Morning News Round-Up – 9.28.09: Back in the news...

The Valley Transit Authority has gotten an earful about slow light rail from riders and Mr. Roadshow. They aim to do something about it but some of the Valley’s biggest transit supporters are less than excited about light rail 2.0. Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s Carl Guardino votes for the “less expensive” alternative of “bus rapid transit.”

Also interested in putting happy wheels on the road… San Jose gets federal stimulus dollars to repave 19 of their 2,300 road miles. According to San Jose Transportation deputy director Hans Larsen the $15 million drop in the bucket is appreciated but hardly covers San Jose’s $283 million backlog.

Local Deputy Dogs are pissed off over a county report saying they pay too much for e-booking bad guys. Federal law enforcement pays nothing for computerized booking while poor Los Altos Hills paid nearly $11,000 for one booking in 2007. The answer, of course, is sending law enforcement officers driving to county offices to file reports. Or, LAH arrests more people.

Rosemary Stasek was a catholic and a staunch supporter of women’s rights. “A society is really built up on how it treats women,” according to Stasek and a big part of the reason she landed in Afghanistan. The Merc’s Patty Fisher shares details on the remarkable Silicon Valley woman who left home for less green pastures.

The Merc’s Internal Affairs did a mighty-lot of sleuthing last week…

• The case of District Attorney Dolores Carr & spouse (ethical) screw-up ranked a letter from attorney/friend B. Robert Allard (apparently) to the prosecutor’s chief opponent asking to let bygones be bygones.
  
• Round 2 – the Government Attorney’s Association was asked to investigate a vote of no-confidence against their big dog, District Attorney Dolores Carr. The mystery is who asked...
  
• Sunnyvale, according to IA, needed “schooling in the California Public Records Act” before dishing on home loans to 6 Sunnyvalian employees including nearly $900,000 to City Manager Gary Luebbers.
  
• (former)Hewlett Packard Tech giant/senatorial wannabe Carly Fiorina takes a ribbing from the Merc’s Internal Affairs the Huffington Post as well as a host of bloggers for the “Worst Political Website Ever.”
  

The Merc’s Scott Herhold takes his readers on a sentimental journey through the tale of two weddings (no funerals) and a peek into his daughter’s wedding of the future. Along the way Herhold offers his thought that the legalization of gay marriage will happen, it’s only a matter of time…

Homeless pooches are the beneficiaries of the Humane Society’s annual Walk N’ Wag this weekend while pampered pooches can hang at Pooch in Sunnyvale for only $100 a night according to the Merc’s Sal Pizarro.

The Merc’s Editorial Board calls on Senator Dianne Feinstein to fight for the $4 million Congressman Mike Honda wants to clean up Mt Umunhum. Calling the sum a “pittance in the context of billions in military spending” the Merc hopes Feinstein will “make this project a bright light in an otherwise dark hour of investment in public facilities.”

San Jose Insider/Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio argues against a “plastic bag bureaucracy” and suggests instead banishment of the single-use poopy diaper. Also Inside, Jack Van Zandt had a rockin’ good time with Joan Baez kicking off the Mariachi and Mexican Heritage Festival.

Protect San Jose’s Mary Klotzbach shares the wrenching story of her son’s death at the wheel of a drunk driver and the costs associated with drunk driving.

Normally a 49ers booster, Mission City Lantern sends props to the Vikings for their “marvelous” win. Really, James?

If watching your local elected officials is your thing, here’s the hap’s for this week…

• San Jose’s Community and Economic Development Committee talks outsourcing, no, they’re not sending street paving to India.
  
• San Jose’s City Council reviews a contract for the Consortium for Police Leadership in Equity (nearly a year after the fiasco that go this ball rolling), considers letting anyone buy low income housing and hopes to make it easier on city landmarks.
  
• The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and San Jose City Council meet together to talk flu pandemic and census. Apparently, none of the other Silicon Valley cities plan on having pandemics.
  
• The Mountain View-Whisman School District considers proposals on school size, boundaries, transportation, enrollment priorities and independent study. And, as if that weren’t enough fun, Trustees talk salaries.

