The City of Oakland, California Mayor's race is more crowded than you think. It's not just Don Perata, Don MacLeay, Oakland District 4 Councilmember Jean Quan, and Rebecca Kaplan. The Oakland Mayor's Race has ten candidates, nine of them fully known and the last one still largely "under the radar."
The full list of Oakland Mayor's Race candidates consists of incumbent Ron Dellums, Don Perata, Don MacLeay, Jean Quan, Greg Harland, Maya Dillard Smith, Terrance Candell, and an tenth person who's still not ready for prime time, but will be.
Ten choices for Mayor of Oakland, California.
This blogger just got off the phone with Greg Hatland, who's an Oaklander who graduated from Oakland High School in 1964 and lives close to California Attorney General Jerry Brown in the Oakland Hills. Hartland, who's website is at Harland4Mayor.com, decided to run for Mayor because Oakland has been a focus of crime for as long as he could remember and wanted to take action.
Harland's worked to stay relatively quiet until his campaign kickoff on May 1st from 11 AM to 5 PM PDT at Alpha Omega Worship Center located at 8627 International Blvd, in Oakland (of course). He's offering a $10 steak dinner and a chance to win a $100 cash prize at his event.
Maya Dillard Smith is someone who said she was running for Mayor last year and approached this blogger to explain her intentions. Since that time, Maya Dillard Smith's established a Facebook page as her website called Maya for Mayor, but as of this writing has not announced an official kickoff event.
Terrance Candell calls himself "The People's Mayor" and has this video below where he has others calling the other Oakland politicians sell-outs, takes a not-too-veiled swipe at Don Perata, and ends with Candell saying "I'm Terrance Candell and I'm not for sale."
Other than a March 13th campaign meeting, Terrance has no scheduled events on his extensive website at Candell4Mayor.com.
So there's the almost full, and bound to get larger, list of candidates for Mayor of Oakland. Unfortunately, you only knew of a few of them; not any more.
Stay tuned.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
The Oakland Salon Beatdown Video trial this month
The Oakland Salon Beatdown Video is back in the news as the trail starts in April. According to ABC News Channel 7 in the Bay Area, the pretrial hearing was held in Alameda County Superior Court, Department 104.
Melissa Seals is the owner of the Oakland hair salon where she was the focus of a brutal beatdown by not one, but six women in the spring of 2009. The women entered the salon and two started the attack while one made a video of it. They then stole her merchandise and raised the blinds so people walking by could see what they were doing, according to The Huffington Post.
Here's the ABC News video (Warning: it's graphic):
The ABC video reports that in 2010, 36-year-old Melissa Seals is suffering from Post-Tramatic Stress Disorder. One of the attackers is named Kavina Bryant, who attended the hearing. Bryant is the woman in the green sweat pants and blue halter top who does much of the beating of Seals.
Another woman, who Melissa Seals identifies as "Janilla Edgerton" (she has no Internet trail) in the video (with the red sweat pants) also hit and kicked her,and Seals said the woman's still roaming the neighborhood, even with an arrest warrant active on her. As of this writing and to this blogger's knoweldge, Edgerton has not been arrested.
Seals needs help. She's lost 75 percent of her clients, and as ABC was talking to her, someone from EBMUD turned off her water. The problem is other customers were scared off by the attack.
I don't have contact information for Melissa Seals; ABC News Channel 7 may. Seals does not have a criminal record so she can work at another salon with ease.
Stay tuned.
Melissa Seals is the owner of the Oakland hair salon where she was the focus of a brutal beatdown by not one, but six women in the spring of 2009. The women entered the salon and two started the attack while one made a video of it. They then stole her merchandise and raised the blinds so people walking by could see what they were doing, according to The Huffington Post.
Here's the ABC News video (Warning: it's graphic):
The ABC video reports that in 2010, 36-year-old Melissa Seals is suffering from Post-Tramatic Stress Disorder. One of the attackers is named Kavina Bryant, who attended the hearing. Bryant is the woman in the green sweat pants and blue halter top who does much of the beating of Seals.
