Morning News Round-Up -- 10.24.08

Governor Schwarzenegger and his personal Danny DeVito (aka Steve Westly) were in Palo Alto pushing Prop 11/Redistricting.

The Baywood Theater in downtown San Mateo hasn't been a Longs in 5 years...but it might get a new tenant soon -- good news.

The Measure W fight gets a little (ok, more than a little) nasty. Michelle Durand visits mobile home residents on Redwood City's Bayfront. Accusations fly: the Council is in the pocket of developers, the City Council is misleading voters, and the Mayor is a shill because of her job and her husband (fellow Councilmember Jim Hartnett).

And...as if they knew Michelle's story was going to run...

Mayor Foust responds in an op-ed in the Daily Journal titled "Focus on Unity"...Money quotes:

"Last November when I became mayor, my focus and my theme were about bringing our community together..." "...It is time for me to face reality and accept that there are some people in our community who are interested in only their needs, their ideas and their objectives and damn the rest of us..."

Dennis Lewis, the head of Save the Bay, chimes in calling for a NO on V and YES on W.

Lewis and Foust squared off yesterday on KQED's Forum, which can be listened to here. It is in the second half hour of the show, so go through 30 minutes.

The Daily Journal's endorsements are all on one page here. Those Daily Journal readers in Atherton and MP are going to be pissed about 1A/high speed rail...

The Almanac's comment section is humming about high speed rail. "Not in my backyard...NO, not it MY backyard..."

The plan for Stanford hospitals was unveiled earlier this week. Some folks (NIMBYs) are not happy about it. I'm sure they wouldn't complain when they need to be rushed to a world class hospital...

Palo Alto is going to launch a new website to 'engage' residents. Guess what? Residents don't always like government agencies moderating their comments...this won't work -- that's my prediction.

Woodside High School is celebrating 50 years tomorrow afternoon.

Headline: Three East Palo Alto shootings, one bystander, one day. That says it all.

The San Mateo City Council increases requirements of new developments to include affordable housing.

Cities continue to learn the full hit to their investment funds from the Lehman Brothers fiasco.

Was it a rush to put Q and R on the ballot to tax rental cars and parking lots at the airport more?

Parking rates are going up at BART stations -- including the ones you use...