Thursday, June 25, 2009

Morning News Round-Up -- 6.25.09: The Civil Grand Jury Strikes Again...

NOTE: Yesterday's Round-Up got caught in the outbox... check it out for yesterday's Round-Up. Apologies...
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The San Mateo Civil Grand Jury gets off another shot at a local agency. This time, their object of affection was one that Watch Dog covered long ago... with the same contempt. The appointment of Unelected Supervisor Carole Groom. The report goes into extensive detail and comes out with the same point of view that Watch Dog had way back when in December. Could it be that Watch Dog is influencing the Civil Grand Jury?

(One question remains... where is the Garbage Saga Civil Grand Jury Report?)

The Civil Grand Jury Report notwithstanding, the Supervisors approved their (two-year) $1.76 billion budget yesterday. Watch Dog spies tell us that the Civil Grand Jury Anti-Appointment Report gossip was swirling in the room...

The County's budget is certainly taking big hits, so is Belmont's. That's why they are seriously considering taxing hotel visitors to Belmont more. When all else fails, tax those that don't vote for you...

As if public employee pension funds (especially in the City of San Jose) don't have enough problems, a Pension Trustee in San Jose was arrested in San Mateo following a domestic violence call... Patrick G. Skillsky then proceeded to attack the police that were called to the scene. Perhaps he was just really, really upset about all the market losses he didn't see coming... Ironically, the City of San Jose is considering having professionals oversee the Pension Funds rather than appointed, untrained folks. No time like the present...

In other local crime news...

Dr. Ayres' molestation trial continues... William Ayres Watch has the play-by-play... and laments the lack of coverage the trial is receiving. (Not from us...)

The fancy shmancy Olympic (golf) Club in Daly City was found liable for ($10 million) flood damage to the surrounding neighborhood. The Club Chief Groundskeeper did not say, "Heck, we thought the 18 holes were enough drainage to take care of all the rain..."

Menlo Park spends more time studying problems with consultants than fixing problems with solutions... or at least that's how some vocal folks feel...

Even political discontent can't stop Atherton from dipping into reserves to fix their budget gap... Watch Dog is a bit surprised the budget discussion was even put on the agenda, given the recent disagreements in Atherton...

Michelle Durand's Off the Beat in today's Daily Journal goes into the "Way Back Machine" to the beginning of the Burlingame Safeway discussion... May 1, 2003.

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