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 – 12.23.09:The failure edition...

Remember those videotapes District Attorney Dolores Carr hoped would disappear? They’re back in the news. Appellate attorney Dallas Sacher hopes his wrongly convicted client is declared factually innocent after review of his tape shows Dr. James Crawford disputing medical assertions. Looks like Carr has more ‘splaining to do…

There is no truth to the rumor that it was more of those nasty videotapes clogging the sewers in the Santa Clara County Government Center. And the stench was raw sewage not worn out pols.

The Merc’s Editorial Board sends out a reminder that less tax money in translates to fewer services on the streets. Maybe Santa will sweep the streets…

Megachurch Abundant Life Christian Fellowship is losing Paul Sheppard who announced he was resigning following a “moral failure.” Congregants suggest it was Sheppard's own hot toddy that brought him down...

The victim of Saturday night’s murder in San Jose has been identified as Daniel Booker. San Jose police report observing an altercation and Bookers shooting before arresting Walter Hughes for San Jose’s 28th murder of 2009. Say what?

Protect San Jose’s Beat Cop sends a shout out for safety. Beat Cop forgot to mention, don’t bring that 45 when you head downtown for a Chai Hot Toddy…

Santa is getting a special request from someone too old to get those stockings stuffed by the big guy. San Jose Insider/Santa Clara County Board of Education member Joseph DiSalvo has one tiny request, send those “hundreds of billions of tax dollars to nation building at home and not abroad.”

Morning News Round-Up – 12.09.09: the No Problem zone...

Santa Clara’s City Council received bad news while they approved the 49ers environmental impact report, the happy folks at Great America will sue. Adding to the confusion were different community groups offering a voter initiative to avoid environmental reviews. 49ers spokesperson Lisa Lang said the team “is not prepared” to talk about going directly to the voters.

With 200 pissed off college employees watching, Trustees for the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District ditched (immediate) plans to lay off 106 people. An investigation into District finances uncovered (suspected) financial abuse by Chancellor Rosa Perez. (now) Retiring Chancellor Perez will temporarily be replaced by Vice Chancellor Jeanine Hawk.

Calling conventioneers response an “overreaction” San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed joined colleagues in sending Team San Jose back to the drawing board to fix the problem of pissed off (San Francisco) Teamsters and conventioneers. Councilmember Sam Liccardo expressed dismay over the problem saying “didn’t anybody say to you… ‘Hey, this could be a problem’?”

There’s a new Chancellor coming to town. Foothill-DeAnza Community College District has selected Arizona’s Rio Salado college president Linda Thor to fill the hole created when Martha Kanter heard the siren call of the Obama Administration.

Palo Alto Unified School District Trustees had a busy night. A mail-in ballot is (likely) on tap to increase parcel taxes to an annual $598. Trustee Barb Mitchell said bluntly not receiving voter approval would mean the loss of 95 teachers. Teachers or taxes...

The Merc’s Editorial Board wants to see the sun shine on arbitration hearings between the city of San Jose and unions. Mayor Chuck Reed adds hearings in the dark might be illegal and a violation of the Brown Act.

When you head out to grab a bite today, local elected officials will gather for a memorial service recognizing the 67 men and women who died living on the streets this year. The annual EHC LifeBuilders memorial service is open to the public.

San Jose Insider/Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo wants all jailed kids to learn to FLY. Fresh Lifelines for Youth offers kids alternatives and saves taxpayers 10 times the money it costs to run the program, according to DiSalvo who had his eggs served with FLY graduate testimonials.

Mission City Lantern posted their top ten ways to prevent Santa Clara Councilmember Jamie McLeod from becoming the next Mayor. Including are such gems as asking McLeod’s friend/Campbell Mayor Evan Low to declare her “uncool” and preventing seniors from voting.

PoliticonValley notes San Jose’s Mayor Chuck Reed joined Councilmembers Sam Liccardo and Madison Nguyen to create an “unconventional” approach to keeping homeowners from being tossed on the streets.

Morning News Round-Up -- 12.1.09: Chief Burns in Palo Alto?