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 – 9.22.09:

You remember this story, former San Jose Police Officer/Santa Clara County District Attorney investigator Sandra Woodall smashed her car into parked cars and injured a teenager. Collegial courtesy (allegedly) caused San Jose Police Officers Will Manion and Patrick D’Arrigo to look the other way after Woodall's visit to the neighborhood bar for a post-rehab celebratory drink (allegedly) impaired her driving. San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis let the other shoe drop this week, he wants to fire Manion and D’Arrigo.

California hopes to snag $1.28 billion in federal funds to bundle with Prop 1A funds for Caltrain expansion and moving High-speed rail at high speed to Northern CA.

It’s a little anti-climatic - the Palo Alto City Council approved a change over to (formerly interim) Police Chief Dennis Burns who hopes to “lead the organization in a fair and ethical way.” A slap at former boss/predecessor Lynne Johnson?

De Anza community college is at the “…bottom of a funnel” according to spokesperson/former Merc reporter Becky Bartindale so they shut the doors on more than 8,000 students hoping to beef up their accounting, chemistry and writing skills.

The Merc’s Editorial Board offers San Jose the chance to step out from the crowd and become a leader – ditch the bag. Likening the demise of the plastic bag to getting cigarettes out of restaurants, Merc Editors offer it could be increasingly painful to keep the bag (along with (possible) federal sanctions).

Earthquakes/A’s owner Lew Wolff isn’t caught by surprise often so when Soccer Silicon Valley President Don Gagliardi rattled off SSV’s good deeds even Wolff was impressed according to the Merc’s Sal Pizarro. State Senator Joe Simitian and San Jose Councilmember Nora Campos will be in San Jose to discuss State reform with Joint Ventures Silicon Valley and the American Leadership Forum.

San Jose Insider/San Jose Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio was not happy with his colleagues last week when they ignored his request to kill a “Shared Room Occupancy” proposal in his neighborhood. Watch Dog is hopeful Oliverio meant “Single Room Occupancy” in his collegial spanking.

Mission City Lantern slaps a favorite, Jamie McLeod, and celebrates a win by the San Francisco/(future Santa Clara?) 49ers.

Protect San Jose's Tuesday numbers guy, Ed Rast, wasn't up and running by post time, the Friday forum landed two comments over the weekend.

Morning News Round-Up -- 9.21.09: A South Bay Stadium... or two... or three...

Stadium news from around the South Bay...

Paul Krutko, San Jose Chief economic dude, says a (nearly) 8 decade old stadium is the youngest outdoor stadium the “Capital of Silicon Valley” has to offer. Earthquakes/A’s owner Lew Wolff is hoping to change that with a sparkly new Euro style stadium – if he can round up the bucks.

A Santa Clara Citizens Review Committee is in for the coin toss and supports amending Santa Clara’s City Charter to allow the 49ers to hire a football-centric design team. But, only if the Guvernator doesn’t sign State Senator Elaine Alquist's bill by October 11.

San Jose talks plastic bags this week while the Merc’s Patty Fisher reports it was a non-event when Palo Alto went plastic-free. San Jose’s hang-up is the cost of an Environmental Impact Report while Fisher sings the praises of the reusable bag.

With a single school and a mere 566 students you would think the Luther Burbank School District would keep itself below the radar. But you would wrong. A recent Civil Grand Jury report accused District Trustees of conflicts of interest, secrecy, intimidation, questionable spending, and election malfeasance. This week, the Luther Burbank Board was supposed to respond... but they got a 5-week extension. Watch Dog guesses that it is sort of like getting a few extra weeks to do your homework... Brand new Superintendent-Principal Becki Cohn-Vargas likens fixing problems to “…rebuilding a train while it’s going 100 m.p.h.” Yes, but if the train is about to run off the tracks, perhaps slowing it down to fix it would be a really good idea...

Speaking of trains... Those annoying Caltrain whistles will begin relocation to the underside of the train, making nearby (sleeping) residents very happy.

