New Round-Up 12.16.08: Watch Dog seeks highly-trained, unemployed Nobel Laureate...

Berkeley (National Labs) gets its own seat on the Cabinet...sort of. (Stanford is taking credit for Steven Chu as well.) I guess this means that the post at Berkeley National Labs will be up as well...are there any unemployed Nobel Laureates out there?

San Francisco Magazine takes a look at Mayor Dellum's tenure. Some folks feel strongly that he hasn't done anything -- some of his more hard-core supporters feel like he is getting a bad rap...either way, is Oakland a better/safer place today to live/work/visit than it was when he took office? Watch Dog readers probably have a view...

Berkeley Police Department finds itself in a funny position. They got a grant to combat drunk driving...and since they got they grant, arrests for drunk driving have gone up. Does this mean that the grant worked or didn't work? Watch Dog can't tell...

How are we going to Watch Dog Sacramento without access to important stuff? Thanks to an East Bay group, MapLight.org, we may be getting closer.

In what may be considered one of the biggest screw ups the Oakland Police Department has ever been a part of...the Oakland Police Department delayed a raid on Your Black Muslim Bakery by 48 hours to accommodate two senior SWAT team commanders' vacations. And, you guessed it, Chauncey Bailey was killed during this delay, presumably/obviously, by folks involved in Your Black Muslim Bakery that would have been raided.

Contra Costa becomes the first County in the Bay Area to vote against joining the lawsuit against Prop. 8. Watch Dog wants to know who is giving political advice to the Board of Supervisors...55% of voters voted NO on Prop. 8 in Contra Costa County...

Watch Dog stands corrected...

Last week, Watch Dogs around the Bay Area ran a piece about State Senator Simitian's "There Oughta Be a Law" contest and how Legislators in the North Bay, East Bay, and throughout California have ripped the good Senator off.

Well, Watch Dog stands corrected...

Debra Gravert, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Jared Huffman, who was accused by Watch Dog of stealing the idea from Simitian, responded to Watch Dog to set us straight. Here is her response -- unedited and reprinted with permission....

FYI – Actually, former-Assemblymember Richard Floyd started the “There Oughta Be a Law….or Not” Contest back in the early 90’s when I worked for him and I have brought the idea with me to every boss I’ve worked for since.

Thank you Debra for reading Watch Dog and setting us straight. Watch Dog still has concerns about the spelling of "oughta" however...

This Week Around Watch Dogs...

An eventful week on Bay Area Watch Dogs -- San Mateo, Silicon Valley, East Bay, North Bay.

• Watch Dog unearthed the fact that Legislators around the Bay rip off San Mateo/Santa Clara County State Senator Joe Simitian...and we believe there oughta be a law against ripping him off that bad...
• A school district in Marin debates naming a school after President-elect Barack Obama -- as opposed to using the current name Dr. Martin Luther King Academy. (Un)Surprisingly, there are some folks that aren't that psyched about the possible name change.
• The Tesla Chronicles continue as Tesla gets nothing (so far) from the Big Three bailout. Apparently Tesla's 100 cars that have rolled off the lot don't qualify as "big." Watch Dog Silicon Valley predicts Tesla will not make it to their San Jose plant set to open in 2010...make that 2011...or never...
  
• Not to seem self important, but Watch Dog San Mateo called out Palo Alto Weekly Editor Jay Thorwaldson for his blog...or lack thereof. You see, Mr. Thorwaldson has a blog, but has only posted 8 times in 2 years. That's why Watch Dog San Mateo asked if this was a real blog or an afterthought for the Editor. Watch Dog predicted that after the public shaming, Thorwaldson would post within in a week...well, it took less than 24 hours for Thorwaldson to post. Watch Dog success...
• The garbage saga continued in San Mateo County, and this time it may be serious. The Civil Grand Jury is taking a look at one of Watch Dog's favorite topics in San Mateo...trash..
• Watch Dog Silicon Valley uncovered the (blogo)sphere of influence between a local blog, San Jose Revealed, and San Jose City Councilmember Nora Campos. The blog recommended a strategy at the beginning of the day that Campos implemented at the end of the day. Watch Dog was there to point it out...

Thanks for visiting your local Watch Dog -- and come back again next week...

News Round-Up 12.11.08: An East Bay Cabinet Secretary but (perhaps) no baseball team...

First a Nobel Prize, then a seat on Obama's cabinet. Steven Chu will leave the Berkeley National Lab and head to 1000 Independence Avenue, D.C.

Fremont Site A, Fremont Site B, or San Jose? Are the Oakland A's that fickle or that brilliant...are they playing each area off one another in order to cut a deal and make a killing. (All the while fielding a team that is good, but not great.) The Merc. has the San Jose perspective, including some funny quotes from San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed that show that he isn't such a baseball fan...