Ascension Calderon wanted to know why San Jose Police had stopped his nephew. For Calderon that day in 2006 escalated into a nightmare with pepper spray and racial epithets. When Bruno Figueroa, the Mexican Counsel General, asked for more police accountability, Calderon’s case became international headline news. Today, San Jose’s City Council is expected to authorize $97,000 to make a lawsuit about it go away. City Attorney Rick Doyle points to possible “exposure to substantial attorney’s fees” as one reason to avoid the courtroom. Bobby Lopez gives us an interesting quote in the Merc story as well. Here is the paragraph from the story:

Figueroa's criticism drew a rebuke from the head of the officers' union, Bobby Lopez, who suggested the Mexican government solve its own police problems "before he tries to solve ours."

Is Mr. Lopez admitting that there are police problems in San Jose? Just asking...

Alviso may again be a launching point for fishermen, children, and marsh enthusiasts when the first boat launch in 25 years opens next year. County Supervisor Dave Cortese now worries a new dock will invite abandonment of boats “the last thing we want is for it to look like a junkyard on the water.” Way to lighten up the day Supervisor Cortese...

Great Oaks Water Company is doing the happy dance. A judge has ordered the Santa Clara Valley Water District to refund Great Oaks more than $4.6 million for overcharging.

On the heels of (more) bad news for the Water District, Sig Sanchez has announced his retirement after 55 years in public service. From 4 terms on the County Board of Supervisors to (nearly) 30 years on the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors, Sanchez has seen it all. About retirement Sanchez says “I’ve just updated my TV service and I’ve got 24 hour cartoons coming.”

San Jose lost an icon when developer Jim Fox passed away last week. Fox made sure San Jose’s old buildings were brought back to their former glory, he kept his promises, and smoked his favored cigars on the ledges of his restored buildings. The Merc’s Scott Herhold sends a fond farewell to Fox who left San Jose a better place.

It may be called the Rose Garden but San Jose residents are mighty pissed at the thought of losing a 70 year old Sycamore tree.

Busted. Gilroy’s medical marijuana dispensary owner Goyko “Batzi” Kuburovich refused to let City inspectors stroll through the joint and was tossed into the pokey. Gilroy Councilmember Craig Gartman was curious as to why Police were part of a code enforcement problem and said he didn’t “think the City should try to intimidate a business owner.” The Wild West Weed War...

It was a star-studded night for the swearing in of Palo Alto’s new Police Chief Dennis Burns. Former Secretary of State George Schultz did the honor of swearing in the replacement for Palo Alto’s ousted/ embarrassment Lynn Johnson, relatives from Ireland were on hand and Burns 11-year-old daughter pinned Daddy’s new badge on. Hopes are high for an end to the racial controversies that plagued Burns' predecessor.

Palo Alto’s sit-lie ordinance has been used once for prosecution since enacted 12 years ago to get homeless folks upright. Council candidate/ panhandler Victor Frost drew the lucky straw during his sit-lie candidacy at Whole Foods. Frost’s troubles mount as his public defender ditches Palo Alto for San Jose.

San Jose Insider/Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo is having a ‘60’s flashback chanting Books Not Bombs. DiSalvo expresses fading hope the new administration will focus on closing the achievement gap and educating the 40% of Latinos and African-Americans who do not graduate from high school.

Protect San Jose notes the Consortium for Police Leadership in Equity released their much anticipated quarterly report without fanfare. Protect San Jose plans to dig deep in the 8 page report with regular updates. The first CPLE report concludes by suggesting San Jose Police should change the way racial arrest data is collected and make it public, tell CPLE whether arrests resulted from officer or citizen call, and create a community/police executive ongoing dialogue. Bobby Lopez did not say, "Why doesn't the CPLE solve its own police problems before trying to solve ours..."

Morning News Round-Up -- 11.11.09: Veterans Day Edition...

This will come as a (welcome) surprise to many... Medical care is coming back to downtown San Jose. Five years after Health Corporation of America (suddenly) closed the San Jose Medical Center, HCA appears ready to sell the roughly 14 acres for a medical center, retail, and housing to the County. Councilmember Sam Liccardo offered HCA had “… some responsibility to a City where they closed a hospital and limited care for the poor...” at HCA’s other local hospital.