Mountain View is considering the PRT (personal rapid transit) as the dream commute alternative for Google/NASA/Moffett. Unfortunately, jet-packs may never happen.

San Jose’s City Council gears up for a rehash of the City Executive home loan discussion this week. Redevelopment Agency Director Harry Mavrogenes benefited from the practice when he moved inside FROM San Jose TO San Jose.

And while we are on housing...

The Silicon Valley housing market is “…picking itself up from the bottom” according to the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. San Jose Councilmember Sam Liccardo said the City will kick in another $2.7 million to help first time homebuyers get into the condo, or house, of their dreams.

From the Merc’s Internal Affairs…

• A report from California’s Fair Political Practices Commission reports that our local folks in Sacramento spent as much time on the fundraising circuit as they did making laws... perhaps they are sticking to what they are best at...
• Palo Alto State Senator Joe Simitian could be paying more attention to Assemblymember Ira Ruskin’s replacement that you’d think – he’s planning an Assembly redux in 2012.
• San Jose Councilmember Rose Herrera is hearing from opposing sides on proposals for a new library.

San Jose Inside channels Kermit the Frog, or maybe the Jolly Green Giant, to send props to San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed for pitching the green dream.

Mission City Lantern enjoyed the Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival until arriving in the “Free Speech” area to find anti-49ers fans. Mission City also posts (un)love notes to Justin Schall, Philip Bump, Bill Bailey, and Brian Darby... again.

Local lawmakers in action, for your Watch Dog pleasure, thanks to the Merc's crack staff…

• Santa Clara County’s Committee on Children, Seniors & Families tries to lessen disproportionate impacts of child welfare on African-Americans and Latinos.
• Alum Rock School District holds a team-building session on governance... that sounds like a barrel of laughs...
• Cupertino Union School District studies special education and state test scores...
• Palo Alto Unified School District looks at a parcel tax and the budget...
• San Jose Unified School District looks at approving Gann appropriations limits for 2009-2010.
• Santa Clara Unified School District considers adding students, growing Haman Elementary, and a possible new lease.
• The Franklin-McKinley School District sends props to schools for API/AYP successes.

Morning News Round-Up – 9.17.09: This website is too busy to show the webpage…

The Merc’s site is very popular today. Before the site got hit (an attack or just really popular?) we pulled a few tidbits from the Merc’s headlines. Hope this is not a sign of things to come...

Most of the gubernatorial hopefuls hit Silicon Valley for an (un)cheery discussion of California’s gloomy state of affairs along with their pitch to be the next leader.

“Our job here is not to go on strike,” according to Service Employees International Union representative Brian Ward as negotiations with the city of Palo Alto stretched long into the night. Councilmember Pat Burt called allegations of “hiding” money “silly” and said they were “red herrings” that were distracting negotiations.

Plastic bags are on their way out the door in Palo Alto. While most of the environmentally conscious town’s markets gave up the bits of flotsam before being asked a few will end use tomorrow. The American Chemistry Council could be heard grumbling as they toted off with their reusable bag filled with goodies from Piazza’s.

Gilroy’s City Council is sending police and planning staff to investigate the joys of medical marijuana.

Gilroy schools received an uneven report card. All but two schools were inside the 700 range. Mount Madonna and (former) charter school El Portal Leadership Academy stumbled along in the 500’s. El Portal is best remembered as the site of stolen teacher funds as the Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA) “borrowed” money…

Here’s some (un)cheerful news to read at breakfast – if you’re stuck on the railroad tracks with a train hurtling towards you, jump out and run in the direction of the train at an angle. This after Santa Clara County employee Chuck Issacson was killed when his car was pinned between cars.

Mission City Lantern offers up a new name for the lobbyist firm of Saggau and DeRollo, bada bing… And, pokes fun at Watch Dog for a tardy post, thanks for the kind words in spite of the late posting, James.

Protect San Jose’s Beat Cop offers that annoying helicopter hovering over your home should be heard as the swooping of the hawk looking for prey, while keeping you safe from rodents.