• ...regarding A's owner Lew Wolff, Reed said, "I won't be calling...He's got my phone number."
• ...if the A's want to come, Reed said, "He'll (Wolff) have to bring his checkbook..."

That's some welcome mat Mayor Reed...unlike Mayor Reed, Fremont Mayor Bob Wasserman does want the A's. He is going to meet with Catellus, who like the A's even less than Chuck Reed. They are concerned about traffic and they own a key piece of land for the Site A location off of 880. The folks around the being-built BART station at Warm Springs are also concerned about traffic. This is all to be continued and Watch Dog will be there (whether 'there' is Fremont, Fremont, or San Jose...)

In the least surprising news of the week, Senator Perata has found himself in the middle of some controversy. Perata is a major fundraiser -- his position in Sacramento didn't hurt in this respect. But the latest controversy involves Perata shifting/laundering $1.5 million from one of his Political Action Committees to his legal defense fund...which he will no doubt need...

There are some goings on in local higher-ed circles...

• Chabot College has plans to open a Union City Campus.
• Cal State East Bay continues with its master plan, which Sherman Lewis of the Hayward Planning Association called, "...inadequate on transportation."
• Berkeley and Cal are paying hefty legal bills for the tree-sitting law suits.

There are two items to add the "Only in Berkeley" file in the same story today. Item 1: The City Council support prosecution of former White House Counsel John Yoo, a recommendation that came from Berkeley's Peace and Justice Commission. Which leads to Item 2: Berkeley has a Peace and Justice Commission.

Morning (late afternoon) News Round-Up – 12.04.08: Vallejo can't catch a break...or a movie...

And in the least surprising news of this week...the generous/egregious severance packages are getting a closer look at UC. That seems like a good idea, unless you want a full-fledged revolt on your hand.

A major Oakland development is coming to a halt. The City Walk development has stopped, half-finished -- which is the latest chapter in the storied/crappy history of the downtown development. In the most obvious quote of the day, the guy in charge of the project, Tony Bosowski, who is the Regional VP of the Olson Company, "It's not a good time to be in the business."

Neither the government nor businesses in Vallejo can catch a break. First the Vallejo City Government faces bankruptcy, and now the Empress Theatre (which was revamped to much fanfare) looks like it may be seeing its last days...All the energy that went into the facelift should have been put into getting people to actually catch a movie there.

The A's are rethinking their plans to move...but don't get too excited Oakland, they just want to move closer to BART in Fremont -- maybe. This is still good for Fremont and probably great for BART, but maybe bad news for Cisco Systems, the owners of the previous, proposed baseball site -- Cisco Systems.

The Oro Loma Sanitary District Board members just gave themselves a raise. This is generally something that Watch Dog gets all iritated over...but...it was onlly 4 percent, which will equal about 10 bucks a meeting -- meaning that they will get $260/meeting as opposed $250/meeting. Watch Dog will keep eyes on the District's rates...don't worry. By the way, click through to their website and see if you can resist running to the bathroom from the sound...

Morning (or late afternoon) News Round-Up – 12.03.08: No Beer Edition...

A murderer from the lamely-named Nut Case Gang was sentenced life in prison by an Alameda County Superior Court Judge. Perhaps he'll join a cooler gang in prison, like this one or this one.

Money troubles continue to mount at Cal. Perhaps international students and out of state students can help?

Neiman-Marcus stirs some nefarious activity in Walnut Creek – robocalls, mailers, and lawsuits, oh my! Let the NIMBY-ism continue...

Former State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez’s son was arrested for allegedly murdering a young man from Concord. Nunez apparently still has a (well-known) spokesperson Steve Maviglio, who said about Fabian that, "He's home with his family and has no comment.” Really Steve, “no comment”? Did you miss Press Relations 101?

No more alcohol at parks in San Leandro? That’s what the City Council there is discussing…unless, obviously, it is for a City-sponsored event. What will Watch Dog do for the annual keg party?

The San Leandro Council will also look into a plan to dredge the San Leandro Marina. Perhaps the Council could have a beer-party in the park after the channel is complete…

Measure B (BART to Silicon Valley) drama coming to an end? The legal eagle update...

Election drama and nail biting appeared to be over when Measure B passed mid-November.

(Measure B was a tax measure to continue funding the BART extension to downtown San Jose.)

Not so fast, cried Measure B opponents last week as they filed a last minute lawsuit to delay certification and force a recount. As Watch Dog readers know, only yesterday a judge in San Jose sent them packing when it turned out the lawsuit was filed in the wrong county.

Fast-forward to today.

In a gloomy San Francisco morning in San Francisco Superior Court where arguments were heard by Judge Peter Busch for a temporary restraining order to prevent certification of election results.