San Jose’s 25th murder happened the same day that a community meeting happened in East San Jose to discuss the Halloween attack on two children. The victim of yesterday’s murder was a teenage boy. Councilmember Nora Campos joined the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force and Mayor Chuck Reed to talk to 300 pissed off community members in an attempt to stem gang violence.

It was a busy day at the San Jose City Council meeting: Absent from the proceedings were Councilmembers Pete Constant (obviously), Kansen Chu, and Madison Nguyen. San Jose’s City Council officially ditched Styrofoam at special events and hundreds packed the meeting to ask San Jose not kill their affordable housing program.

Gilroy City Manager Tom Haglund has plans to rein on Medileaf’s pot parade by issuing a “cease and desist” order. Haglund disputes owner Batzi Kuburovich’s claim that non-profits don’t need business permits. Get your "prescription" in Gilroy fast, this time tomorrow it’s likely you'll only be able to buy pot on the street, not in the club...

Mountain View-Whisman School District Superintendent Maurice Ghysels is looking to leave his gig following revelations of his relationship with Landels Elementary principal Carmen Mizell.

Here is a weird coincidence: The Superintendent of the Mountain View-Whisman's next door neighbor, the Los Altos School District, is leaving at the end of the school year...

Congressmember Anna Eshoo was in town pitching healthcare and to make sure Hangar One isn’t “de-skinned and left” like a freak of nature. Eshoo emphasized “we have to have a plan.”

Also hoping to talk to Mountain View residents, Supervisor/President Liz Kniss talks swine flu Thursday.

If you were hoping to send your post-high school student to a CSU far from home, think again. With less money from the State, all CSU’s are tightening belts and offering fewer seats to freshmen. CSU San Jose President Jon Whitmore plans to cut thousands of incoming seats saying “we’re downsizing.”

San Jose Police Officer Association President/Protect San Jose’s Bobby Lopez continues the chant that if it weren’t for the pesky media, San Jose’s Police force would not be in so much hot water – or, at least, no one would know about the hot water. Funny, if Lopez spent half as much time addressing the problem as he does accusing the Merc of “trying to sell one more paper” there might not be any problem.

San Jose Insider/Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo received a “tsunami of racist comments” following last week’s discussion and suggests this provides a “teachable moment” for the less enlightened. DiSalvo remains optimistic that the achievement gap can be erased, pointing out “there will always be critics to any bold initiative.”

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 – 10.14.09: Dirty magazines in a fire station? Watch Dog is shocked...

San Jose City Attorney Rick Doyle told the City Council they should settle (outside a courtroom) the sexual harassment lawsuit filed by fire engineer Julie LeBlanc. Doyle said the $200,000 settlement was “…a good settlement...” and sent props to LeBlanc for her courage in ferreting out the hard-core porn, including the “illest men’s magazine ever.”

San Jose walked off with California’s “highest and most prestigious environmental award” when they took the GEELA home from Los Angeles. Mayor Chuck Reed was “delighted” San Jose received recognition for keeping (recyclable) garbage out of the landfill.

Between depressed home values and fewer kids in school the Alum Rock School District talks school closure. Superintendent Jose Manzo looks at the shutdown of 2 elementary schools and a middle school due to the “financial dilemma.” Perhaps this is a fall-out from their previous "Superintendent dilemma..."

Mountain View’s City Attorney gig will soon be open as 16 year veteran Michael Martello heads into the sunset (possibly) to write a tome on conflict-of-interest. A subject Martello is familiar with having faced the music for possible conflicts during his affair with Foothill Disposal General Manager/Chamber of Commerce Board President Pamela Read.

A 2 year Mayor? Mountain View is thinking up ways to make the ceremonial rotation seat more inviting. Last years (1 year) Mayor Tom Means said the influential position means “you do get invited to things… oversee functions… set the agenda on a lot of things.”

Assemblymember Joe Coto did a happy dance Sunday night when the Governator put Santa Clara Valley Water District board reforms into state law. Reforms endorsed by the board allowed Coto to (seemingly) join forces with San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed as a Sunshine distributor.

Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Trustees President Don Moody feels “pretty darn good” about their choice for a replacement Superintendent but isn’t dishing on the name.

Medical marijuana for Gilroy and Los Gatos has to wait until lawsuits meander through the courts or another 90 days. Deputy District Attorney Steve Lowney told the Gilroy City Council to avoid the same over-the-counter problems seen in Los Angeles. Los Gatos Councilmembers are waiting for the League of California cities to provide direction. Dude...

Gilroy survived the first storm of the season with fewer power outages and lots of flooding. Morgan Hill residents headed to church to avoid flooded roads. The biggest storm in nearly 50 years took its toll dumping over 2 inches of rain in San Jose while water district Chairman Sig Sanchez said “this is a great start!”

According to the Merc’s Sal Pizarro there’s a lotta life in the annual Day of the Dead celebrations. “Five Minutes of Heaven” is on tap with San Jose’s Irish Sister city and kids get good dish with Seedfolks.

San Jose Insider/Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo sends props to this years (first female) winner of the Nobel prize in Economics Elinor Olstrom before moving on to talk about last years winner, the joys of small schools and Rigor, Relevance and Relationships at San Jose's Downtown College Prep.

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.

Morning News Round-Up -- 9.2.09: Illegal Fiscal Practices + Misappropriation of Funds = Get a Good Lawyer

The Mexican American Community Services Agency’s (MACSA) theft of teacher retirement funds has former teacher/ union leader Marty Herrmann really pissed. Who can blame him. A State investigator’s report gave the news to the Santa Clara Office of Education that MACSA was engaged in “illegal fiscal practices” and “misappropriation of funds.” District Attorney Dolores Carr is still trying to figure out whether to launch a criminal investigation (still?). And we would guess some folks are hiring lawyers...

Caltrain CEO Mike Scanlon is still apologizing for the loud tweeting and tooting pissing off residents as the commuter rail rumbles past bedrooms. Yes, they are trying to figure out how to comply with Federal regulations and soften the racket. The good news is that the horns are quieter than they have been.

The lucky Hal Plotkin-replacement on the Foothill-DeAnza Community College Board will be Joan Barram who did her time supporting Foothill-DeAnza since 1980 on various boards. Barram is no stranger to school boards having served on the Cupertino Union School District Board for a dozen years.

The Merc’s Sal Pizarro hung out with creative geniuses at the San Jose Tech Museum playing with everything from wind-up radios to solar powered commuter ferries. Pizarro suggests a visit to the Tech’s new upstairs is good for the imagination.

Palo Alto Unified School District got a whopper of a tax credit – (up to) $25 million. Chief Business Official Bob Golton deadpanned “it’s good to be lucky.” The rich get richer, so to speak...

San Jose Insider/Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo ponders a battle brewing in Sacramento over test data and teacher performance. At stake, millions of Federal dollars.

Mission City Lantern sends kudos to State Senator Elaine Alquist and celebrates Alquists 49ers Senate bill.

Protect San Jose’s data wonk, Ed Rast, does a walk through the cost of doing business comparing San Jose to other Silicon Valley communities. No response from City administrators being smacked by Rast.

A recap of Merc’s Government Watch for your viewing pleasure…

• The County Board of Supervisors Public Safety and Justice Committee talks about a new program to keep kids out of crime...
• San Jose’s City Council wants to land some of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act dollars at the airport for “taxable short-term debt” conversion. Also on tap discussion of that pesky Grand Jury report smacking San Jose’s Los Lagos golf course for mega-cost overruns.
• The Santa Clara County Office of Education noodles over how to get students on the Board.
• Budget woes and Grand Jury reports are on tap for the Los Altos School District.
• After seeing those STAR reports the Los Gatos Union School District talks test results.
• In Sunnyvale, the Fremont Union High School District gets more depressing news about state budget updates.
• Furloughs for Board Members (seriously?), managers, and confidential employees is in the works at the Campbell Union School District.
• Developers in the Mountain View-Whisman School District will be on hand for a discussion of increased developer fees. That should be a fun conversation...