Morning News Round-Up -- 3.22.10: Are you a Proprietary Member of Fremont Hills?

Two stories of local politicians ignoring folks in their own backyards in order to court voters in Orange County: Tom Campbell "assails" healthcare reform and Steve Poizner goes anti-immigration. We can't leave this part of the Campbell story alone: Campbell delivered his anti-healthcare speech at the Fremont Hills Country Club in Los Altos Hills, a club that has... "...a total of 425 Proprietary Memberships, granting all members full privileges at the Club. All club memberships are by invitation only..." Oh, and an equestrian center. We can assume that zero of the owners of the 425 Proprietary Members goes without healthcare or finds it too expensive... But perhaps a neat follow-up story to this one (hint to Barbara Boxer's team) would be to see how many of the workers at the Fremont Country Club have health insurance...

The San Jose Independent Police Auditor search appears to be heading into its final stages (finally). And the Merc uncovered one of the finalists: former Judge and former Palo Alto Councilmember LaDoris Cordell. This cannot make law enforcement officials very pleased... which probably does make a whole bunch of other people very, very pleased. We guess no brothers or sisters of current police offices applied...

The Merc just can't get enough of the Happy Hollow Zoo opening... another story appeared this weekend.

Remember those fireworks that you used to love in downtown San Jose during the Fourth of July? Well, you can kiss them goodbye. Fil Maresca says the City's fees for the Police were too expensive. That's sort of what the Chamber of Commerce is saying about the Police as well -- at least their pensions...

Speaking of the Chamber...

The Chamber's political action committee, COMPAC, won a lawsuit and now the City of San Jose owes them $400,000+. Pat Dando can't help but gloat in the Merc's Internal Affairs.

Also Internal Affairs is something that was essentially lifted from San Jose Inside: one of the "also rans" in District 9 is both a Cortese and a karaoke genius...

Rounding-Up Internal Affairs this weekend, we learned Sunday that Steve Poizner shared a flight to the Southern California debate with Meg Whitman's press team. But more important than that are two more things that we learned that were embedded in the piece: 1. Whitman is flying a private jet (everywhere) and 2. the source of all things anti-Poizner that has appeared in Internal Affairs is Mary Anne Ostrom is working for Whitman now but used to work for the Merc. Hmmm... Debunking the myth that all reporters (and former reporters) are Democrats...

Attention Mr./Dr. County Executive: The Mercury News Editorial Board has a big problem with you and how you want to run the Valley Medical Center. Please report directly to the Principal's office for further instructions...

The Merc Editors have started their campaign endorsements. They start with Proposition 16 and recommend no.

There is a new blog in town... zzz...

Morning News Round-Up -- 5.11.09: A 'Hypocritical Grandstanding'-Free Zone...

Swine Flu mania persists as County officials review the results of this test to their pandemic plan. Outcome? Things could be better. County health officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib bought a new gizmo to test your fluish samples but as of Friday there were still 800 untested samples. The “pandemic” never turned into a hospital filler but folks were scared.

Valley Transit Authority Board Chair Dolly Sandoval recommended her fellow Board members ditch their $200/month stipend. It won’t cover the $79 million gap but Sandoval hopes it will send “...a message that we are willing to step up...” This brings up the obvious question: VTA Board members get a stipend?

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed has declared a solution to keeping libraries open so the unemployed have computer access. City employees give up raises for the next year. According to Reed he, the City Manager, and all senior staff have given up pay raises. Of course, when you make almost $300,000 a year… This brings up the obvious question: Why are folks due pay-raises anyway? Hasn't the budget been a mess for years?

A’s/Earthquakes owner Lew Wolff will be asked to foot the bill for the new San Jose A’s baseball stadium. Tuesday the City Council will discuss details for negotiations and community outreach. Reminding neighbors to be part of the conversation, former neighborhood association president Harvey Darnell said stopping the ballpark won’t mean “...you’ll get nothing. You’ll still get a lot of something...”

