Morning News Round-Up -- 2.10.10: And the ballot language is... drum-roll...

As you may have heard, the 49ers would like to build a stadium in Santa Clara. They need to go to the ballot first, however. That ballot measure is slated for this June. Earlier in the week, we learned there was some disagreement of how the actual ballot language should read in June. The Santa Clara City Staff had one recommendation for how the ballot measure should read, and the Santa Clarans for Economic Progress (the 49er's side of things) had another way. Watch Dog predicted that the 49er's version would take the day... and it did. But not before a 4 to 3 vote on the Santa Clara City Council. Here's the ballot language Santa Clara voters will see:

Shall the City of Santa Clara adopt Ordinance 17.20 leasing City property for a professional football stadium and other events; no use of City General or Enterprise funds for construction; no new taxes for residents for stadium; Redevelopment Agency funds capped for construction; private party pays all construction cost overruns; no city/agency obligation for stadium operating/maintenance; private party payment of projected fair market rent; and additional funds for senior/youth/library/recreation to City's General fund?

Just as Dolores Carr can't go two days without being in the paper, so too the San Jose Police Department. Today's SJPD story is about a man who was first beaten severely with a baseball bat by two other men -- but then died after being Tasered by San Jose PD. The murder trial of the two men who beat the victim opened yesterday and re-opens up the 'use of force' storyline again. It also gives Raj Jayadev, of POA video fame, another chance to be quoted in the paper for the next few weeks... and presumably gives the POA another chance to make fun of him...

The San Jose City Council District 5 Council seat will be a real hum-dinger of a race in June. Xavier Campos (Nora's brother) will square off against Manueal Herrera, Aaron Resendez, and new-to-the-race Magdalena Carrasco. Before that, however, there will many times that these four appear on the same stage -- the first of which is slated for this week...

The County Building has become a lot more interesting to watch lately. Earlier in the week, Scott Herhold pointed out the Larry Stone vs. George Shirakawa battle over the appointment of former Sunnyvale Councilmember John Howe to an assessment appeals board and then we learn today that "controversial developer" John Vidovich was nominated to the County's Planning Commission. Both Howe and Vidovich got approved by the Board of Supervisors yesterday for their respective Commissions.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District has a new Board member -- although you probably didn't see anything in the Mercury News about it. Thankfully, Watch Dog trolls the South County papers sometimes and the Morgan Hill Times lets us know that Sahib "Cy" Mann will be the newest Water Board member. He is rancher and realtor from Morgan Hill...

There was yet another public meeting about High Speed Rail through the Peninsula yesterday. This time, the options for tracks were discussed... again: elevated, tunneled, stacked, hybrid, etc., etc., etc. At the same time, Californians Advocating Responsible Rail Design are fixing to file another lawsuit...

Palo Alto Unified students (and vocal parents) may see increased class sizes in the School District because of budget cuts next year... we are sure that will go over really, really well.

There is yet another chapter in the story of the Gilroy teenager who died after a night of drinking. The Coronoer said the cause of death is still a mystery...

Apparently Campbell is the new hot spot in Silicon Valley? We know Evan Low is cool, but the new hot spot?

Finally, Mission City Lantern seems to be critical of what we write these days, and we aren't sure why. Nor do we really understand what he is writing. Nonetheless, we love you James, keep up the good work.

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 -- 12.7.09: A White Monday!

Mayor Patricia Mahan is confident colleagues on the Santa Clara City Council will “make it to the next big thing” by approving the 49er's Environmental Impact Report this week and move toward a June 2010 election. Planning Commission Chair Teresa O’Neill says there shouldn’t be a problem with the EIR, it’s only one of “five pieces (that) are missing.” The City of Santa Clara seems pretty good at closing the deal... not so much for the team.

The Merc’s Editorial Board points to foul-ups in an agreement with local Teamsters that left San Jose conventioneers dealing with Teamsters in San Jose and San Francisco. San Jose’s chief development officer, Paul Krutko, hopes the City Council will ask Team San Jose to “reconsider” the agreement and do better marketing to address negative publicity. San Jose Inside (via the Business Journal) reports the Mayor is ready to ditch convention expansion plans altogether...

The High-Speed Rail won’t be heading underground in San Jose, according to Rod Diridon. Willow Glen activist Jean Dresden wants to know why it’s so difficult, pointing out “BART is already underground.” Maybe San Jose should have joined NIMBY’s to the North in that pesky lawsuit.

An attorney representing one of the San Jose Police Officers involved in the Taser-happy arrest of San Jose State student Phuong Ho took time to share an opinion on Protect San Jose. Terry Bowman suggests Silicon Valley residents need to learn to “listen like kindergartners” to avoid being Tasered. Bowman says officers are ok being disliked but being ignored is another matter… Can you imagine the PR campaign from the Police Department letting folks know that they should listen to Police Officers like we are all kindergartners? That's not patronizing at all...

The Merc reports Campbell Mayor Evan Low isn’t Campbell’s youngest Mayor ever (Rusty Hammer holds that distinction), but he is the youngest Asian-American and youngest gay mayor, ever. Low laughs off critics worried he plans to “push the gay” agenda pointing out there isn’t “a gay pothole or a straight street sign.” Watch Dog still maintains that he is Silicon Valley's coolest mayor too...

