Morning News Round-Up -- 4.1.10: XXL Round-Up...

We picked the wrong day to slack off yesterday... there were several fun, reoccurring stories that updated yesterday. Where to start?...

A Mercury News poll finds that 62 percent of San Jose voters would approve a baseball stadium for the A's. That's good news for Lew Wolff... But when will MLB make their decision? That's what the Merc Editorial Board would like to know... Word on the street is that the news is forthcoming...

A federal court ruled that San Jose Police Officers did not use excessive force during Mardi Gras 2006 against three San Jose State students... A ray of light in a dark, dark PR year for the San Jose Police Officers...

Club Wet is reopened, but without the fun. No alcohol for 60 days because the State ABC thinks they are running "...a disorderly premise..." Y'think? The City of San Jose figured that out a long time ago. So did the people who were stabbed on the dance floor... Too bad Club Wet's lobbyists don't contribute to the campaigns of ABC members...

$35 million could be generated by a hotel tax in Santa Clara for the 49ers new stadium... hotel owners will have to vote on it first, but this is a slam dunk. (Sorry to mix a basketball metaphor into a football story...)

While we are in Santa Clara... the Merc gives a little ink to the 49ers opponents in today's paper (is it ironic that the story ran on April 1st?)... this has James at Mission City Lantern all worked up and ready to barf...

And while Santa Clara is going to finance part of their stadium with a hotel tax, San Jose is considering funding part of its budget debt with taxes on pot clubs... maybe. They will reconsider the issue in June and perhaps place a pot tax on the November ballot. (Surprising absolutely no one at City Hall, there were only 10 Councilmembers at the meeting when the vote on the pot club was taken... guess which Councilmember wasn't there...)

Folks still love the Jude Barry blacklisted story... seventeen (ok, 5) Watch Doggers forwarded this blog post from Fox & Hound. Most were of the "Cindy Chavez is behind this" camp, while a few were of the "Jude Barry is a snake" camp. The blog post is very much in the "organized labor are thugs" camp and asks the question: "Perhaps Jerry Brown could be added to the “Do Not Patronize” list. It makes more sense to ban him than it does to ban Jude Barry." (Because Jerry Brown wants to limit government, cut workers, etc., etc., etc.) Only 3 Watch Doggers forwarded this posting on CalBuzz.com...

Steve Poizner is having a lot of trouble these days. His run for Governor is stalled... and his book (book?) is pissing people off. Remember, Poizner taught at Mount Pleasant High School after he made a cool billion... now his book bashes Mount Pleasant, much to the chagrin of the folks in the East Side Union High School District.

The Merc Editorial Board says you should vote yes on Proposition 15 -- as it would run a pilot project with public campaign financing for the Secretary of State's race in 2014 and 2018... that is, if the state has any money in 2014...

Scott Herhold at the Merc talks about saving an icon at Moffett... and he isn't talking about Hangar 1, he is talking about the throwing field that you can see from 101...

So you know, Watch Dog has not stopped reading Protect San Jose. It is just a little obvious these days. The City needs to make cuts... Police Officers and Fire Fighters are the largest budget items... they want to avoid cuts... news at 11... If they used their blog to propose something new, that would be one thing, but to harp on "if you cut police officers, bandits will roam the streets" is a little stale... sorry.

Morning News Round-Up -- 10.2.09: Get your Malibu elsewhere...

The tables are turned for San Jose's U.S. District Judge James Ware. A little, tiny bank is suing him over boat payments he (alleged) didn't make -- which is an interesting story. But the more interesting story is about Judge Ware's more controversial history... we recommend you read this story to the end.

Barely a day goes by without a City of Palo Alto/ union story. Today's version is about 7 mid-level police managers that want to form their own bargaining unit. 7? Really?

One of the Silicon Valley's hotbeds of NIMBYism, Saratoga, is in the midst of what could be a prolonged, and loud, battle about the development of Saratoga Village Center. Have fun with that Saratoga Planning Commissioners and City Councilmembers.

Watch Dog San Mateo has reintroduced its Recession Repercussion theme... well, Watch Dog Silicon Valley can add this to the growing list: Sunnyvale Chevrolet is shutting down. It looks like you'll have to buy your Malibu elsewhere...

A Sunnyvale custodian at local schools pleaded no contest to child porn charges. He must be getting excellent legal advice?

