Morning News Round-Up -- 5.6.10: Too...Many...Margaritas...

Here's something that has been in the news for as long as Watch Dog has been in San Mateo... the Sequoia Union High School District and the Everest Public High School (charter school) settled their long-standing legal dispute about Everest's facilities... Everyone seems to be turning over a new leaf, as the current Superintendent (Pat Gemma) packs finishes packing his bags.

Speaking of long-standing pissing matches... the new owners of the former Page Mill Properties apartment buildings (Wells Fargo) will be reducing rents in their units.

This will send shock-waves up and down Silicon Valley. Menlo Park is imposing a two-tier pension system for its municipal employees. The beginning of a trend, or the shot heard round the union world?

The Daily Journal gives a run-down of the Supervisors race to replace Rich Gordon... Don Horsley - whose name you probably recognize, April Vargas - a coastside Democrat, Matt Grocott - the always fun to read about San Carlos City Councilmember, Jack Hickey - everyones favorite Libertarian, and Michael Stogner - a car salesman. "A Sheriff, a Democrat, a City Councilmember, a Libertarian, and a car salesman walk into a bar..."

Guess what Steve Poizner's internal polls say? That he's catching up. Guess what Sarah Palin's polls said about her? That she was qualified... it doesn't make it so Steve, it doesn't make it so...

In other political news (about people way behind in the polls), Yoriko Kishimoto gets a write up in the Palo Alto Weekly/Almanac. She is running for State Assembly for Ira Ruskin's seat against Josh Becker and Rich Gordon.

The Tweet that launched a thousand comments... San Carlos City Councilmember Omar Ahmad should probably keep his Tweets to himself during the actual City Council meetings, instead of making comments about who is in the crowd and who isn't...

Stanford Hospital and nurses still aren't getting along nicely. The hospitals just rejected a proposal from the nurses... who previously had rejected the "last, best, and final" offer from the hospital.

Finally, Tom Campbell's campaign has released an online campaign video (and taken their gloves off) that you absolutely have to see. Seriously. It makes the weird sheep thing Carly Fiorina's campaign put out a while ago seem mild. Take a gander... love the head-bob...

Morning News Round-Up -- 4.22.10: District elections?

Mike Nevin (and a bunch of other folks) are defending the status quo when it comes to the County voting for Supervisors at-large... Bruce Balshone at PP Examiner, not so much...

The COWs of Woodside have a view on this too... And the actual Charter Review Committee voted to let voters decide about district elections for Supervisors... get ready for some fireworks...

Speaking of Supervisors (to be?)... April Vargas picks up another endorsement from the Sierra Club...

The Coroner's race heats up... Watch Dog feels weird that we live in a County where the coroner is elected...

San Carlos versus High-Speed Rail... maybe.

It is not a maybe for the San Mateo Union High School District. They do not want an above-ground train near Burlingame High School. Of course, they would probably like an underground 101 as well... but that ship has sailed.

The City of Half Moon Bay will have few staff members soon... that's because the City Council approved layoffs, furloughs, and cuts, oh my...

Atherton joins lots and lots and lots of people (including Menlo Park) in opposing the Cargill Saltworks development... But it hasn't yet been posted on the Town of Atherton blog... yet...

Watch Dog loves the title of this post by Coastsider: Avoid disturbing seabirds during breeding season... Does that mean avoid the nasty birds during your season of love-making? Or, does that mean that you should avoid disturbing the seabirds during their own breeding season...

Morning News Round-Up -- 4.19.10: All... weekend... long...

Here's something: Retirement benefits for County of San Mateo retirees (well, managers and attorneys) are being tweaked to help manage the budget deficit... the start of a trend?

It is Monday and Monday is Sue Lempert's day in the Daily Journal. She writes about the Supervisorial seats being elected Countywide and thinks that the status quo is ok... agreeing with former Supervisor Mike Nevin. They both argue that having to run Countywide means more experienced folks get elected... of course, that's all well and good if you think the folks with the most experience are doing a good job...

While we're on it: April Vargas got the County's Democratic Central Committee endorsement for Supervisor. That should be a nice boost for the Coastside Democrat...

There is a new Assistant City Manager in San Mateo... first assignment, playing diplomat between David Lim and Burlingame... just kidding. Good luck kid...

Speaking of David Lim, San Mateo, Burlingame, and the merger of the two police departments... this should give you an idea about how things are proceeding. Here's a quote from Councilmember Lim in Sunday's County Times about the merger: "...It was kind of embarrassing... People would ask me, 'You're our council member, how is this going to work?' And I would shrug my shoulders and say, 'What you read in the newspapers is about what I know.'" That's reassuring...

While we are in San Mateo, Jon Mays might want to head to a meeting tonight to discuss a possible downtown improvement district that would fund downtown San Mateo parking and beautification projects...

Downtown San Carlos has its own issues (?)... too many restaurants? Really? Isn't that what a downtown is supposed to be like?

Dude. 420 in Daly City... all... weekend... long...

Did you know that Dr. Phil is helping State Senator Leland Yee get a bill passed in Sacramento... No word if Oprah or Gail will chime in...