general fund of Sunnyvale needs, another line item...

We know the weather has been wacky the past few days -- hail,

thunder, lightening, wind -- but did you know that Dorothy Gale almost visited South County at around 2:30 p.m. yesterday?

While we are in South County... Politicon Valley gets in on the "make fun of misspellings" game as they watch Peter Arellano's "campaing" website go live...

In education news, the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District may ask voters for a parcel tax at some point soon. We often mention parcel taxes that School Districts are putting forward, but this would be the first Community College District is in the State to go for one. Which will certainly piss off the School Districts located in the Community College District. Why? Because voters generally won't support too many property taxes on the same ballot. Our guess is that there are a dozen or more School Districts in the same geography as Foothill-DeAnza, and some (or all) are thinking about going for a parcel tax or renewing one already in place...

Morning News Round-Up – 1.04.10: The Brownstein Report...

Starting the New Year on a high note. San Jose’s controversy mired pension systems board heard the bad news about more retiree overpayments and one retiree not receiving enough. Oops.

The Merc sends props to two new years day babies.

Sunnyvale’s (rotating) Mayoralship is turning into a catfight. Councilmember/Community Administrator Ron Swegles issued a surprise statement saying the “critical issues” facing Sunnyvale (almost) require a “full-time mayor… I think I have more time” than fellow candidates Vice Mayor Melinda Hamilton and Mayor/Retiree Tony Spitaleri.

(rotating) Mayors are also on the minds of Palo Alto’s City Council as they welcome newcomers and elect the new Mayor.

Palo Alto wants to keep its geek-chic and proposes becoming a living laboratory exploring wages. Neil Struthers, CEO for the Building and Construction Trades Council, argues offering a “prevailing wage” doesn’t come with hidden costs and (probably) looks forward to the experiment.

Parents are hoping active courtship will bring Summit Preparatory Charter High to San Jose’s Eastside. Summit CEO Diane Tavenner calls it “wonderful” that parents are pushing and sends a reminder the competitive process continues.

Match fancy new Taser International CopCams with police accused of excessive force, sue Ferrari for not changing your life, and give Working Partnerships’ Bob Brownstein his own, very special, report are among the Merc’s Scott Herhold’s 2010 kickoff.

The Merc’s Joe Rodriguez kicks off the new year on a positive note. Former Teatro Vision director Raul Lozano’s career change helps put food into the yards of Eastside residents. With friends like the Health Trusts Fred Ferrer and Poncho Guevara from Sacred Heart, Lozano is well on his way.

Rough kick off to the new year in San Jose. Two dudes landed in the hospital after a knife fight. After the burning death of a homeless man was ruled murder, San Jose’s 2009 murder toll reached 28.

Thanks to the Merc, government watchers have a list of options this week…

• The County’s Juvenile Justice Systems Collaborative appoints a group to review the disproportionate number of kids of color landing in juve. Funny, this sounds familiar…
• San Jose City Council’s Rules and Open Government Committee looks at ways to push biofuels, makes appointments and offers changes to public meeting rules.
• Santa Clara’s Historical and Landmarks Commission considers a property tax break in exchange for a historic building.
• The Los Gatos Union School District digs into an audit report.
• Sex (education) is on the minds of the Milpitas Unified School District trying to fill the Sex Ed Advisory Committee.

Protect San Jose adds a new name to their blogroll, Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney/Candidate Jeff Rosen pens his opposition to the open grand jury and offers it’s the District Attorney’s job to decide whether to prosecute an officer following the use of deadly force. Strong words for a Police Officer Association blogger.

Mission City Lantern pokes Santa Clara Councilmember Jamie MacLeod to dish on meetings with Santa Clara Plays Fair.

Morning News Round-Up – 10.27.09: It's bad news Tuesday....

According to attorney Terry Bowman, representing the San Jose police officer caught on video striking San Jose State math student Phuong Ho with a police baton, “Mr. Ho is responsible…” San Jose Councilmembers Madison Nguyen, Sam Liccardo and Ash Kalra stated they were “saddened the Vietnamese American community has recently experienced two incidents with the San Jose Police Department regarding possible use of excessive force.” The Merc’s Scott Herhold steps into the fray with his own analysis of Phuong Ho’s videotaped interview offering this “It’s hard to think he’s making this up… it is extraordinarily hard to make charges against cops stick before a jury.”

