Morning News Round-Up -- 4.2.10: A's 9/Giants 0 -- Sharks 1/Reed 0

The A's crushed the Giants last night in pre-season action...

Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) have a way of bringing out the lawyer in all of us. That is certainly the case with the EIR the City of San Jose issued about the possible A's stadium downtown. Usually, "comments" come from neighbors, sometimes property owners, sometimes NIMBYs, but when a 39 page "comment" comes from the would-be neighbors at the HP Pavilion (the Sharks), it gets some serious ink in the newspaper... but it isn't the ink that strikes Watch Dog as weird, it is this: Couldn't Mayor Reed head off this embarassing story? He is close to former Mayor McEnery. Not only that, but the City recently funded a huge new scoreboard in the Pavilion... with friends like the Sharks. Apparently the Sharks are forgetting one of the ten commandments: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house..."

You think San Jose is having budget problems... check out Caltrain. They are about to cut weeknight service, weekend service, mid-day service, and beer service... (Just kidding, they don't serve beer, but maybe they should to raise money...)

Guess which city in Santa Clara County has a brewing controversy about height limits on homes... ding, ding, ding... you're correct: Palo Alto...

Just down the street, another controversy is brewing between nurses and Stanford Hospital and it might lead to a strike.

The best/ biggest race happening on the political scene these days is for the Democratic nomination to the 21st Assembly District to replace Ira Ruskin. San Mateo County Supervisor Rich Gordon, Palo Alto City Councilmember Yoriko Kishimoto, and Venture Capitalst Josh Becker are the candidates and they spoke at a Silicon Valley Leadership Group forum this week. The candidates were seemingly trying to out-geek one another... which is hard in that race if you have ever seen the three candidates.

More locally, the Metro goes in depth about the District 5 City Council race to replace Nora Campos, and describes the Rise of Carrasco...

This will go over big in rural parts of the State: property owners in Gilroy got a notice from the High-Speed Rail Authority that surveyors would like to enter their property to scope things out. Expect right wing Tea (Bag) Party types to start an anti-train militia...

Morning News Round-Up -- 9.3.09: Mr. Pegram goes to Washington?

Most Gilroy schools are celebrating. California High School Exit Examination results were posted. Gilroy winners include Gilroy High with 81% and 80% of students passing Math and English respectively. At the bottom of the barrel the beleaguered MACSA-managed El Portal with less than 45% of students passing math and English. Ouch. Maybe if the folks running the schools paid the teachers instead of embezzling, test scores would go up...

Porn king Larry Pegram has a new adventure in store for unsuspecting voters. On top of recent announcements that he is recruiting people to look over your shoulder at libraries as well as collecting money for a ballot measure to overturn San Jose City Council’s decision to keep San Jose out of the Big Brother role at libraries, Pegram’s longing for a Congressional gig came out at the ChamberPAC's annual picnic. (carpetbagger)/ Congressional wannabe Pegram told the Metro’s Fly he’s ready to move to Tracy. Watch out, Congressman Jerry McNerney, the porn king is on your trail.

If Second Harvest Food Bank didn’t know the power of social media 3 weeks ago, they do now. Carolee Hazard asked her Facebook friends what do to with an extra $93. More than $10,000 and 10 countries later, Second Harvest celebrates the $93 Dollar Club.

The Merc’s Mr. Roadshow (a.k.a. Gary Richards) is looking out for everyone, including Mountain View City Councilmember Laura Macias. Worried about hitting California’s “craziest” traffic after a holiday in Tahoe, Macias wants to know if she should hit the road before dawn or after sunset Monday?

Silicon Valley Leadership Group revealed plans to honor former San Jose Mayors Susan Hammer and Tom McEnery to the Merc’s Sal Pizarro. Also on tap, a look at gubernatorial wannabe’s in separated conversations. The only candidate not showing up, Meg Whitman. That should be awkward for the folks sitting in the eBay seats...

The Merc’s Editorial Board has a message for the City of San Jose – get serious about trails. The Board suggests a missing trail between the Los Gatos Creek and Guadalupe River is the same as leaving out sections of Highway 101.

The City of San Jose got a little love (not the kind of love that makes Larry Pegram blush, however) from the Civil Grand Jury according to San Jose Inside. The sucking sound was dollars disappearing in the links at Los Lagos and Rancho del Pueblo golf courses...