Another woman, who Melissa Seals identifies as "Janilla Edgerton" (she has no Internet trail) in the video (with the red sweat pants) also hit and kicked her,and Seals said the woman's still roaming the neighborhood, even with an arrest warrant active on her. As of this writing and to this blogger's knoweldge, Edgerton has not been arrested.
Seals needs help. She's lost 75 percent of her clients, and as ABC was talking to her, someone from EBMUD turned off her water. The problem is other customers were scared off by the attack.
I don't have contact information for Melissa Seals; ABC News Channel 7 may. Seals does not have a criminal record so she can work at another salon with ease.
Stay tuned.
Crystal Bowersox almost quit American Idol; Ryan Seacrest steps in
But some sensible talk by American Idol host Ryan Seacrest talked Bowersox out of bailing.
According to TMZ.com, Crystal Bowersox broke down in a parking lot in front of several people after a show and asked "what's the point," but it wasn't clear what triggered her actions.
Ryan Seacrest, who from personal experience seems to be a level headed person...
stepped in and reportedly said Bowersox would get a contract and become a millionaire if she won Idol, adding "The greatest thing I ever did was make enough money so I could buy my mom a house. You can buy your mom a house."
That's a great reason to continue on American Idol. Crystal Bowersox remains; bravo to Ryan Seacrest.
Stay tuned.
Jerry Brown meets Richard Aguirre for California Governor, sort of
Richard Aguirre is an until now largely unknown Democratic candidate for Governor of California taking on California Attorney General Jerry Brown. In the video above, posted today April 17th, Aquirre walks in with the perfect activist-running-for-something attire of jeans, t-shirt, and pony tail, and expects to be taken seriously.
 |
| Richard v. Jerry at the convention |
After that, much of Richard Aguirre's camera time is spent on a not so merry chase of Brown around the convention, yelling for him to debate like a Chihuahua might bark at a Doberman Pincher.
Geez.
Finally Richard Aguirre gets to within reach of Brown, who keeps going without stopping, looking at him as if Brown was in a car going by roadkill. It was pathetic.
One thing. At least Jerry could have stopped and talked to the man much as San Francisco Mayor and Lieutenant Governor Candidate Gavin Newsom did. But even Gavin, in one gesture without saying it, said "Look at this guy."
If Richard wants to be taken seriously, he has to stop showing himself as a small person who's yelling from the back room at Jerry Brown and be a person who has videos at his own events and states his own platform for governor.
Stay tuned.
Danny Glover arrest for protest against Sodexo like Hugo Boss
 |
| Danny Glover |
Readers of this space may remember that Danny Glover called on male Oscar presenters like Sean Penn and Quentin Tarantino to boycott Hugo Boss suits before the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. His letter protested the clothing company's plans to close plants and lay off 300 workers.
In this case Glover's protesting Sodexo's alleged union-bashing practices, telling a crowd "We're here today to say no more to deplorable pay and working conditions." The protest was international in scope as it involved a French company, and the protesters consisted of both American and French workers.
Glover and several others were arrested after crossing a police line. But in all honesty and not to take away from the sprit of what Glover did, such arrests are always staged with the cooperation of local police officials.
I'm personally glad to see Danny Glover getting involved in politics, but while protests do bring attention to an issue, the common theme of demonstrations and arrests fall on deaf ears in a New Media era. If Danny Glover wants to make a real splash he should start a lobbying company and a political action committee.
Stay tuned.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Seattle International Film Festival Opening has "The Extra Man"
 |
| The Extra Man |
The Extra Man features Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood) and Kevin Kline with appearances by Katie Holmes and John C. Reilly. It has Dano as Lewis Ives, a school teacher who has a love of wearing women's lingerie (Olympian Julia Mancuso, who has her own lingerie line, might find this interesting). Not surprisingly Ives loses his teaching job. Kevin Kline plays Henry Harrison, who works as an "extra man" who's an escort to rich, older women to parties and social affairs and who takes Ives under his mentorship as an aspiring playwright in New York City.
Here's a video introduction featuring the writers and directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini talking, in a quirky way, about The Extra Man.