Following the death of Beverly Head when she got tangled up by a dog leash, San Jose takes on bikes and pooches. Somewhere, someone is hoping bikes and pooches become a leading story...

Santa Clara’s City Council tackles one hurdle standing in the way of bringing the 49ers to town. Up tonight, letting the team pick the builder of their (planned) Santa Clara Stadium…

The Merc’s Editorial Board wants Sunnyvale voters to know they’re not getting all the facts. The Merc takes a swipe at endorsed candidates Mayor Tony Spitaleri and Councilmember Chris Moylan for telling pieces of a story…

Love is in the air for the Mountain View Whisman School District. Superintendent Maurice Ghysels sheepishly admitted he’s been getting cozy with elementary school principal Carmen Mizell.

San Jose’s Redevelopment Agency released their bad news budget. After $75 million was taken by the State and facing decreased property tax revenues the Agency did some fancy (internal) footwork slashing budgets. Set your sights lower for the convention center expansion…

If you’re looking for your swine flu shot make sure you’re tops on the list. Public Health Officer Marty Fenstersheib had to shuffle after learning fewer (anti) swine-ish shots would be arriving. Kids and pregnant moms top the list… Keeping in mind, not all flues are swine-ish…

Speaking of budgets… San Jose Insider/San Jose Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio takes a stab at explaining the financial benefits of outsourcing city jobs and how San Jose’s budget works…

Also a San Jose Insider, Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo is eternally optimistic that San Jose’s 19 school districts can be organized into 4, DiSalvo wants to hear from you. Do you think 19 school boards, 19 superintendents, 19 sets of district staff, 19, well, you get the picture… willing to give up turf for the good of the children?

Protect San Jose’s numeric guru/Sunshine Task Force chair Ed Rast digs into the mind-numbing world of “item 3.5” and suggests the City Manager is reading Protect San Jose. Still no word about Sunshine…

Morning News Round-Up – 9.15.09: What do plastic, bail bonds and Wet have in common...

Good News – Silicon Valley schools rank high in California. Bad News – Silicon Valley Latino and African American students do worse than state averages.

Vincent Cardinalli, Sr. thought he’d found the ideal way to scam money until the law caught up and handed him 157 felony counts. Always thinking creatively, Cardinalli instead sued one of the witnesses for $4.5 million, and won judgment. If only the Godfather thought of it first...

Candidates for Palo Alto City Council are unhappy interviews to take over the Police Chief gig happened behind closed doors.

San Jose’s Coyote Creek has the dubious distinction of landing on Save the Bay’s Top 10 “Bay Trash Hot Spots.” Plastic bags floating down Coyote Creek to join the 1 Million that land in the Bay each year garnered the creek this (depressing) honorific.

Gubernatorial hopefuls come calling in Silicon Valley looking for some love.

The Merc’s Sal Pizarro shares the news that San Jose Downtown Associations Scott Knies is getting canned by the city. Don’t worry about Knies, it just means the city won’t be paying Knies $160,000 (on top of the $69,000 from the association). Instead, the San Jose Redevelopment Agency will add $100,000 to the Downtown Association coffers.

Sunnyvale Mayor Anthony Spitaleri is pissed he (and Sunnyvale) have landed in a payment dispute between the Sunnyvale Mixed Use LLC and the folks (formerly) doing the build.

San Jose celebrates going solar at 6 city facilities, a $500,000 lands in the form of solar panels.

Oops, the Morgan Hill Unified School District discriminated against special education student Jessica Perez forcing her to stay in school longer and miss graduating with friends. At least, that’s what the State and Perez say.

Those fun loving folks on the Gilroy City Council may have goofed when they voted behind closed doors on raises for the city manager and clerk. Secrecy be damned, numbers for your review in the Gilroy Dispatch. You gotta wonder, who advises these guys…

Sports, sherry and dark chocolate sustained Wimbledon player/wild woman Dorothy Crichton who passed away at the age of 104 in Palo Alto.

PoliticonValley sends kudos to County Supervisor Ken Yeager for landing the State Senate confirmation to the California Air Resources Board.

Protect San Jose’s Ed Rast is one pissed off number cruncher. Rast is (apparently) mad that some non-profits receive city funds.

(also pissed off) San Jose Insider/Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio is mad affordable housing projects don’t pay into the city’s park fees. Oliverio and Rast should get together for a mad fest. Also Inside, Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo wants kids to have the same teacher for more than one year.