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 -- 8.25.09: #5 (plastic) #6 (water)

"Number 5: Divert 100 percent of the waste from our landfill and convert waste to energy." Does that sound familiar to you? It is from the San Jose Green Vision, which was passed unanimously by the City Council. Now, San Jose is moving forward on Number 5 as it inches closer to eliminating its share of the 19,000,000,000 plastic bags floating through your yard, down the creek, or across the street. Councilmember Sam Liccardo takes a bold stance in the face of a (possible) lawsuit from the American Chemistry Council, “We can’t be afraid of what the plastics industry and its lawyers might do.” Predictably, Councilmember Constant takes the other view. This story is getting some wide coverage, including our friends to the north and the Associated Press.

To Number 6...

San Jose resident Gene Kohara is confused, and a little pissed. Kohara questions those funky water misters at City Hall while he’s being asked to cut water usage... in the 3rd year of a drought. San Jose’s public art misters help to cool visitors to the (giant concrete) plaza. Others wonder if trees might do the trick. Number 6 in the Green Vision does say, "Number 6: Recycle or beneficially reuse 100 percent of our wastewater (100 million gallons per day)"...

We missed this from the weekend because you'd need to be a detective to find it on the Merc.'s website... from Internal Affairs: Council candidate Jim Cogan says he wasn’t offended, really, when opponent Pam Foley offered her district needed an “ethical” representative. Perhaps he should have been...

The Merc’s Editorial Board wants to see you at City Hall this week as pension reform is under discussion. (If you have second, check out the first comment on the Merc's website following this Editorial...)

Gilroy Councilmembers are pissed off. Someone is dishing the secret details from behind closed doors. Threats of Grand Jury investigations could be heard from Mayor Al Pinheiro and Councilmember Craig Gartman after tales were told about proposed employee raises. We understand why Pinheiro and Gartman are mad... but are the also politically tone-deaf? Employee raises?

Gilroy Unified Schools transportation supervisor ditched his gig over the weekend. Emil Frates was accused of contract violations and Superintendent Deborah Flores said they’d been trying to “fix” the mess but they continued “to be in turmoil.” Perhaps Mr. Frates learned that City employees in Gilroy were getting raises and scooted across town...

Psychiatrist David Arredondo is calling for “…less blame and more understanding of what's really going on in the culture of these high schools...” as he looks into why teens are killing themselves.

The Merc’s Mr. Roadshow dishes Top Secret details from the California Highway Patrol High Command, smuggled out by daring men on horseback. Not really, but Watch Dog bets today’s dish from the Highway Patrol gets a few readers pissed off about the warning: Put Your Cellphone Down.

Dude, the skate park’s “...not a magnet for bad behavior...” really. The Morgan Hill skate park has had its share of naughtiness, but parents and police hope that’s a thing of the past as bad behavior (seems) to be going away. (Don't tell Los Gatos about this...)

San Jose Councilmember/Insider Pierluigi Oliverio notes he’s meeting with City Planners to help a constituent who didn’t “take responsibility” for figuring out what he could do with land he wanted to buy before he bought it. We thought the folks in Willow Glen were the smartest folks in town...

Speaking of Jim Cogan, or at least we were near the beginning of today's Round-Up... Cogan chimes in on today's Protect San Jose site and tries to be funny, but sneaks in a litte (ok, a lot) of self-promotion.

Morning News Round-Up -- 7.29.09: SaveThePlasticBag.com... (Seriously)

It was a big night for the East Side Union High School District Board of Trustees. They had to show how angry they were at their Superintendent Bob Nunez for his questionable spending. The spending was called into question initially by an audit conducted by the County Office of Education. (Note: The audit was not conducted by either the Board or the District.) But, why didn't the Board know about this in advance? Why weren't they asking questions? No wonder parents are pissed. It turns out the Board did do a good job at acting angry. The Superintendent is now on paid (?) administrative leave until further notice. Watch Dog was drawing attention to this Board for some time. We hate to say we told you so, but but but but...

