Morning News Round-Up -- 4.20.10: 420, need we say more?

420... 'nuff said. Now, onto November...

It has been a bad few weeks for the South Bay Labor Council head honcho Cindy Chavez. First she got Jude Barry blacklisted -- which led to bad press. Then she sent a threatening letter to several Democratic Assemblymembers because they are supporting her "opponent" in a City Council race -- which led to bad press. Then her strong, yet unsuccessful, push to get Republican Dolores Carr endorsed for DA was uncovered -- which led to bad press. Today, the Merc's Scott Herhold ties it all up in a bow... He concludes: "...For such a sunny personality, hers are cold tactics indeed..."

"Hi Phil, it's Cindy. Can you relaunch sanjoserevealed as soon as possible? Thanks..."

Check out Watch Dog's piece from yesterday about Cindy Chavez, Dolores Carr, and Xavier Campos: United Carr Workers and Xavier Campos.

Watch Dog didn't really know something like this was possible, but... National Hispanic University was sold to a for-profit college conglomerate. Think of it as Walmart coming in to buy your small school. Laureate Education is the purchaser and their company is valued at $3.5 billion. If you are going to sell out, go big or go home, we guess...

Lately when anyone has been talking about Santa Clara, it has been about the 49ers or Yahoo... that's because everyone has stopped talking about the BAREC housing development that was controversial and contentious. But it is finally FINALLY moving forward as the clean-up starts... (If you know nothing about this development, then don't even try to understand the history...)

Yesterday was a bad day to be train-dependent. First a bomb threat that screwed up the afternoon/ evening community, then a suspicious package at the Caltrain Station in Mountain View closed things down for a while last night...

Speaking of trains... but a much, much faster one, hopefully. The Mountain View Council is studying the High-Speed Rail alignment options for Mountain View, and they really don't know what they like best... or least.

One Silicon Valley-ite who is running for high office has released his tax returns... Tom Campbell. And we learn what we already knew... he isn't a rich as Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina, or Steve Poizner... Most stunning of all, he donated only $600 to charity in 2009. ... that's it. Perhaps the library in Almaden didn't need his help last year.

Speaking of Silicon Valley types running for office... Chris Kelly is a former Facebook executive running for Attorney General. (In case you didn't know that, and if you didn't know that, then you are in the majority...) He is facing some tough questions about Facebook's privacy policies. Questions like, does Facebook have a privacy policy?

Palo Alto is celebrating 420... well, Earth Day actually. They have a bunch of new enviro-sheek things happening.

To the blogs...

Protect San Jose answers a real(?) "Ask a Beat Cop" question today about a car getting stolen in downtown San Jose... of course the answer is about high-capacity night clubs...

Mission City Lantern has some advice for Cindy Chavez...

Morning News Round-Up -- 12.10.09: Re-Election Campaign, Already?

Surprise. San Jose’s Mayor Chuck Reed announced he’s running for re-election. This time around Reed plans to fix the economy, really bring Sunshine to local government, and keep you safe (translation – more Police?). Also hitting the ground in the re-election zone are Councilmembers Pete Constant, Sam Liccardo, and Madison Nguyen. (Although you may not get that impression from their web presence: Liccardo is up and running, but Constant is asking volunteers to walk precincts (in 2006) and Nguyen is still celebrating not getting thrown out of office.)

The 49ers are hoping a citizen-backed ballot initiative will have them finding their way to Santa Clara. Composed of Santa Clara’s power elite, Santa Clarans for Economic Progress now faces a confused City Council to explain why their way is better. 49ers spokesperson Lisa Lang scoffed at accusations the 49ers were trying to skirt any review process saying the move put them “on a surer path to know what the voters really want.” It looks like there could be two measures that are pro-pro football in June in Santa Clara.

The San Jose City Council will be sharing text messages received during Council meetings, if colleagues agree with Mayor Chuck Reed. For future reference, Watch Dog texts look like this “Woof.”

A tale of two bills… San Jose Assemblymember Joe Coto is hoping the Assembly Education Committee members will agree that tying teacher incentives to student performance and closing failing schools are good. So far, his bill is hung up for changes… Palo Alto’s State Senator Joe Simitian fared better, his geeky bill flew through with committee support.

The Merc’s Editorial Board sends props to the East Side Union High School District Trustees after taking steps to keep an eye on the money with an Audit Committee. Editors want you to know you have until today to get your application in for this fun gig.

(Former) County Counsel/ Justice Department Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ann Ravel receives another “Atta-girl” from Watch Dog. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Ravel’s lawsuit against big pharmaceutical companies was right on and ordered 10 of them to stop overcharging local clinics serving the poor.

