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."