Gilroy is mourning the loss of 15 year old Sarah Botill following her apparent death from alcohol poisoning. Botill and friends (apparently) smuggled vodka to drink at the home of (former) Gilroy Councilmember/ Supervisor Don Gage’s policy aide Roland Velasco. Gilroy has rules that try to prevent underage drinking with penalties for hosts and parents – Velasco championed those rules addressing loud parties. (Apparently) The rules don’t apply because this was not a loud party, just one where a kid died.

Things are heating up in Mountain View. Hundreds of people showed up to vote in the neighborhood association election of officers. Write-in candidates opposing redevelopment of Minton’s Hardware took 3 seats kicking off what should be an interesting/ongoing NIMBY debate.

The Merc’s Internal Affairs was funny this weekend...

• Santa Clara District Attorney Dolores Carr’s hubby hired Carr contributor/ buddy James McManis to represent him when the bank came calling with “sticky” questions over what pillow talk revealed about the Hosseini murder. Neither the Carrs nor McManis would dish to IA… shocker.
• (Former) East Side Union High School Superintendent Bob Nunez got a little love from teachers following his ouster. They also gave him an ironic gift of a coffee card...
• We learn that campaign managers for GOP gubernatorial wannabes Poizner/ Whitman stuff envelopes.

A hiker in Milpitas made a grisly discovery, a body in an abandoned vehicle.

Yes, it is likely you’ll see the white stuff, (real) snow that is, on the mountains to the East and West this morning.

Local government watchers will have to rack up the miles hopping between meetings this week. Thanks to the Merc for agenda-watching…

• San Jose’s City Council meets to consider use of force problems (?) and look at customer satisfaction measureables
• San Jose’s Elections Commission is all about the money when they look at adjusting the voluntary spending cap and pay-to-play restrictions.
• Among school districts… taxes are on the minds of Los Altos School District... Fremont Union High School District (even though they just lost a parcel tax election)... The Palo Alto Unified School District looks at April 6th for their parcel tax... and the Milpitas Unified School District also wants a parcel tax next year...
• Just to be different, Los Gatos Union School District hears what the public had to say about a possible bond measure.
• Not talking about taxes…The Santa Clara County Office of Education Board meets to consider a review of alternative education programs and improvements... The San Jose Unified School District elects new officers and certifies an interim budget report... District demographics are on tap for the Cupertino Union School District... The East Side Union High School District considers the paperwork to bring Don Moser on as interim Superintendent (without coffee privileges) and creation of a district election system for trustees... Alum Rock School District considers school closures... Officer elections are on tap at the Mountain View-Whisman School District... Santa Clara Unified School District considers flexibility on class-size reduction following the loss of their parcel tax... Enrollment is on the minds of Campbell Union School District Trustees as they consider school-site capacity.

This is fun: Congresswoman Eshoo opposes the Afghan troop surge. But don't worry, she is working on other important issues in DC -- like making sure your TV isn't too loud during the Snuggie commercials. Seriously.

Morning News Round-Up -- 12.2.09: Coolest Mayor in Silicon Valley Award...

West Valley cities are all the rage today... giving the SJPD a well-deserved break. Cupertino has a majority Asian-American City Council with Gilbert Wong taking the center seat on the dais and Campbell has "one of the youngest gay and youngest Asian American mayors in the country" according to the Chronicle (Evan Low). Watch Dog will refer to him as the coolest Mayor in Silicon Valley. (No offense Chuck...)

And while SJPD (and the District Attorney) get a break today, loyal reader Kathleen posted this in the comments of yesterday's Round-Up: how to have your voice heard with the Consortium looking into San Jose Police practices as well as the search for the new "Independent" Police Auditor...

San Jose's City Clerk's office is entering the year 2000 with some real technological advances. The City Council decided yesterday to mandate Council candidates file online. That should make the filings for the City Council races in 2002 so easy to access...

The Merc Editorial Board gives a thumbs up to Alviso, and provides us all with an Alviso 101 with this:

Alviso is a small town uncomfortably annexed to San Jose but separate from the rest of the city and little changed through the years.

Really? You mean Vahl's hasn't changed through the years?

Mountain View is looking to head off the easy-to-predict NIMBYism about a downtown affordable housing development they are subsidizing to the tune of $9 million. Interesting that they should be concerned about that because the developer of the project, ROEM Development Corp, has had its problems with neighbors...

Good thing they have a new Police Chief, because the riff-raff are on their way to Palo Alto for the opening of PA's first Trader Joe's on Friday. Bad Hawaiian shirt sales are through the roof...

Perhaps the new revenue from the Trader Joe's will help fill a gap a budget manager in Palo Alto that mistakenly caused a $4.8 million accounting error in this year's budget. That manager, Sharon Bozman, was not mentioned by name at the meeting where Palo Alto officials continued to grapple with the gigantic budget hole -- but the complete revamping of the budget process in Palo Alto was a pretty good indication that she isn't welcome back anytime soon. Rumors that Palo Alto is now interviewing former Enron executives to fill the budget management role are unfounded...

And while Palo Alto looks to improve its budget process, Los Gatos is leaving their traffic patrol to a group of elementary school students from Van Meter Elementary... seriously. They are tracking traffic violations near their school. Thank you Los Gatos Observer.