Morgan Hill Unified is interviewing 6 folks for the open Superintendent gig. We would guess that the guy in the previous story is not one of the 6...

And while we are in South County... The City of Gilroy's budget is 'balanced', but City unions are displeased...

Still in South County... here's a headline the folks down there probably don't like seeing (courtesy of the Dispatch): Woman Shoots At Another Woman From Car in Gilroy... Those outlets really piss people off, apparently.

Contrast that, to this: Earlier in the week, Milpitas had its first homicide in two years... Gilroy is jealous.

In other "crime in safe cities" news, a guy was arrested on Wednesday in Mountain View for an (alleged) hate crime...
Have a good weekend loyal Watch Doggers, and remember: (Fight) Club Wet is closed... so you'll have to find somewhere else to brawl this weekend...

Morning News Round-Up -- 10.1.09: Wet Goes to Court...

The other Club Wet shoe dropped when Club owners filed a federal lawsuit asking a Judge to block closure claiming San Jose’s regulations on nightclubs are "completely lacking in constitutionally required procedural safeguards." San Jose Police shrugged saying the Club had at least 49 chances to fix problems during the 5 months when customers were being stabbed or mauled in brawls. We wish Club Wet would let their lobbyists speak. Mr. DeRollo and Mr. Saggau were always so eloquent in Wet's defense.

Santa Clara District Attorney Dolores Carr is back in the news following (preliminary) reports that the DA’s office withheld at least 5 videotapes in child sexual assault cases. In addition to screwing up child predator convictions, Santa Clara County could be on the hook for expensive lawsuits from pissed off, imprisoned predators.

Speaking of DA Office screw ups... Protect San Jose’s Kathleen Flynn put her foot down declaring “enough is enough.” While Flynn never mentioned Vahid Hosseini it’s clear she’s pissed District Attorney Dolores Carr’s (un-ethical) handling of the case and tossing it to the Attorney General’s office gets more air time than the case itself.

Beverly Head was distressed enough about dogs racing (on leash) alongside their owners on trails that she commented to her husband about possible animal cruelty. Two days later, a leashed Siberian Husky tripped her during a walk causing her death. San Jose Parks spokesperson Mona Favorite-Hill said “there was no way to anticipate this.”

ACORN is cutting classes in San Jose following an East Coast conservative sting operation. In San Jose, ACORN is credited with raising the red flag on predatory lending practices in East San Jose where hundreds of homeowners face foreclosure. East Side Supervisor George Shirakawa, Jr., said “we probably should have listened a lot closer.”

(As an aside, Supervisor Shirakawa probably could apply that quote to Bob Nunez's former employers...)

The California High-Speed Rail Authority opened the doors to public comment after handing out the “alternative analysis” on moving people between San Francisco and San Jose. NIMBY neighbors in fancy Peninsula cities and towns will be happy to hear tunnels are under discussion. The Merc’s Editorial Board was also talking HSR, sending a message to the Fed’s in support of $4.5 billion for High-Speed Rail.

Disagreeing with the Merc's Editorial board... San Jose Insider Pete Campbell argues San Jose shouldn’t keep federal stimulus dollars and should instead send the $15 million targeted for street repair to impoverished Mississippi.

Mountain Views NASA/Ames Research Center is the place to land today as “a panel of Silicon Valley heavyweights” talks economic recovery in the South Bay – and using Silicon Valley recovery as a model for California. State Senator Elaine Alquist leads the charge with San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, Carl Guardino from the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Santa Clara County Office of Education’s Chuck Weis and a host of “heavyweights.” Begging the question, the South Bay has recovered?

Los Altos retirement home Pilgrim Haven missed the added joys of a lawsuit when the North Los Altos Concerned Neighbors dropped plans “…to pursue litigation…”

Los Altos City Councilmembers approved a Retiree Health Savings Plan for Police Officers. Los Altos acts as trustee but is not financially responsible for investments and the “plan will incur no cost to the city” according to city human resources manager Patrick Alvarez.

Swine Flu stays in the news… Santa Clara County has declared a swine-ish emergency to open community vaccination clinics.