While this isn't from a local paper, a local insider did direct us to it... A big city police department in a high-profile case released 911 calls. And no, the sky is not falling. Perhaps San Jose could learn a lesson?

The thief who robbed the SLAC National Accelerator Lab was a former employee hoping to reverse "bad karma"... we guess getting caught proved that it didn't work.

The plastic bag war has been settled, for now, in Palo Alto. The City can't implement the bag ban without an environmental review. Incredibly, the group that brought suit against Palo Alto is called SaveThePlasticBag.com. There are somethings worth saving, like baby seals and the rain forest, but who would have thought that a plastic bag would be worth a "save"? I mean, aside from these folks and this guy.

HP employees got an interesting welcome to work yesterday: Greenpeace was protesting at their facility. (Ironically) They are concerned about plastics in HP products. Perhaps Greenpeace should protest SaveThePlasticBag.com headquarters next. Here is a map.

Los Altos is banning former City Councilmembers and former Planning Commissioners from "volunteering" at City Hall. All to combat the perception that these folks have too much influence and power at Los Altos City Hall. Good thing San Jose doesn't do such a thing: What would he, she, she, or she do?

The Gilroy Police Department will be three officers bigger thanks to a US Department of Justice Grant. May we suggest putting them in an anti-gang unit? Because...

...Monday night there was a drive-by shooting in North Gilroy caused damage to cars, but no injuries leading to this headline: Gang-related drive-by jolts soccer players, residents chatting in park.

To blogs:

• Mission City Lantern is still fighting the blogwar (you know the one) -- while San Jose Inside and San Jose Revealed seem to have taken a (well-deserved) break.
• Protect San Jose is still serving its mission to speak for/ defend police officers. Fair enough. But they haven't talked about the DA having to step back from (and put at risk) a prosecution that they handed to her (seemingly) on a silver platter.
• Finally, on a sad note, we learn that frequent commenter "Kathleen" will no longer be commenting on San Jose Inside and San Jose Revealed. We are thankful that she made this announcement on Watch Dog, and hope she will not stay silent on this site.
  

Morning News Round-Up -- 2.24.09: Will the real Andre Charles please stand up...

Recall Update: the Santa Clara County Registrar’s office has received more than 7,100 absentee ballots. Councilmember Madison Nguyen’s Campaign Manager, Melanie Jimenez, is confident these are mostly Nguyen supporters saying, "This is really indicative of what we've been seeing from the beginning. The residents of District 7 do care about this election. Madison has represented all of the district." Nguyen’s opponents are equally confident with spokesman Andre Charles (this Andre Charles or this Andre Charles?) indicating their goal is to bring a non-traditional audience to the polls. Either way, it’s all over Tuesday, March 3 at 8 p.m. Word on the street is that both poll-watching parties will be in Little Saigon...

Speaking of Andre Charles...Presuming it is the latter and not the former Andre Charles -- does that mean the same people are working for and against the recall?

Santa Clara County Water District Director Sig Sanchez has made a career of service with nearly 29 years on the Board. The newest Director was appointed after Director Greg Zlotnick was hired by the District – without any public discussion. Today the Board (finally) considers term limits. Assemblymember Joe Coto is loudly insisting that before he pushes a bill that would allow all to stay on the Board, reforms are required, including: a revolving door policy on employment, travel approved in public, and some transparency – but no term limits. A report released by District Counsel Debra Cauble likely provided some relief – term limits require voter approval, which requires the (unmotivated) Board to place a measure on a ballot. In this disastrous economy it should be easy for the Board to cry fiscal responsibility and avoid an election, preventing a public decision. Largely out of view public agencies are the ones you really must watch (dog) out for...

The Gilroy Dispatch’s Ben Anderson pops off on the (dys)function of the Water District’s Board of Directors – complaining that the three and a half hours he spent at a meeting last week was worse than a root canal, worse even than a fundraiser for under water basket weavers. Anderson’s very funny piece skewers Director Sanchez and those who shower praise upon the Board.

