Morning News Round-Up -- 6.16.09: "It's in the budget, it's covered, it's allowable..."

As every local government cuts back, sometimes dramatically, some of the Board of Supervisors is spending money like... well, like Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson... This is not a good story for Supervisor Jacobs Gibson. Anytime a quote like this is included in story, it isn't good: "...It's in the budget, it's covered, it's allowable, so I do it. Period..." Just because it is "allowable" doesn't make it a good idea...

The State's grab for local money means our local roads will get worse before they get better. This should come as a surprise to exactly nobody. Perhaps Supervisor Jacobs Gibson has some extra expense account money around?

Here's some wishful thinking. The San Mateo City Council passed its City Budget last night with the assumption that two tax measures on the ballot in November 2009 will pass... oh, the budget also doesn't include the State's next local tax grab.

Palo Alto passed their budget too. The budget wasn't pretty... Neither is their proposed business license tax, but that's moving forward too...

The trial of (alleged) molester/child psychiatrist William Ayres get some ink today. Pre-trial motions are being heard and the Ayres' defense is arguing that books containing images of naked boys that were taken from Ayres' office should not be allowed into evidence... fruit from the poison tree, and all that legal mumbo-jumbo. Remember to visit William Ayres Watch...

We are hopeful there will be a day soon when the La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District won't make the Watch Dog Morning News Round-Up... but it isn't today. They are asking the County Board of Supervisors (and Supervisor Jacobs Gibson) for a $2.5 million loan... like the County's roads, it is going to get worse before it gets better. The money is for construction projects that have been on hold for a while. Also, isn't it Superintendent Tim Beard's last day soon?

Oh, and the La Honda-Pescadero Unified lawsuit (a local attorney is suing the District for misusing bond money) was delayed last Friday...

Bruce at the PP Examiner doesn't waste much time in his piece about Redwood City Mayor Rosanne Foust. His headline: Redwood City Mayor is a NIMBY...