The Merc’s Editorial Board calls on San Jose’s Mayor and City Council to repair the growing rift with the Drunk Task Force. The Merc also calls on the Consortium brought in to displace the Task Force to reach out to the communities that are most affected by this City/Community rift.

The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce’s political arm, COMPAC, wasted no time filing a lawsuit against the City of San Jose. They’re pissed off about a $5,000 fine after a judge agreed with them there are no limits to free speech. (We hear Revealed furiously typing away now...)

Will the Independent Police Auditor with the shortest reign in history run for termed out Councilmember Judy Chirco’s seat? The Merc’s Internal Affairs wants to know. Chris Constantin is being coy but candidate Jim Cogan says Constantin isn’t a threat. (Watch Dog sort of said the same thing about Cogan a while back... much to Cogan's displeasure...)

Thanks to a Watch Dog tipster we learned… San Jose’s Assemblymember Joe Coto got press for working with the Greenlining Institute and the Florida Minority Community Reinvestment Coalition to get $30 million set aside as support for Hispanic run non-profits. (Hopefully not this Hispanic run non-profit...)

Internal Affairs also dishes Councilmember Nora Campos has her sights set on Sacramento, not the Mayor's seat...yet. Campos’ recent missteps over the too public former Mayor/lobbyist complaint, Independent Police Auditor, and tossing her Task Force baby under a bus may have helped make the decision.

Which brings us to the Merc’s Scott Herhold's column about Councilmember Campos. He takes time to dis San Jose Councilmember (and new Mom) Nora Campos on Mothers Day. Herhold doesn’t restrict himself to Campos and calls out Campos' staffers Ryan Ford and Rolando Bonilla for getting the boss noticed through “hypocritical grandstanding.”

San Jose Police shot and killed a young man in East San Jose Sunday morning as they responded to a domestic disturbance and he answered the door wielding a knife.

Gilroy Police busted three gang members for stabbing a 20 year old man during a Saturday afternoon gang fight. A fourth assailant is being sought, if you’ve got info call investigator Geoff Guerin of the Gilroy Police Department at 408-846-0650.

For all you Silicon Valley City Hall Watch Dogs, here’s where to get your fix this week:

• The San Jose City Council Chambers will be the site of baseball negotiation principles and how to talk to the community. (Oh, and that pesky budget problem is on tap as well.)
• San Jose’s Elections Commission will consider charging you for the privilege of complaining, campaign contribution limits, and anonymous filings...
• The Mountain View City Council talks about the Day Worker Center of Mountain View (the bigot’s of D.C. will be there as well)...
• The Santa Clara City Council talks dollars (or lack thereof)...
• In Sunnyvale, there’s a plan hatching to create City-generated email spam letting you know about public meetings. (Please include us...)

In your kids' schools this week…

• The Alum Rock Union School District considers small schools and how much to pay the interim Superintendent. (How about with savings from not having to pay the last one?)
• The Cupertino Union School District studies revised budgets. (Revised down, we guess...)
• Los Gatos Union School District talks union contracts. (Have fun...)
• The Mountain View-Los Altos High School District will consider laying off one teacher, and bringing back adult education...

Revealed adds to items of government watch interest in San Jose… (It must be nice to have interns to do this type of stuff for you Mr./Ms. Revealed...)

• Federal stimulus dollars helping San Jose’s homeless.
• It’ll cost you more to recycle those old cans.
• Garbage, garbage and more garbage.
• Crime at local gambling joints is on the rise, hookers down, child abuse up.

Morning News Rond-Up – 3.13.09: It's another (Pink Slip) Friday the 13th...

San Jose’s Elections Commission had some fun this week. First, dealing with their irritation over an anonymous complaint against former Mayor/lobbyist Tom McEnery. Next, deciding the fine to be levied against the political arm of the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, COMPAC, for a violation of the city’s limit on independent campaign contributions. The COMPAC challenge has the added wrinkle that once a fine is decided the city will land in court, according the COMPAC chair/Lawyer/former Planning Commissioner Jay Ross who calls the rules unconstitutional.