The Gala will be held at the Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle, and feature a red carpet entrance for Paul Dano, Shari Springer Berman, and Robert Pulcini, and other cast members that were not specifically mentioned as attending. (Translation: Katie Holmes may show up, so get down there!)
The SIFF runs May 20th through June 13th. Visit the website at http://www.siff.net
NFL Draft: Conte Cuttino sleeper running back prospect
But real NFL Draft sleepers are players that come from small schools that go past the view of pro scouts. Like Marques Colston of The New Orleans Saints. Colston was taken in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft but ended up starting as a rookie. Now, Colston has his first Super Bowl ring.
This year, Conte Cuttino may be that sleeper. A video sent to me by my friend and NFL Draft colleague Bill Chackhes at Football Reporters Online and NFL Business Blog showed a running back that's shockingly quick.
Conte Cuttino's 5-9 and 200 pounds, runs a 4.4 40-yard dash, and played for Stony Brook University. He ran for 3,067 career rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. Here's the video:
There are a lot of YouTube videos about Conte Cuttino, so he's not far below the radar at all. 10 NFL team reps reportedly came to his pro day at Fordham University, and the Sun Sentinel blog writes that Conte is being compared to Dave Meggett, the New York Giants running back who played for Bill Parcells.
Conte Cuttino's one to watch. Stay tuned.
Larry King divorce: King and Shawn Southwick second thoughts, again
In 2008, the blog appropriately named The Dailystab reported that Shawn Southwick King was rumored to have been caught cheating on Larry King with a then-29-year old actor named Hector Penate; Shawn was 48 and Larry King 74 at the time, and were married for 11 years.
Hector Penate, described as a B-list actor by the National Enquirer, was their son's baseball coach at the time.
(A momentary aside; how's that for a sex scandal that's covered the age spectrum? So cool. 29, 48, 74. Young. Middle. Old. Nice.)
The National Enquirer claims that Hector Penate took a stab at Shawn King on Larry King's desk at their Beverly Hills home. The relationship was said to have gone on for a year. King was fuming, and divorce rumors were in the air but King reportedly confronted Penate.
So both Larry King and Shawn Southwick King have sadly faced allegations that one was cheating on the other. Maybe the two should take a time out from other people and focus on each other. For King, who's been with her for 13 years now, the seventh marriage should be the charm, yeah?
Stay tuned.
CBS News "60 Minutes" slamed by CJR for Chevron Ecuador segment
If you're just reading this, the CJR's article is another chapter in the long story of one man, Steve Donziger's, 20-year-old and now $27 billion lawsuit against American Chevron for environmental damage that Donziger claims was done by Chevron without an adequate cleanup effort.
(Proponents will chime in that the lawsuit was presented by indigenous tribes of the impacted areas, but in point of fact, the architect of the suit has been Steve Donziger, who's a brilliant man so this is not personal against him, from day one.)
This song is getting old because now with 1) revelations that an Ecuador judge in the Chevron lawsuit was in on an alleged bribery relationship where his apparently planned decision to rule against Chevron would have resulted in a payoff for that judge, and 2) discovery that the environmentalist on the case rendered a view that cleared Chevron of environmental damage but his writing was replaced with a false report, and 3) the fact that Ecuador has worked to kick out American Oil Companies and nationalize its oil industry, Ecuador looks more like what this blogger always asserted it was: a nation that does not take care of its poorest people, but blames foreign companies for its economic irresponsibility.
People who attack American Oil and American Business, I've found, are really part of an environmental industrial complex that has it's own monetary relationships. One must ask why none of the plaintiff lawyers in the Chevron Ecuador lawsuit ever bothered to sue Ecuador? Why is it that Ecuador's attorney general said Ecuador would collect 90 percent of the court's $27 billion award?
Anyone who attacks their claims that protect Ecuador is painted as someone paid by Chevron, as opposed to having a view that simply disagrees with the lawsuit. Just wait for one person to accuse Martha M. Hamilton of being paid by Chevron.