Joy Alexiou, spokesperson for the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, was happy to announce $2.6 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money would be headed to a San Jose clinic for the homeless.

Because you didn’t have enough fun with water rationing before… The Santa Clara Valley Water District wants you to keep those lawns brown until next Summer. (Outgoing) Board Chair Sig Sanchez offered “we’re facing another season of water supply uncertainty.”

InnVision the Way Home tried for a second time to give away a fancy Silicon Valley home. Grand prize winner/San Jose resident Dale Swanson didn’t get a house in the hills but did walk away with an extra $100,000. Third times a charm?

More janitorial news… (Former) Los Altos Christian School janitor James Carroll heads to the pokey for a year after his kiddy porn conviction. Pissed off parent Lisa Maxe said parents filed numerous complaints and were really pissed when Carroll was spotted working on campus after his arrest.

Creekside dwellers in Morgan Hill are pissed about project delays stopping the flood. Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson J.D. Hardesty said we’d “love to do this project” but the money ain’t there. Call your Congressional reps…

Gilroy Councilmembers heard from pissed off residents about vicious dogs before they added police chief Denise Turner’s “teeth” to dog laws. People with biting pooches watch out, your dog could be heading to doggy hell if deemed “vicious.”

West Valley-Mission Community College Chancellor John Hendrickson sends a request your way: Tell State Senator Elaine Alquist and Assemblymember Ira Ruskin the economic turnaround depends on community colleges and they need money to make it real.

Protect San Jose’s Beat Cop dishes on Cops Care Cancer Foundation fun times at NASA this weekend for kids combating cancer.

San Jose Insider Pete Campbell wants the fed’s to show us the money before snagging San Jose’s old City Hall to use as a courthouse.

And then there is this tid-bit: former Cindy Chavez campaign manager Justin Schall has found his way into another community's blogosphere... Lehigh Valley, to be exact. This isn't particularly nice, but it does reference San Jose Revealed, so we thought we'd post it.

Morning News Round-Up -- 12.8.09: A frosty Round-Up...

San Jose’s new affordable housing policy could get some tweaking before it even takes effect in 2013. City Planning staff will suggest ditching the rental property portion of the new rules, unless the state Supreme Court has something to say…

Gilroy’s City Council looked at loosening regulations for gambling and adult businesses. No word if medical marijuana joints would benefit from the (apparently) liberalization of Gilroy.

Gilroy Police Chief Denise Turner is asking the City Council for doggie laws with “more teeth,” in an attempt to prevent dog maulings. Doggie laws... more teeth...

The sorry tale of Palo Alto’s JJ&F grocery is over, for now. In a(nother) contentious meeting, Palo Alto’s City Council said “yes” to rebuilding the grocery along with offices and housing. Hoping to prevent a bait-and-switch, Councilmembers tied the land to food, forever. The party-pooper in this shopping parade was Assemblymember wannabe/ Councilmember YorikoKishimoto .

A new tax (might be) on the horizon for the cash-strapped Morgan Hill? A gathering of the City Council minds seems to say yes. Apparently frustrated by discussions over pennies under discussion, Councilmember Larry Carr said “City Connections, meetings – those are all distractions…” (apparently) hoping to move talk to high dollar salaries…

Stevens Creek Trail assault perp John Detches was busted over the weekend. Mountain View Police spokesperson, Liz Wylie, reports Police “pretty much stumbled upon him…”

Perhaps hoping for a Psycho Donuts redux… Antonio’s Nut House patron Afshin Fouladpour got ripped and waved a gun around after being booted from the bar multiple times.

Gubernatorial wannabe/(former) eBay CEO Meg Whitman took the stand in a federal case saying eBay wanted “all of Craigslist” but they didn’t do anything naughty with information they had from owning a huge chunk... No word if the Poizner people were in the courtroom taking notes...

Protect San Jose blogger/(former) San Jose Council Chief/ (former/losing) Council candidate Chris Hemingway suggests community activists looking within (and taking the San Jose Police Department’s Citizens’ Academy) will allow citizens to “…address issues like the language barriers between Police and non-English-speaking immigrants, immigrant prejudice against police derived from their native country, an increase in drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, and gang-related crime, and the bad attitudes of youths when dealing with authority.”

Mission City Lantern is thoughtfully sending a little Cheez Whiz to friends at Santa Clara Plays Fair, and props to Watch Dog (again) for nominating Campbell Mayor Evan Low the coolest Mayor.