And so it begins slowly, the grim economy offers residents a painful choice – convenience being green or saving money. South county wanted to make it easier to be green, right up to the point where it would cost more. Green Waste Recovery, apparently unable to accommodate new customers at a lower rate may lose South county to their less green competitor. Morgan Hill Times’ editorial board suggests you let Supervisor Don Gage know how you feel. Watch Dog loves garbage, especially when the story is the same…

With the help of congressman Jerry McNerney, Morgan Hill’s Llagas Creek will receive $287,000 to protect homes, businesses and native habitat. Mayor Steve Tate applauded McNerny’s help in footing the $130 million bill, with help from the Santa Clara Valley Water District, Army Corps of Engineers and the city.

Speaking of the water district…

Apparently reversing themselves the Santa Clara Valley Water District directors say they are now open to letting the voters decide whether or not to impose term limits on them. The latest tactic is to remind voters that putting the question on the ballot will cost from $1 to $4 million dollars. District directors were taken to task by the Merc’s Scott Herhold in 2007 for their liberal definition of “meeting,” one which allows Director Richard Santos to attend softball games and travel extensively. Sig “Methusala” Sanchez has no objection to voter imposed term limits – of course, he thinks people still vote by chiseling on rock.

It’s good to be one of the top dogs in city government, even in bad times. Gilroy’s Human Resources Director LeeAnn McPhillips got a pay bump to over $171,000 – while she was in the process of dishing out pink slips to 40 city employees. City Manager Tom Haglund handed out nearly $100,000 in special raises to 23 employees, including 5 who were laid off. Sounds like the city manager’s actions could lead to heavier scrutiny by the council – never a welcome addition to a bureaucrat’s day.

Gilroy’s economy czar, otherwise known as Larry Cope CEO for the Economic Development Corp, heads to Washington, D.C. next week to channel the Presidents stimulus dollars towards Gilroy before leaving for his new gig as Tuolumne County’s economy czar. The Visitor’s Bureau chief/Count Board of Education Trustee Jane Howard, is hosting a lunch with partners to talk it over while Mayor Al Pinheiro, councilmember Bob Dhillon and South Valley National Bank VP Kurt Michielssen will meet with EDC’s board in April to discuss its future.

Santa Clara County teachers will receive pink slips at a record pace this week. Decimated retirement accounts keep possible retirees from leaving, and has some retirees asking to return to work. Because the economy and drastic funding cuts by the state require slashing budgets, more than 1,000 Silicon Valley teachers will lose their jobs – most of them young teachers. East Side Union High School District and Oak Grove School District both report a record drop in retirees.

The Merc’s Editorial Board calls on school districts to make their Teach for America fellows feel welcome and supported. TFA has 100 teachers in the Alum Rock and San Jose Unified school districts, including Silicon Valley Educational Foundation’s Teacher of the Year, Scott Wolf. Alum Rock is called out for not making these young idealists feel welcome.


The San Jose Catholic Diocese hopes to build a new school on land they purchased in Morgan Hill, the land is currently zoned for agricultural use so there’s this little challenge of rezoning but with the Catholic Church asking to ditch the zoning…

(As predicted, Revealeds reaction ...) SanJoseRevealed offers to take over the task of writing the Merc’s headlines saying the Merc’s current headlines don’t reflect story content, they need new staff and, best of all, swearing is funny. Tell that to the thousands of parents chasing their children with bars of soap…

SanJoseInside looks at the post-election challenges facing the California High-Speed Rail Authority as they begin the public meetings required for rollout. With visions of the Berlin Wall jumping to mind neighborhoods are freaking out over the thought of a rail system merging with the existing Cal Train line, some are suing others are demanding tunnels. Our sister blog, Watch Dog San Mateo, reports the High-Speed Rail Authority is strapped for on cash …

And, just to prove Silicon Valley does have a lighter side even in the worst of times…
The Merc’s Joe Rodriguez took time out to visit one of San Jose’s artists – body painter Celeste Oda who won last years masters face-painting award at the annual Face and Body Art International Convention. Rodriguez channeled his inner animal in allowing Oda to turn him into a Jaguar for a day.