The San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce got props during a recent Los Altos City Council meeting. Under discussion, should the Los Altos Chamber model itself like San Jose’s Chamber. Councilmember David Casas thinks so saying the “clear line” between business and politics would make it easier for Los Altos to hand money to the Chamber. If only San Jose Revealed was still up to comment on this story...

Los Altos residents on Blue Oak Lane want to ditch their septic tanks, but cost and giant holes have some worried. Elementary school teacher Mildred McColloch is pissed about the $40,000 (+) price tag saying “I’m basically being booted out…" And that just stinks...

Business owners and planners in Los Altos are at odds over strengthening downtown. The economic downturn hurts business owners who believe that revitalization is great but the real pain is now.

Those pesky (toxic) Perchlorate chemicals found in wells around Silicon Valley are disappearing. Of course, if the drought disappears those Perchlorates could continue their journey.

Morgan Hill City employees will breathe a sigh of relief: the City Council decided no mid-year layoffs. Mayor Steve Tate and Councilmember Larry Carr have their fingers crossed the unions will give up raises to help out.

Monring News Round-Up -- 5.27.09: Post Supreme (Courts) Edition...

The day after Supreme (Courts) Tuesday (Prop 8 upheld/Sotomayor)... Watch Dog stays local...

Following the firefighters lead, Palo Alto Police Officers have given themselves a pay freeze, saving Palo Alto $800,000. Vice Mayor Jack Morton, last month calling police and firefighters “extremely wealthy and overpaid,” tried to make amends by saying he’d never doubted the police would “step up.”

Which goes hand-in-hand with this story...

San Jose Councilmembers Sam Liccardo and Pete Constant asked their colleagues to take a pay cut and ditch the $600/month (?) car allowance as the Council asks everyone else to take a hit too. Councilmember Nora Campos wants to see double-dipper (disability/salary) Pete Constant take a bigger cut saying “anything less would be hypocritical.” Ouch. To check San Jose City employee salaries, check this out.

The Envision San Jose 2040 Task Force sent a hands off message to developers eagerly anticipating development in Coyote Valley. Task Force Co-Chair/Councilmember Sam Liccardo said the next Task Force could revisit the need for build out, but for now, there was “no surge of need.”

Two “plucky” San Jose teens have been awarded Horatio Alger California State Scholarships. A big Watch Dog bark-out to Vicky D. Nguyen of Lincoln High and Abel Lujan of Independence High, both in San Jose for making the grade. Perhaps they can put their brains toward solving the State's budget mess?

Deputy District Attorney James Leonard was on fire during closing arguments in the trial of Todd Burpee for the vicious attack on a young Jane Doe. Leonard used fetishist images from Burpee’s computer along with DNA and other circumstantial evidence to lay the foundation for conviction – he hopes.

The Merc’s business writer, Chris O’Brien, takes the Craigslist killer tragedy and turns it into a discussion about the world’s oldest profession. This should make San Jose Revealed happy... or not.

Speaking of the world's oldest profession...

Morgan Hill’s City Council is poised for a temporary moratorium on massage parlors while they figure out the impact of a new State law. Police Chief Bruce Cumming reports two local parlors are alleged to provide sex acts. The City also shut one down last year.

Someone screwed up at a Gilroy Girl Scouts' e-waste collection this past weekend. Perhaps they were high... you see, when the dropped off a microwave they forgot to take their pot out. It is not true that the Gilroy Girl Scouts will be selling pot brownies next cookie season...

Mountain View’s City Council was pissed to learn they were being asked to cough up more dollars than any other Silicon Valley city for the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County. In the end, Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga abstained, Councilmembers Jac Siegel and Laura Macias voted no, and the Trust walked out with half the expected dollars.

Guerilla/Gorilla Artist Harry P. Rymate met up with the Merc’s Patty Fisher in the back yard of a suburban tract home, far from New York’s avant garde SoHo district. Geography aside, the mysterious artist sprinkles his creations around San Jose’s Coyote Valley for viewing before art lover/thieves take the work home.

Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino and wife, Leslee, went about adopting a new baby with a Silicon Valley twist. The Merc’s Sal Pizarro covers the techie search for baby Sienna while sharing the news that NBC11’s Brent Cannon and Laura Garcia-Cannon along with 1stAct Silicon Valley’s Tamara Alvarado and Julian Peeples also brought new babies to Silicon Valley. In a whole family theme, Pizarro rounds out the story with news KPIX-TV’s Len Ramierez was awarded the Ruben Salazar Journalism Award.