Slight problem - the Registrar is good at PR and law. The Registrar this morning dropped the certified results in the mail this morning before going to court.

(No surprise) Judge Busch denied the restraining order as results had already been certified.

Is this the end of the drama? Only time will tell.

David Schonbrunn of TransDef.org, the chief opponents of Measure B, says "No one knows how the voters of Santa Clara County really voted on this." Well, the Judge, the Registrar, Carl Guardino, and more than 2/3 of the voters know how the County voted on this...the only people that don't seem to get it are the TransDef.org folks...

The Registrar graciuosly pointed out TransDef could request a recount -- at TransDef.org's cost -- for an estimated $400,000. Does T.J. Rogers have that kind of money to put behind a recount?

Stay tuned as the drama continues to unfold.

Morning News Round-Up -- 12.02.08: The election isn't over yet...

An East Bay issue in a different County...Measure B (BART to Silicon Valley) in Santa Clara County passed (barely) as reported by Watch Dog Silicon Valley. But the opponents of Measure B aren't done fighting yet. In court yesterday, Superior Court Judge Mary Jo Levinger scolded the opponents for filing a lawsuit in the wrong County and sent them scurrying for San Francisco in an attempt to force a recount – at the Santa Clara County’s expense. Transportation Solutions Defense Fund President David Schonbrunn complained they were being forced "… to go to two different courts." Perhaps Schonbrunn would complain less if he could take BART to San Francisco from Santa Clara County...

And if Ignacio De La Fuente took BART, he could have avoided this...

Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente doesn’t really have to follow the rules like everyone else. (The same frame of mind that landed his son in hot water…) He was fined $1,500 for receiving $2,331 in free parking at SFO in 2004 and 2005. He repaid the airport, but the fine is from the FPPC, the overseers of all things ethical for elected officials. The most obvious question is why is De La Fuente flying out of SFO when he has an airport in his backyard?

Money is tight in the Bay Area, perhaps they have more in other parts of the Country. To find out, UC hopes to expand non-state admission…especially after this story last week about international students feeling the economic pinch.

New regulations put forward by East Bay legislators are aimed at hitting pimps/johns who victimize children “where it hurts”…that’s not a Watch Dog play words, that’s what the story says…

Pot-advocates won a US Supreme Court (the high court) battle yesterday – high times for the Oakland-based medical marijuana group -- Americans for Safe Access. If police take your weed, they have to return it…In a node to the decision, Watch Dog noticed the reporters of this story used the phrase “high court” enough times that everyone, expect their Editors, got the joke…

It isn’t just pot-advocates…Fremont is going green-er too. (The other green...)

Activist want to shut down the Delta pumps…again. Environment versus Business…the repeat.

First written about here, it isn’t just police officers that are getting a sweetheart deal from UC in the retire, collect pension, start working again scam…

Yikes, it just keeps getting uglier out there. DHL is cutting 800 Bay Area jobs…East Bay to be among the hardest hit. About 265 of the layoffs are slated to hit Alameda County alone. That includes DHL locations in Oakland, Fremont and Dublin.

From the Chief Watch Dog…

For those loyal readers who missed us during Thanksgiving, please forgive Watch Dog. If you have the time, and I hope you do, updates from last week have been posted – albeit a bit late.

Watch Dog took the Thanksgiving week to address some technical issues – which are still being worked out.

And soon, there will be some exciting and positive changes to Watch Dog.

We are expanding as we find more Watch Dogs to cover more areas. In a few weeks, you’ll be able to find out the latest and greatest from around the Bay Area with a few mouse clicks. More in depth coverage in more areas…what started in San Mateo has grown to include Silicon Valley…and now Watch Dog East Bay.

Enjoy and please send your comments, questions, or concerns Watch Dog’s way.

Thank you.

WD

Morning News Round-Up –- 11.25.08

This is obviously a national story, but good news locally. Obama named Cal economics professor Christina Romer to his Council of Economic Advisors. Good stuff.

While professors joining high-ranking positions in the Obama administration get a lot of ink, the East Bay has something else to be proud of…Malia Obama’s election-night dress was designed in Oakland by Biscotti.

Step 1: Retire.
Step 2: Get pension.
Step 3: Get rehired to your old job with a bump in pay.
That’s the way it seems to be going at Cal. The UCPD Police Chief Victoria Harrison did it – her bump in pay was $10K. The Regents are reconsidering some policies…sounds like a really good idea.

The good news: Oakland’s crime statistics are going in the right direction, according a new study. The bad news is Oakland is moving from 4th to 5th highest crime rate…Richmond is 9th. The OPD staffing is now at a record high thanks to a new group of officers.

Perhaps this will help with the crime rate…

First metal detectors at airports…then high schools…now Oakland's Cole Middle School. That’s because a gun discharged in a classroom recently.