The Santa Clara County Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission will discuss a 25 cent fee on plastic bags Wednesday. Commissioner (Gilroy Councilmember) Cat Tucker says that while she understands the need to reduce waste, the economic disaster will keep her from voting for the fee. The American Chemistry Council must be very proud, lobbyist Manny Diaz is convincing Commissioners not to follow the lead of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Australia, Ireland, Italy, South Africa, Taiwan, and even China banning plastic bags. Most markets in Europe have charged shoppers wanting a bag for decades. (Watch Dog will get back to Manny Diaz anti-environmental crusades sometime this week...)

The Merc’s Editorial Board wants to hear from the two Silicon Valley Republicans hoping to take up residence in the Governor’s tent: How would you have balanced the budget? Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner gave a rehash of Schwarzenegger’s 2003 no-tax pledge at the GOP convention over the weekend. Schwarzenegger has said about anyone thinking the budget can be balanced without raising taxes, "… has not really looked at it carefully to understand this budget or has a math problem and has to get back, as I said, and take Math 101."

Tonight we party for tomorrow we pay penance…Translation: It’s Mardi Gras! Let loose your inhibitions – just not in downtown San Jose. San Jose Police are gearing up for mayhem while hoping that the trend over the past two years for well-behaved reveler’s continues. San Jose Downtown Association Communications Director Rick Jensen said, "I think this negative perception is becoming an unfortunate self-fulfilling prophecy. To us, Mardi Gras is just like every other night of the year, a great place to be in downtown San Jose." Mr. Jensen, meet Chief Davis. Chief Davis, meet Rick Jensen...

Morgan Hill’s City Council is hoping a do-over works out better for them. (With Councilmember Larry Carr conferenced-in and Marby Lee absent) The Council decided Friday at a special meeting to place a re-worded (and previously defeated) Measure H on the ballot in May. Councilmember Greg Sellers said, "It would truly be a huge setback downtown if this measure failed." Sellers left off the last word in that sentence...again...

San Jose Union School District’s Dartmouth Middle School is being honored as one of three California in the “Schools to Watch” program by the (awkwardly named) National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. District Superintendent Jacqueline Horejs says students, "…spend the first months afraid of being pushed into a garbage can at lunch. But the moment students enter Dartmouth, they belong and they are cared for." Horejs credits Dartmouth Principal, Carole Carlson, for creating an atmosphere of curiosity and support. (Watch Dog's middle school years were more garbage can and less belonging...)

The Gilroy School Unified School District is calling: You owe us $6 million. The District wants to mail property owners a corrected tax bill because they just discovered the Measure J tax was left off the last two tax bills -- big oops. County Supervisor Don Gage disagrees and hopes the District will let the County loan them money and then next year taxpayers would receive a tax bill (temporarily) doubling the Measure J tax. Because nothing says I love you like a double-sized tax bill...Still unknown is whether it’s even legal to send an amended tax bill. Trustees Denise Apuzzo and Francisco Dominguez said they were looking forward to hearing details at this week's meeting.

Today, the Mountain View City discusses high speed rail, environmental sustainability, and clean power. No word if Manny Diaz will be advocating burning plastic bags for energy.

The trial of accused San Jose cop-killer DeShawn Campbell got underway Monday, nearly 8 years after his arrest for the death of Officer Jeffery Fontana. On day one, defense attorney Edward Sousa made the dramatic announcement that Campbell’s friend, Rodney McNary, had shot Fontana. Prosecutor Lane Liroff countered with statements from friends of Campbell who said he’d confessed the shooting.

Mountain View’s thriving Castro Street was the scene of a racially motivated attack early Saturday morning. 4 suspects have been arrested for attacking Hindi-speaking visitors. The victims were approached by two women who mocked them and said they did not belong in America, the attackers followed up by punching one of the women. The attackers are suspected of being involved in hate crime shooting that took place earlier. A roving band of bigots...how nice.

Morning News Round-Up -- 2.9.09: A quarter, a dime, and four pennies...