Silicon Valley Newsroom/San Jose Inside follows the story of San Jose police shooting Daniel Pham with police not releasing the 911 recording. More interesting, and scary, are the comments decrying the Merc and Metro for creating controversy. Creating controversy? Really?

San Jose Revealed weighs in on a multitude of issues… but most interesting they pick a new nickname for Councilmember Pete Constant...

Morning News Round-Up -- 4.14.09: Blogs (and porn) First Edition...

Blog-related stuff first today:

• San Jose Revealed lets loose with poetic allegory while blogging about San Jose Councilmember Pete Constant’s “porn filter fetish.” Revealed confesses to possible naiveté in thinking the fear over reason crusaders had been spanked soundly last year. While questioning Mayor Reed’s political savvy on the matter, Revealed rolls out the cynical theory that Reed is simply looking for a re-election sound bite. And in case you missed it, we tracked down Councilmember Constant and his BFF Larry Pegram's whereabouts...
• San Jose Insider/Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio engages in a little political-blogger-suck-up and writes about his Breakfast with the Chamber. Unfortunately, we also learn a little about PO's sleeping habits...
• After only 6 years in office, Gilroy's anti-blog Mayor Al Pinheiro is hosting his first “Coffee with the Mayor.” Pissed off residents blogging on the Gilroy Dispatch got the Mayor’s attention. “I will never answer on those blogs or get in there and get started in some pissing contest… Anyone who wants answers can come get a hold of me,” said the Mayor. Pinheiro is relying on charm to sooth the angry blogger.
  

And now the desperate economic news:

• Palo Alto leaders see their fair city as the center of the Valley’s ultra-high-speed fiber internet mecca and is seeking federal stimulus bucks to make it happen – never mind those funds are targeted for the technologically impoverished. Councilmember Larry Klein said “it’s a 21st century technology. There are other places in the world that are doing this, and some of them do compete with us.” Oh yeah, and in February the Palo Alto City Council basically threw in the towel on this plan...
• Once fueled by double macchiato bolstered techies, Silicon Valley is hit hard by the economy. According to a Merc. analysis of new data from those folks at the Employment Development Office, tech accounted for 21% of lost jobs for the first part of the year. Why do you think we blog?...
• Furlough and layoff are the new buzzwords in Silicon Valley and it’s creating huge demand for services at local non-profits. Nancy Tivol, with Sunnyvale Community Services, gets the same questions from reports all the time, “Are you seeing the middle-class line up for bags of food?”
• Speaking of furloughs...San Jose’s annual downtown Fourth of July fireworks has been furloughed – to use the current vernacular. Fireworks organizer Fil Maresca said it was a business decision, costs for City services had increased ten-fold over the decade of operations, driving Maresca to douse the fire.
• The Merc’s Editorial Board uses a word Watch Dog has waited a lifetime to see grace the editorial pages “duh.” The big duh in this case is sick leave as retirement benefits in San Jose.
• Mountain View homes maintained a median price of just over $1 million but, according to the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors, no one is buying.
  

I guess with the previous stories, this is no big surprise: Silicon Valley's CEOs also see a grim outlook moving forward. When asked by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group what could be done, only 20% would support corporate taxes. They were more generous for cuts - over 90% thought there were too many State government employees, prisons could be cut as well as welfare and human services. The Merc’s Editorial Board chimes in on the survey as well. Carl can work it...

And the rest of the news:

Supervisor Don Gage hopes regionalizing County fire services will improve services in South County and save money. With three different agencies serving South County today he’s hopeful others will share his vision.

The Valley Transit Authority is moving ahead with plans to let the few of you who still have disposable dollars ride solo in the HOV lanes. Adjusting fees according to drivers tolerance for pain, the VTA hopes to keep traffic moving.

San Jose’s Oak Grove School District promoted Assistant Superintendent Tony Garcia to replace outgoing Manny Barbara. It is unclear if Manny Barbara will go back to his former job as an animator...(I know the spelling is off...work with me people!)