The fact is that Ecuador must take care of its poor. Chevron proved it cleaned up its mess, but an environmental report saying so was apparently doctored to avoid such news, all the better to win a lawsuit.
None of that helps Ecuador's poor and it was clear from a long time ago that the money from a court win against Chevron would see the pockets of Ecuador's elite before Ecuador's poor ever got wind that a victory happened.
That fact alone should make anyone who really does care about what's happening down there cry.
Stay tuned.
A Day in the Life of an NFL Prospect
12 Days ago We spent the day with Stonybrook University Running back Conte Cuttino.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R_-Zy95w7o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R_-Zy95w7o
Fabrice Tourre and Goldman Sachs sued for fraud by SEC
London-based Goldman Sachs Vice President Fabrice Tourre and the firm which employed him are the focus of a civil lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission for fraud. Fabrice Tourre allegedly packaged Credit Default Swaps (CDS) against the very same subprime mortgage-backed securities he created.
In other words, Fabrice Tourre both created a debt instrument that he allegedly knew was risky, then set up insurance - the CDS - to make money when it failed.
So if you were one of the people Fabrice Tourre convinced to buy into his securities, you were set up for a big fall while he walked away with the cash. That's the focus of the SEC's lawsuit.
But who is Fabrice Tourre? According to The Huffington Post, Fabrice Tourre's a Stanford grad from France who's worked on Wall Street in New York and for Goldman since 2001. Proud of his achievement in creating the CDS at issue, he referred to himself as "The Fabulous Fab" in an email to a friend on January 23, 2007.
Fabrice Tourre's LinkedIn profile shows he has 95 connections and received his bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Ecole Centrale Paris in 2000, then his MS in Operations Research (a cousin of systems theory and system dynamics, of which this blogger's a expert in) from Stanford in 2001.
In the interest of full disclosure, this blogger is indirectly connected to Fabrice Tourre via 68 connections on LinkedIn but as of this writing as not met or corresponded with Fabrice Tourre. (I have almost 2,000 LinkedIn connections.)
If you want to learn more about CDS and how they work from a basic perspective, look at this online slide explanation that's based on Michael Lewis' book The Big Short with a click here: CDS Scandal.
In closing, as a counter to those who may fall back on the rather empty charge that mortgage loans were given to people who should not have them, a claim that when expanded has the tinge of racism, the fact is no one can pay a loan without a job. The rise in jobs loss caused the subprime loan problem.
Stay tuned.
In other words, Fabrice Tourre both created a debt instrument that he allegedly knew was risky, then set up insurance - the CDS - to make money when it failed.
So if you were one of the people Fabrice Tourre convinced to buy into his securities, you were set up for a big fall while he walked away with the cash. That's the focus of the SEC's lawsuit.
But who is Fabrice Tourre? According to The Huffington Post, Fabrice Tourre's a Stanford grad from France who's worked on Wall Street in New York and for Goldman since 2001. Proud of his achievement in creating the CDS at issue, he referred to himself as "The Fabulous Fab" in an email to a friend on January 23, 2007.
Fabrice Tourre's LinkedIn profile shows he has 95 connections and received his bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Ecole Centrale Paris in 2000, then his MS in Operations Research (a cousin of systems theory and system dynamics, of which this blogger's a expert in) from Stanford in 2001.
In the interest of full disclosure, this blogger is indirectly connected to Fabrice Tourre via 68 connections on LinkedIn but as of this writing as not met or corresponded with Fabrice Tourre. (I have almost 2,000 LinkedIn connections.)
If you want to learn more about CDS and how they work from a basic perspective, look at this online slide explanation that's based on Michael Lewis' book The Big Short with a click here: CDS Scandal.
In closing, as a counter to those who may fall back on the rather empty charge that mortgage loans were given to people who should not have them, a claim that when expanded has the tinge of racism, the fact is no one can pay a loan without a job. The rise in jobs loss caused the subprime loan problem.
Stay tuned.
NFL Draft: Ted Ginn, Jr. trade not the answer for Niners
The Niners trades their 5th round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft for Ted Ginn, Jr., the Dolphins Wide Receiver / Returner, who was their answer to Wide Receiver / Returner Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears.
