Short Notes

Apr 222013
 

Congressman Mike Honda has gotten the endorsement of everyone from the President to community college student journalists, but now it’s Ro Khanna’s turn to shine, with a rather brilliant endorsement. Ro has been speaking so much lately of “reaching across the aisle”, that it was starting to sound as, if elected, he’d move his chair all the way there (as Swalwell seems likely to do). Newsom’s endorsement, however, solidifies Ro’s Democratic credentials and helps define him as someone with firm Democratic goals but not necessarily a traditional approach. It also gives Ro credibility he’s been hitherto lacking. It’d a bold [Continue Reading]

Apr 152013
 
Our Family Doesn't STAR

STAR testing starts soon at elementary schools throughout San Leandro and California. My daughters won’t be taking the tests (at least the oldest one won’t, the little one wants to and I’m still considering it). It’s a small protest, but I feel it’s the only one I can make in a system that favors test scores to education and test taking skills to critical thinking. The District doesn’t have a choice about administering the tests. Their choice – the one they are not willing to make – is to stop teaching to the test and bring back a comprehensive educational [Continue Reading]

Apr 042013
 

They say that the early bird gets the worm, and this year politicians are taking that to heart.  Candidates started announcing they would run for the 2014 elections even before the 2012 votes were counted, and every day more candidates join the fray.  So far this is how the field looks. In San Leandro: – Councilmember Diana Souza, who is getting termed out,  is rumored to be ready to challenge Mayor Stephen Cassidy for Mayor.  This one is hard to believe, but I’ve heard the rumor from the same person who correctly predicted that Hermy Almonte would challenge Jim Prola, another [Continue Reading]

Mar 112013
 
Tacos with the Cops?

A couple of years ago, the San Leandro Police Department instituted a “coffee with the cops” program. The Police Chief and/or several of her officers would meet with the community to give a general talk on the state of crime in the city and answer questions. I attended several of these coffees and they were very interesting and helpful. However, they never attracted much of a crowd – and those who went were not what you would call representative of the San Leandro community. By far most of the participants were middle age or older and white. Their complaints were [Continue Reading]

Mar 012013
 

The San Leandro Police Department has reported a rise in burglaries recently, and burglars seem to be particularly going after guns. Could this be a result of all the gun control legislation that is being introduced? Is it raising the prices of guns/ammunition in the streets and thus encouraging more people to go into the burglary “business”?  Or is it that the “no-questions-asked” gun buy-back programs make it easy so easy to dispose of stolen guns at a profit? Alameda Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Berkeley Assemblymember Nancy Skinner and State Senator Loni Hancock have introduced some of this legislation. I wonder [Continue Reading]