Faber’s Cyclery is the subject of the Merc’s Joe Rodriguez passion this week. A San Jose cyclery since 1921, owner Alex LaRievere dreams of turning it into the cycle museum San Jose has been waiting for, one with beer. Adding to the allure, before it was a cyclery haven it was a blacksmith, stage coach stop, and saloon (complete with brothel). If you have the deep pockets, LaRievere is looking for give him a call (408) 294-1314. Perhaps if he brought back the brothel, folks would give money...

Morning News Round-Up – 12.10.08: 20 years, 18 months, 5 hours...

20 years of waiting + 18 months of study + 5 hours of debate = a major push forward toward more affordable housing in San Jose...not to mention a win San Jose Councilmember Sam Liccardo. Inclusionary zoning comes to San Jose, beyond Redevelopment areas, that is. Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s Shiloh Ballard told the City Council that employers have listed a lack of affordable housing as a serious problem in recruitment. Tax Assessor Larry Stone helped to bring inclusionary zoning to Sunnyvale and says, “It works and it’s been working for years.” The Ballard/Stone attack put the issue over the edge...that and 9 votes...

The “Peralta Action Plan” a.k.a. McEnery's Plan sailed through the San Jose City Council on Tuesday with Councilmembers trying to separate the business decision from concerns over (alleged) violations of the City’s Sunshine guidelines. Outgoing (soon to be Supervisor) Vice Mayor Dave Cortese says of the McEnery family, "As business people, they have been good neighbors and friends for three generations. We owe them enough trust on this deal to keep it moving forward." Mayor Reed, feeling a little snippy at the criticism, complained other downtown projects have not received the scrutiny of San Jose’s “Pike Place Market.” The Merc’s Scott Herhold summed it up best saying that while aspects of the “Peralta Action Plan” were about business, in the end it was all about Tom McEnery and the decision was personal.

Meanwhile on San Jose Inside Tom McEnery says the decline in San Jose’s safety rating means little and the objective is to build the city – an oblique reference to his success?

The County Board of Supervisors wants to join the Campos/Reed Drunk Task Force to study the San Jose problem. Lioness (Supervisor) Blanca Alvarado roared at San Jose Police for, "attempting to regain its status as the safest city at the expense of our people. If the police department is arresting people without proof of inebriation — if for no other reason than justice — we ought to stand up." Will Shirakawa be able to fill Alvarado's shoes...not literally, of course.

Assemblymember Paul “see the light” Fong’s seat on the Foothill-De Anza Community College Board has been given to Pearl Cheng, President of the Cupertino School board. Cheng needs to update her website as she’s now got “More Pearl News.”

Mission City Lantern opened with “This is a cranky blog, no question…” Rowen then launched salvos at one of his favorite targets, Santa Clara Councilmember Jamie McLeod. Thanks to Santa Clara’s efficiency you can judge for yourself here, the discussion begins about 4 minutes in. Councilmember Dominic Caserta recused himself and stepped off the dais, if Santa Clara retained old videos or keep specific votes this wouldn’t have been an issue in the first place. On the upside, Rowen gave a nod to Watch Dog yesterday calling the Dog’s writing crisp.

San Jose State Journalism professors Michael Cheers and Bob Rucker hope to lead a team of multi-media savvy students on the road trip of a lifetime. They plan to explore the historic locations of the civil rights movement on their way to be part of the Obama inauguration. They need your help to make it so, contact Amy Freitag at (408) 924-3241.

Sal Pizzaro reports Tesla CEO Elon Musk had a little Oprah magic going on when he handed the keys to the 100th roadster to Oprah’s election night “shoulder to cry on” Sam Perry. Perry had been on the list for years but his recent publicity is likely the reason his car showed up.

Judge Steve Sanders dismissed DUI charges for Hollister police sergeant James Egan when it was revealed Egan had called the accident in himself and was at a hospital with a medication filled drip line in his arm. Defense attorney Greg LaForge called the attempt to figure out the blood alcohol level at the time of the accident “Voodoo science.”

Threats from a highly invasive mussel has local water officials ordering boat inspections. The quagga has shut down fishing lakes, wreaked havoc on water supplies, and caused millions of dollars of harm throughout the state. Water District Director Rosemary Kamei says of the inspections, “This is something we’re going to have to live with a very long time.” Not a boating friend, District Director Joe Judge would like to see a complete boat ban. Before you ban that boat, Watch Dog suggests a call to Brenna Callero for her “Quagga Goo.”