The year Ginn was drafted, 2007, was the same time NFL personnel execs were on the lookout for someone, anyone, who could be the next Devin Hester, the speedster from The University of Miami.
Hester came in and shook-up the NFL with his shocking straight-ahead speed. The one player tagged by many to be the next Devin Hester was Ted Ginn, Jr. from Ohio State. But when the Dolphins took him as the 9th pick in the first round, there were many in the room at Radio City Music Hall who believed they grabbed him too high.
They were right, sort of.
It's not to say Ted Ginn Jr.'s not the deep threat the 49ers need; he is. The main question is can he catch the ball when it gets there? He was two caught for eight thrown to him against the New Orleans Saints last year. It's just that Ginn's not the only answer for the speed the Niners need; Clemson Running Back C.J. Spiller's still a player the 49ers should work to get. Spiller's 4.27 speed in the back field combined with Ginn, second-year player Michael Crabtree, and fast tight-end Vernon Davis, will on paper give the 49ers the most dangerous offense they've had since the Bill Walsh years.
But Ginn's not the answer.
From the perspective of Miami Dolphins bloggers, Ted Ginn, Jr. did not have a happy time in Miami. The Phinsider reports that Ginn's high selection in the 1st round of The NFL Draft translated to great expectations as a return guy and a wide receiver.
In fairness, while Ginn didn't meet them as a receiver, he did set return records with the Dolphins. Last year, Ginn became the first NFL player since 1967 to score two return touchdowns in the same quarter against the New York Jets. But Ginn's toughness has been roundly questioned, with Dolphins legends like former offensive guard Bob Kuechenberg calling Ginn a "coward."
Ted Ginn for all the world looks like a Vernon Davis project for San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Mike Singletary. If Coach Singletary can have the same impact on Ginn he's had on Davis, Ginn's NFL Draft promise may well be met.
Stay tuned.
Luxury W Hotel San Francisco gets praise for GDC
OK, beyond the LEED award, the W Hotel San Francisco, in fact, the W Hotel chain, has established a level of legendary cool seldom appreciated.
This blogger takes time to gush about The W Hotel because the memory of it as a new, innovative, and deliberately hip place to lay one's head is still fresh. Each W Hotel this blogger has visited has attracted beautiful, well-dressed, intelligent patrons and featured a bar scene that in many cases was part of the social scene for that city: New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, all have prominent roles in their cities.
The W Hotel's combination of dark muted colors, indirect lighting, and smoked glass create a theme popular with tourists, tech industry leaders, entertainers, and even game developers. The annual San Francisco Game Developers Conference brings the biggest heavy-hitters to The W Hotel San Francisco and this blogger was there, first, in 2007; 2009 was not different.
The lobby was teaming with game development executives, graphic artists, and other members of the game industry, meeting and talking about the doings at what's called The GDC. The W Hotel San Francisco played gracious host, and to my understanding no one was unhappy.
This video is from the 2009 GDC and shows how the lobby became a kind of small convention hall itself, and perfect for the presentation of game ideas:
That had to be written because it's not often a business is openly praised for being the perfect place for its patrons, but that's what the W Hotel San Francisco was at the 2010 GDC.
This blogger takes time to gush about The W Hotel because the memory of it as a new, innovative, and deliberately hip place to lay one's head is still fresh. Each W Hotel this blogger has visited has attracted beautiful, well-dressed, intelligent patrons and featured a bar scene that in many cases was part of the social scene for that city: New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, all have prominent roles in their cities.
The W Hotel's combination of dark muted colors, indirect lighting, and smoked glass create a theme popular with tourists, tech industry leaders, entertainers, and even game developers. The annual San Francisco Game Developers Conference brings the biggest heavy-hitters to The W Hotel San Francisco and this blogger was there, first, in 2007; 2009 was not different.
The lobby was teaming with game development executives, graphic artists, and other members of the game industry, meeting and talking about the doings at what's called The GDC. The W Hotel San Francisco played gracious host, and to my understanding no one was unhappy.
