Unbelievably (ha!), Watch Dog was wrong yesterday. Mayor Reed is not (was not) asking for an apology from Councilmember Campos regarding the Independent Police Auditor issue,
he was asking her for an apology on the McEnery lobbyist complaint issue... Thank you
Anonymous...
But the Merc. Editorial Board seems to want to get to the bottom of the Independent Police Auditor issue. They are calling for the
records of the closed session meeting to be released so everyone can find out who knew what when about the IPA's brother.
The Editorial Board also demands for
San Jose to be represented on regional boards like the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Sounds reasonable enough...
And while we are drinking IPA...
San Jose Insider/De-Bug’s Raj Jayadev calls for a slowdown in finding San Jose’s new Independent Police Auditor. Jayadev will no doubt be at today’s Council meeting where the new IPA selection process should prove entertaining.
Swine flu still dominates the news:
Today is also an election day... sort of. Voters in the Cupertino Union and Moreland School Districts need to turn in their mail-in ballots today. Don’t drop it in the mail, take it directly to the Santa Clara County Registrars office.
The Merc reports that as of yesterday roughly 30% of voters had returned the ballot deciding on parcel taxes for schools.
In the world of blogs versus newspapers,
San Jose Revealed takes a shot...
Revealed had some fun with
the “leak” from the Mayor’s office to the Merc. (let’s not forget
the Metro). According to
Revealed the “confidential” letter sent by the Mayor to Councilmember Nora Campos, the City Attorney, and the rest of the City Council made it to the
Merc. at roughly the same time it was given to Campos.
Revealed smacks the Merc., John Woolfolk, and Scott Herhold for neglecting their journalistic duties.
The
Merc’s Mr. Roadshow supports the suggestion to name the 101-280-680 interchange for former San Jose City Councilmember Joe Colla. Colla may be best remembered for plopping an old Chevy on San Jose’s “Monument to Nowhere.” Mr. Roadshow received a letter from Colla’s daughter, Colette Blakely, offering support and Supervisor Dave Cortese, calling Colla the “
pride of the Italian-American community” voices his support as well.
The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce gave Garden City Construction’s Jim Salata the go ahead to restore the sign found during building clean up. The
Merc’s Sal Pizarro reports
no one anticipated the controversy over restoring the “Anglo California National Bank." The Chamber's Chief Anglo, Pat Dando, has been receiving complaints since last weeks unveiling. They didn't see this coming? Really?
It’s up to the County Supervisors now: Support the environment or the American Chemistry Council.
The Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission voted for the environment and recommends the Supervisor’s follow their lead.
Gilroy’s rapist/math teacher Alberto Vicuna pleaded no contest to nine counts of sex crimes with a 14 year old girl from Oak Grove High School. The 32 year old Vicuna listed himself as a 15 year old on his online profile, but when he met the girl told her he was really 28 but had “forgotten” to update his Tagged.com profile.
Deputy District Attorney Ray Mendoza said no other potential victims have come forward, yet.
Gilroy issued a challenge to its unions, compromise or layoffs.
Mayor Al Pinheiro doesn’t want to touch the rainy day fund and is asking City employees to do with smaller paychecks. Union representative Jim Buessing says the City’s cushy reserves make it tough to even consider more layoffs. And by the way Mayor Pinheiro, it is both figuratively and literally a rainy day today...
Palo Alto, beware of the phony grandson. Grandparents in Palo Alto received calls from a man pretending to be a favorite grandson, in desperate need of money. The creep duped more than $11,000 out of this Palo Alto townsfolk. Police Agent Dan Ryan says, "
Anyone who calls you and asks for money right away, it's probably not good..."
Scott Herhold got sentimental for the
herpes ridden Koi at San Jose’s Japanese Friendship Garden. Someone out there, you know who you are, set diseased Koi free in the pond, infecting and killing most of the 265 fish. Park Ranger Penny Lee reports once the international disease hit the West Coast there was no stopping it. Not very friendly...
Facebook is ditching the virtual campus created in downtown Palo Alto for a real one at Stanford Research Park.
To keep its geeks in check, and on campus, employees will get a Caltrain pass and a cafeteria with readily available meals and snacks. Say farewell to seeing your favorite Facebook geek at University Coffee all day long.
Google hired 200 Googlegoats to clear Googleweeds near the Googleplex in Google (Mountain) View. If you missed them this year, you can catch them in action next Googleyear.
staying with farm animals…
The economic crisis could be seen as chickens coming home to roost and it is exactly that for many local families. Sam’s Downtown Feed and Pet Supply partners with the 4-H to sell live chicks and has recently seen a huge increase in the number of families bringing home their own egg layers.
The McCarty family of Willow Glen has 6 chicks and plans to sell eggs to the whole neighborhood. And, if local laws matter to you, you can have up to 6 chickens without a permit.
Cupertino’s City Council
reviews their General Plan update today, in it ways
to accommodate more than 1,000 new homes most of them affordable housing. Which won't be easy... Witness Mountain View...
Mountain View residents freaked out about an affordable housing proposal talked the City Council into studying the affects of 51 affordable units near downtown.
With words like “ghetto,” two residents blamed their recent property decreases on the proposal. Councilmember Tom Means pointed out the global economic crisis might have had a bigger affect. Councilmember Laura Macias said she’s tired of reports that tell her what she already knows and says this will “...confirm what ROEM and I already believe…” this is a nice project that will increase property values. (Councilmember Macia, please take a look at
ROEM's history with unhappy neighbors here...)
A new, and unreasonable, way to deal with High-Speed Rail emerged in Palo Alto yesterday... Palo Alto
Vice Mayor Jack Morton called for the High-Speed Rail Authority to be disbanded and replaced with some other agency, like CalTrain... Really? Perhaps that would have been a stronger argument before the State (and a majority of folks on the Peninsula) voted
FOR High-Speed Rail last November...
There’s no word yet from the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce on the controversial proposal to move the Friday Night Music Series out of West Second Street.
Chamber Executive Director Chris Giusiana is anxiously awaiting the results of the eVote with the event kickoff next month.