He may not be a world class ballroom dancer but the Woz has YouTube fans flocking to see his impression of a “Teletubby going mad in a gay pride parade.”

Morning News Round-Up -- 2.11.09: Newsom (and Coto?) Bashes Mayor Reed...

Yesterday, we mentioned San Jose’s Mayor Chuck Reed would be hopping on a red-eye flight to D.C. to join Mayors Antonio Villaraigosa and Jerry Sanders in search of stimulus (money). What we didn’t know was he’d be introducing San Francisco Mayor/Gubernatorial hopeful Gavin Newsom at a San Jose town hall where Newsom referred to the D.C. trip as a “photo op.” Ouch.

Perhaps it isn't just Newsom who is making fun of Chuck Reed. Today, Metro/San Jose Inside serve as the vehicle for a trial balloon for a possible Coto for Mayor campaign in 2010. This could get more and more interesting...(Watch Dog anxiously awaits...)

The Fed’s showed up in Palo Alto’s Utilities Department and left with 7 boxes filled with documents about the qualifications (or lack thereof) of pipeline workers. Utilities' Director Valerie Fong isn’t worried, Palo Alto conducted its own investigation after questions were raised about employee qualifications. Fong said, “Our own assessment was that these tests were conducted with integrity, and the folks who work on the gas pipeline were indeed qualified."

The drama of San Jose’s 2006 Mayoral race continues Wednesday when Elections Commissioners revisit charges that the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce’s political arm, COMPAC, violated campaign finance rules when producing campaign hits against then-Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez. To further complicate matters the City law requires the same Commissioners who identified the violation to impose the fine...which would be ok, except only one of them remains on the Commission. City Attorney Rick Doyle has recommended changing those rules first -- sounds like a good idea.

Shut that tap! Fix that faucet! Water rationing is coming to Silicon Valley. The question is when...Santa Clara Water District Board Chair Sig Sanchez said, "Unless a miracle happens, we're going to go to mandatory rationing at some point." Not all Board members were happy delaying the decision to March and wanted something more immediate...Board member/Alviso Mayor Richard Santos said, "Mandatory water conservation now. Not in March, not in April, my vote is now. Thank you."

Vowing Los Gatos Boulevard would “…never become El Camino or Stevens Creek," Los Gatos Councilmember Joe Pirzynski warned against dumbing down the vision for the Boulevard to accommodate the recession. The Council is dusting off the 12 year old Los Gatos Boulevard Plan while another car dealership leaves town.

The big excitement of the month will be happen next week when the Amgen Tour of California comes roaring through with Lance Armstrong and local pro Justin Robinson. It is unclear if these two guys will be riding...

Marcus Keppert was 15 when he was killed by drunk driver speeding down San Jose’s Almaden Expressway. Three years after he died, George Xinos is facing felony charges and (perhaps) 9 years in jail. Prosecutor Charles Gillingham said, "Marcus has paid for his actions. Now the defendant needs to be held accountable."

San Jose Police tossed Andrew Chavez and Juan Arias into jail for the murder of Kimo Fernandez early Sunday morning at a house party gone wrong. Officer Jermaine Thomas said the three were at a party when a fight broke out leaving Fernandez as San Jose’s third homicide of the year. (The fourth homicide was found only hours later when Fisaha Isaac Cunningham was found shot to death in South San Jose.)

San Jose Revealed goes into full Nguyen Defense Mode today...

One last note:

Watch Dog is flattered, really, by the acclaim resulting from Scott Herhold’s column yesterday...Today, Mission City Lantern responds to Herhold...James, why don't you tell us what you really think? (Thanks James...)

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...