This video is from the 2009 GDC and shows how the lobby became a kind of small convention hall itself, and perfect for the presentation of game ideas:
That had to be written because it's not often a business is openly praised for being the perfect place for its patrons, but that's what the W Hotel San Francisco was at the 2010 GDC.
W Hotel San Francisco gets LEED award, has American Idol Kris Allen
The popular luxury W Hotel San Francisco, next to Moscone Convention Center, earned a LEED award and celebrated in W Hotel style and fashion, by hosting American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen at a ribbon-cutting event on Wednesday at the hotel at a private, invitation-only ceremony.
A LEED award is given to the builders of structures that have efficient, energy-saving HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems that use natural light effectively.
The W Hotel San Francisco is one of a handful of buildings in America, and even fewer hotels, to earn a LEEDS designation.
Congratulations.
Larry King divorce based on King's gifts to Shawn Southwick sister?
According to TMZ.com, Shawn Southwick found evidence that hubby Larry King bought expensive gifts for her sister Shannon Engemann.
And while King allegedly said he would stop giving the gifts, he never did. That sent Shawn through the roof and making moves toward divorce court, filing legal papers and interviewing potential counsel.
Meanwhile TMZ.com spotted King and Southwick at their sons little league game in Beverly Hills. The blog post reports the two got along famously with King saying "that was the best 30 minutes of my life" and leaving this blogger to wonder what happened to make him say that.
Whatever the present, it's clear Larry King's marriage with Shawn Southwick (Shawkn King) has been anything but easy over the last two year, and in the next post on this you will learn why.
Stay tuned.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Utah Earthquake pushes number of 2010 large quakes to 27
The 4.9 Richter Scale Utah Earthquake that hit Thursday night is the largest in that state in 75 years according to The Vancouver Sun, and pushes the number of large earthquakes to 27 for 2010 and on page to continue to the 92 significant earthquakes (quakes over 4 on the Richter Scale) projected for this year by this blogger.
That is a record pace.
The Utah Earthquake hit at 5:59:38 PM according to the US Geological Survey. The quake was centered five miles from and a mile below Randolph, UT, and 77 miles from Salt Lake City. The "light" earthquake didn't cause much damage or injuries and the Salt Lake Tribune reports it as if it's no big deal.
In fact, the Salt Lake Tribune goes on to report a gross inaccuracy:
That's wrong, and this space wonders if the Salt Lake Tribune is afraid to report the truth. The fact is over that period of time there were 80 large earthquakes, not 18, major quakes using the 2009 and 2010 information to date, and that's using USGS data available from its website.
The Salt Lake Tribune should stop playing games with the facts and report the information as the USGS presents it: a large quake is over 4 on the Richter Scale. The Salt Lake Tribune just mentions "large quakes" but does not define what they are.
The USGS earthquake numbers point to a problem, at least for anyone willing to look at them.
Stay tuned.
That is a record pace.
The Utah Earthquake hit at 5:59:38 PM according to the US Geological Survey. The quake was centered five miles from and a mile below Randolph, UT, and 77 miles from Salt Lake City. The "light" earthquake didn't cause much damage or injuries and the Salt Lake Tribune reports it as if it's no big deal.
In fact, the Salt Lake Tribune goes on to report a gross inaccuracy:
The six major earthquakes occurring in the first four months of 2010 puts they year within normal range. There were 18 major quakes from April 15, 2009, to April 14, 2010, which is a number scientists say is within expectations.
That's wrong, and this space wonders if the Salt Lake Tribune is afraid to report the truth. The fact is over that period of time there were 80 large earthquakes, not 18, major quakes using the 2009 and 2010 information to date, and that's using USGS data available from its website.
The Salt Lake Tribune should stop playing games with the facts and report the information as the USGS presents it: a large quake is over 4 on the Richter Scale. The Salt Lake Tribune just mentions "large quakes" but does not define what they are.
The USGS earthquake numbers point to a problem, at least for anyone willing to look at them.
Stay tuned.