San Jose is gearing up for a contentious battle with downtown nightclub owners. The City wants club owners to help pay for Police services in downtown, at roughly 39 cents/patron. Club owners, unsurprisingly, are complaining the request is “nonsensical” in the words of Dave Powell, owner of three downtown establishments. Councilmember Sam Liccardo believes a compromise is achievable and says, "We'd like to see a model which is more consistent with community Policing as it's understood: an officer walking the street engaging people in a friendly manner."

The Merc’s Editorial Board also weighs in and lets us know that part of the problem is a stubborn Police Chief Rob Davis and says the current proposal doesn’t address the problem – pointing to Austin, Texas as a good model and calling for smaller clubs. You can see the proposed charges to your favorite drinking hole on page 17 here.

Watch Dog will get back to this story, but the City of San Jose is considering a ban on plastic bags. That is mildly interesting. Plastic's lobbyist is wildly interesting. It seems Manny Diaz (finally) saw The Graduate:



The Merc's Internal Affairs has been prowling through local Legislator compliance and fundraising filings… Among the news:

• New Assemblymember Paul Fong has started to campaign for re-election – less than 3 months in office. (Is he scared this guy is going to run against him again?)
  
• Assemblymember Ira Ruskin is running to replace termed out Senator Joe Simitian. (Watch Dog San Mateo has some insights into who wants to replace Ruskin...)
  
• Assemblymember Joe Coto wants termed out Senator Elaine Alquist's seat. (Perhaps this guy can give Coto some (bad) advice...)

Alum Rock Board of Trustees is back in the news…They yanked the golden parachute away from resigned/fired Superintendent Norma Martinez, with an entertaining side effect – the former Super is now Super again. Board President Gustavo Gonzalez said the golden parachute was worth more than a half-million dollars, but facing pissed off teachers and community members the Board decided to reverse themselves. Is this the most disfunctional School District in the City, the State, or the World? Your call...

The Merc’s Editorial Board echoes support for the preservation of regional open space – adding that the smartest green initiative is open land. In a report from the Bay Area Open Space Council, Association of Bay Area Governments, and The Greenbelt Alliance, the recommendation is for parks to be available within 10 minutes of every home in the Valley of Heart’s Delight.

Calling it a “win-win-win” San Jose’s Department of Transportation head Jim Helmer, is excited San Jose is getting rid of the yellow streetlights and replacing them with LED lights that cut energy costs, are easily programmed, and won’t alter colors or confuse drivers. If the Mayor gets the Federal dollars he hopes for the project, it will be completed sooner – if not, look for 2022 as the date when the last of the lights are converted.

Bruce Davis, head of Arts Council Silicon Valley, is happy with the new President and says, "The President is a smart guy. He gets it. …he sees [the arts] as part of the whole economy and the whole cultural aspect of the United States' identity in the world. It's important to him." Although the proposed arts funding is less than one-tenth of 1% of the stimulus package, Lisa Mallette with San Jose’s City Lights Company says “There’s no way to go but up.” With an estimated 700% return for every dollar invested in the arts it sounds like everyone should be buying their own puppies playing poker painting.

On tap around the Valley this week…

• The Board of Supervisors will hear from Acting County Executive Gary Graves on the budget (looks grim) and year-end projections for the general fund (looks grimmer).
• In addition to having someone else pay for Police, the San Jose City Council will look at changing funding to the arts and letting parking scofflaws pay more for the privilege of breaking the rules.
• In Sunnyvale they’re talking about signs.
• Mountain View’s City Council reviews a youth program.
• The Santa Clara Water District will hear from staff about the water supply (looks grim) and what to do if the drought continues (looks grimmer).
• Alum Rock is back in session still talking lawyers – will they hire Trustee Esau Herrera’s old firm?
• The Los Altos School District will review proposed reductions and hear about a parent survey.
• Campbell is talking employee contracts.
• Cupertino’s School District will consider a parcel tax, good luck with that. During the Great Recession?

Apple’s Other Steve (Wozniak) will show off his twinkle toes in this season’s Dancing with the Stars.