This is an unbelievable story with reach through several Watch Dog sites. Two Petaluma teenagers ensnared their teacher to respond to an online posting. Ok, innocent enough, right? Well, the 34 year old teacher showed up for a date with the fake online personality in San Mateo – and she was supposed to be 15…NBC is looking into signing up the two teenage vigilantes.

Watch Dog predicts that garbage will take center stage for most local communities. Here’s why. The crashing financial markets have also affected the commodities markets. Falling commodities markets mean that recycling is less profitable -- or not profitable at all. Meaning less incentive to recycle for companies which may contribute to declining recycling rates. So, garbage companies may seek higher rates from their regulators to offset the loss in recycling revenue.

All the votes have been counted in the Eden Township Healthcare District race. It wasn’t as high-profile as other races, but it took longer to count…Vin Sawhney and Rajendra Ratnesar won.

Morning News Round-Up -– 11.24.08

Yikes, a $2,000 tuition hike at Cal? If Chancellor Robert Birgeneau has his way, each UC campus would decide their own tuitions. Cal would like to increase their tuition by $2K.

If that wasn't enough, international students are feeling the financial crisis. Falling currencies world-wide are hurting students’ ability to pay for school. A lot of international students panicking…

Some good news: stimulus the Bay Area can believe in. Money for roads and other infrastructure could be on its way from Washington, including Highway 101 in South San Jose, Interstate 580 here, and Doyle Drive in San Francisco.

Should you be able to renew your license if you use medical marijuana? That’s what a new lawsuit will likely decide as pot advocates sue the DMV. It may not be the same thing, but getting stoned before going to the DMV may help you alleviate that painful experience…

The Tribune follows some local roots of the Obama victory to the Center for American Progress, bankrolled by Herb and Marion Sandler, the founders (and eventual sellers) of Golden West Financial Corp.

The Sacramento River Delta is in for some long-term changes. A panel appointed by the Governor issued the “Delta Vision Strategic Plan” to address water delivery issues, the environment, the local economy, and other management issues. Perhaps they could also quiet noisy watercraft while they are at it…

If you opposed Prop. 8, perhaps you should move your stuff from A-1 Self Storage in Oakland, Concord, Belmont, and San Jose. A-1 supported Prop. 8 and some are calling for a boycott…

If you live in Union City, your local government owes you money – up to $34 per phone line. But you only have 12 months to get your checks…

Joining the chorus, Alameda County agreed to join the fight against Prop. 8 going into affect. Watch Dogs around the Bay have been following this…Watch Dog Silicon Valley/Watch Dog San Mateo

Morning News Round-Up -- 11.21.08

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (Speaks for Me) was named the Congressional Black Caucus Chair. Kudos to the Dellums-protégé. Berkeley City Councilmember Max Anderson notes, "It's a tribute not only to Barbara, but to this area that has stood behind Barbara in every issue-from her opposition to the war and concern for AIDS around the world."

Labor unrest continues at UC-schools. This time labor leaders were arrested at the Regents meeting.

The City of Berkeley is proposing a ban on plastic bags. Since when does Berkeley lag behind San Francisco in such things?...

A Berkeley-to-San Francisco ferry? Cool. Watch Dog could blog mid-Bay…in a bit of Bay Area history, we learn that ferry service hasn’t been an option since the Bay Bridge was completed in 1936.

Cal State East Bay is getting more dorms and more parking.

And from the "Law Enforcement Officials Acting Badly" file…

...Drugs, lies, and police officers refusing to testify. It sounds like The Wire…but it isn’t. It’s the Oakland PD...again...

…The Contra Costa sex-crime prosecutor accused of rape will be charged Friday, according to his lawyer.

A proposed Jewish Community Center in Walnut Creek moves forward. The City Council approved the sale of land adjacent to the new Center to a developer, which in turn will help fund the Center. In an unsurprising move, neighbors voiced their NIMBY feelings for nearly 2 hours.

In perhaps the least surprising story in a long time, a government agency (the City of Alameda) realized that it couldn’t run a business as well as an actual business could run that same business. The City Council approved the sale of its AP&T’s telecom business to Comcast.

Like a real-life scene from the Three Stooges, a man who was trying to show Fremont police where he thought burglars had entered a pet store fell through a skylight. Larry, Curly, and Moe never got hurt though…this guy did. He is in critical condition.

The San Leandro Hospital is in deep trouble, so says a consultant...and doctors...and a lot of other people.

Not to be outdone by a hospital or the City of Vallejo...the City of Rio Vista may be heading to bankruptcy court. Providing no good answer to the financial crisis, City Manager Hector De La Rosa said, "We don't see a solution in the immediate future."

Watch Dog expanding

The Watch Dog blog is currently up and running in San Mateo County. The East Bay version will be up and running soon.

Come back and visit again.