The Merc’s Scott Herhold wants to know why Santa Clara County Tax Assessor Larry Stone is “so weird,” according to Stone he simply has a love for campaigning and the democratic process. Stone’s deputy, David Ginsborg was in the midst of collecting endorsements when Stone announced the desire to kick off his 70th birthday with a new term in office. Ginsborg dropped his plans.

Looking to get a little college experience without the pain of homework or tests? This is your chance, according to the Merc’s Sal Pizarro. San Jose State University kicks off Classes Without Quizzes.

Morning News Round-Up -- 9.24.09: Change of plans this weekend, no Club Wet...

The City of San Jose is cracking down on Club Wet. Club Wet’s self imposed shutdown could become permanent. San Jose Assistant Police Chief Dan Katz pulled the plug saying “We’re dealing with somebody here who’s had a succession of violations, and we’re saying enough is enough.” Wet’s lobbyists Saggau and DeRollo have 10 days to spin the Club back into existence. The San Jose PD did not say, "we believed shutting Wet down was not preventable..."

The Merc digs deep into San Jose’s transition to a de-plasticized shopping experience to find it was San Jose Councilmember Kansen Chu’s personal experience that led the way. David Lewis with Save the Bay shrugged over cries from the American Chemistry Council to point out following bans from San Francisco and Palo Alto “the world did not end.”

San Jose’s Redevelopment Agency heard the flutter of pink slips as nearly a quarter of the Agency’s team was shown the door after the State snagged $75 million from their cookie jar. One pissed off Mayor Chuck Reed said “Redevelopment provides critical tools to rebuild our economy… exactly the kinds of investments we should be making in this recession.”

The debt collectors are the only ones making a killing these days, even your neighborhood librarian is asking for their help to get books back from scofflaws. Perhaps Larry Pegram's Library Watchers could help in the cause...

Palo Alto’s homeless Council wannabe, Victor Frost, is back in hot water and it isn’t the hot tubs at Watercourse Way. Frost, pissed off when a wheelchair bound/homeless/amputee took his spot while he was away for an interview, unleashed a stream of “racial epithets.” With a possible 6 months in jail, perhaps Palo Alto’s crowded field just opened up a little.

NIMBYism is alive and well in San Jose according to the Merc’s Scott Herhold who tells the tale of the demise of an affordable housing project at the hands of politically savvy neighbors.

The Merc’s Editorial Board offers their support to this weekend's Mariachi and Mexican Heritage Festival this weekend.

Morning News Round-Up -- 9.16.09: One lobbying firm, two news stories...

Not a ton of news, but what the news lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quantity...

After the drama of previous San Jose City Council meetings last night was calm when the bail bonds issue came back around. Councilmember Sam Liccardo asked colleagues to support a 22 month moratorium, residents talked about moving ahead with “real work,” and a unanimous vote gave residents their wish. Pro-bailbonds/anti-moratorium champion Councilmember Pete Constant, after attending the afternoon session, was home due to illness. (Spies tell us he was not absent from Facebook all day, however. Thank you for the email Spy #1.)

And… San Jose’s Club Wet is closed for the next month in an attempt to fix their ongoing problems with stabbings and fights.

The previous two stories (bail bonds and Club Wet) share a lobbying firm. Today is a hell-of-a news day for Saggau & DeRollo...

“The community deserves a DA with integrity and ethics,” said Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey Rosen after filing papers to replace integrity challenged (?) District Attorney Dolores Carr next year. San Jose Inside’s Fly poked at Rosen for spelling errors and suggests it’s the Merc’s fault Rosen is running.

East Side Union High School District wanted a foundation really bad. So, they hired “the thickest Rolodex in the valley” according to (former) Trustee/ Supervisor George Shirakawa, Jr. -- (former) Vice Mayor/labor leader Cindy Chavez. When asked if Chavez earned her (nearly) $80,000, (former) Trustee Shirakawa shrugged “… that is a question for [Superintendent Bob Nunez]…” Ok, but the thick Rolodex produced some pretty thin results -- according to this story.

Because once is not enough, Protect San Jose’s Kathleen Flynn doubled her column, literally. Flynn is worried about the Governor's early release proposal, apparently San Jose is the intended relocation zone. {Editors note: we have corrected Kathleen's name and added a second link to the story. It appears can be too much of a good thing.}

San Jose Insider Jessica Fromm goes into details as San Jose’s City Council rolls out the red carpet for the San Jose A’s.