Morning News Round-Up -- 4.7.09: Dude? Dude. Dude! Gold teeth...

This is a pretty short story, but it is potentially big news: Belmont is reconsidering its sewage rate hike. The City Council will recommend that they delay implementing their new sewage fee hike for two years. This means that the protest of residents and businesses was successful. One question, how does Belmont think their residents are going to react to increased garbage rates as part of the ongoing Garbage Saga? Or a bigger question, how does Belmont think residents are going to react if the City decides to take over the electric utility in town? Councilmember Dickenson, don't you think this all means increased costs to residents?

There was a bomb scare at the San Mateo Planned Parenthood clinic yesterday. The bomb squad "neutralized" the package -- but they don't think it was actually a bomb.

Another day another High-Speed Rail idea. This time, the City of San Mateo is pushing for a tunnel. Perhaps they should have one of their (unemployed) tech-savvy neighbors put together a video rendering to make their case, like this...

Another day another School District looking at cutting staff to save costs. This time, the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District is looking to cut $7 million from its budget over the next two years (50 employees)...

Speaking of School Districts in trouble...The La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District Superintendent is leaving town on the heals of (alleged) mismanagement of bond money. It is a good thing too -- because a dude from Pescadero if filing a lawsuit against the District claiming mismanagement of bond money...

On the positive side for schools, Federal stimulus could be injected starting next month...

(In a campaign-timed public meeting) Last night, Burlingame explained what it would mean to their City budget if their May 5th ballot measure does not pass. Ballots are going out today...Good timing...

Tempers flared in the usually mellow Palo Alto City Council chambers yesterday. Vice Mayor Jack Morton accused the Fire Department of "giving the City the finger" because it was refusing to figure out where to cut its own budget. This caused people to go ballistic, including Councilmember Larry Klein, who wants to keep Palo Alto mellow. Klein called Morton's choice words, "unprofessional and intemperate"...the gloves are coming off as the economic reality sets in.

Now we know why the Daily Journal's Michelle Durand is threatening to leave California...because she wants to become a "grill artist"...If you don't know what that means and you want to laugh, take a look.

John Horgan seems angry today. He bashes Pacifica for being a haven of no-growth activists (et tu Riptide?) and goes on to bash Willie Brown for his piece in Sunday's Chronicle equating Mayor Ron Dellums not speaking at the funeral of four fallen officers to Brown's not being able to march in a St. Patrick's Day Parade...

The Grand Jury came out with a report yesterday blasting the City of Atherton for trying to dictate what happens at Menlo-Atherton High School's fields. Here is the full Grand Jury report, but Watch Dog thinks this might have an impact on the Town Council's balance of power. Several of the Town Council come from the politically powerful, but anti-MA, Lindenwood Neighborhood, which this Grand Jury report firmly slaps.

Dude 1: "Dude...the San Mateo City Council just passed a pot ordinace.."
Dude 2: "Dude?"
Dude 1: "Dude."
Dude 1 and 2: "Dude..."

In an Editorial that the Sequoia Union High School District will not like, the Mercury News chimes in on the explosion of Charter School applications in Silicon Valley...