Waste Management v. Recology in SF a battle with national implications
 |
| Waste Management is angry |
This blogger normally doesn't pay much attention to local trash, preferring the national celebrity brand, but a political battle between two established companies, and the fact that a lot of people from various sides have talked about it without any provocation, caused this space to wade into an argument such that regardless of what is stated, and how reasonable it may be, the other side - or some other side - is bound to be pissed off.
But the reason for the attention from this space was a March 30,2010 San Francisco Bay Guardian (SFBG) article that claimed Waste Management was "Oakland-based"; an online check revealed Waste Management was not Oakland-based but headquartered (another word for "based") in Houston, Texas at 1001 Fannin St.,Ste. 4000.
What giant Waste Management has is an Oakland office, but that's to have a local political face to help land SF Bay Area work. It's just smart business, but Waste Management is not based in Oakland.
Nothing against the media legend that is Bruce Brugmann at all, but the SFBG really went to town in attacking one side against the other. The SFBG made Waste Management look like a local, environmentally-concerned organization, against, well, Recology.
What happened was that Recology tentatively won a contract with the City and County of San Francisco to haul San Francisco's unrecycled trash by train to its Ostrum Road Landfill in Yuba County, starting in 2015, according to Kevin Fagan of The San Francisco Chronicle. The organization they beat for this right by vote of the San Francisco Commission on the Environment was Waste Management, which currently takes the San Francisco trash to Livermore's Altamont landfill area that it owns. Recology has an alternative proposal that takes the trash to Yuba County.
What's interesting is the SFBG went through the scoring for the proposals submitted and nitpicked what scores Recology was given and claimed the process seemed to have some "subjectivity." Any judgement by any government committee is generally subjective, save for one part: cost. Recology's proposal was less expensive than that from Waste Management.
The San Francisco Commission on the Environment made a daring decision: to go with the less expensive Recology proposal. Daring, because the San Francisco Commission on the Environment screwed with a huge value chain of interests, from Waste Management's Altamont landfill to the City of Livermore and the County of Alameda, which make money from it, to The Sierra Club, who has a monetary grant-making interest in the revenue generated from the Altamont Landfill.
Now here comes Recology to screw it all up. In doing so, the attacks on Recology reveal an environmental industrial complex active in Northern California and that seems to block out new organizations from working within it. Recology was fortunate in that it already has a hand in the collection of the garbage in San Francisco, but believes it can do a better job by establishing a fully controlled and more cost effective transport system than what exists by Recology's working with Waste Management.
Recology issued the more cost effective proposal and a brave San Francisco Commission on the Environment picked them. In short, it gave a really local firm a chance to grow rather than be hampered by the environmental industrial complex. Waste Management is not a true local firm; the attempts to make it look as if it is are unfortunate. If Recology can do a better job, and the San Francisco Commission on the Environment thinks it can, give the San Francisco firm a chance.
Of course, it's not that easy; here comes the defenders of the San Francisco environmental industrial complex, here them roar, and all to protect their money.
Stay tuned.
NFL Draft: Jerry Jones, Cowboys owner, blasts Tim Tebow, Bill Parcells
This from the "you should always know a cell phone camcorder's around if you're a celebrity" file. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was caught on camcorder issuing a drunken blast about Tim Tebow just days before the 2010 NFL Draft.
The video is hard to hear, so this blogger will turn to the ESPN interpretation: Jones said this:
"Bill's not worth a [expletive]," the video shows Jones saying. After some conversation with an unidentified man off-camera, the video continues with Jones saying, "... to get this [expletive] stadium, I need to bring his [butt] in."
In the video, Jones also said, and ESPN did not report, that Tim Tebow "couldn't get on the field" and said other disparaging remarks about Tebow after someone asked him why a team like Jacksonville (rumored to be interested in Tebow in the 2010 NFL Draft) would draft him, if only to sell t-shirts.
Clearly Jerry Jones should have known better. He's a public figure. To say that he was in a bar, or any other place, does not matter. This would have never happen under the Cowboys of then-owner Clint Murchison and Head Coach Tom Landry.
But it also may reveal how some NFL owners really feel about Tim Tebow.
Stay tuned.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)