Members of the San Jose Fire Department and San Jose Police Department confronted Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio at his Willow Glen home after a political consultant spotted the council member removing signs. Oliverio says the signs were illegally posted and that he removed them consistent with city ordinances.

Sunday’s San Jose Mercury News endorsement of Jerry Brown is getting a bit of traction, as might have been expected. The Brown campaign spread news of the endorsement today in an email blast headlined: “Meg’s Hometown Paper Backs Brown.”

At a City Council meeting yesterday, Bob Brownstein of Working Partnerships blasted an audit that found the city’s pension benefits program unsustainable, saying it was, “filled with flaws and inaccuracies.”  It was a testy exchange, and at one point, City Councilmember Pete Constant, who chaired the meeting, threatened to have Brownstein removed from the meeting.

Candidate Larry Pegram of District 9 says he is focused on fiscal issues, but his Values Advocacy Council focuses on religion. A questionnaire they have sent out to school board candidates asks their position on such issue as the role of religion in education, their stance on abstinence education and abortion, and the teaching of intelligent design.

At its weekly meeting Tuesday evening, the San Jose City Council voted to put a proposed marijuana business tax on the ballot this November. The tax, which could reach up to 10 percent, would encompass business that sell medical marijuana both legally and illegally in the city.

The budget blues aren’t over yet in San Jose.  Mayor Chuck Reed announced that the Firefighters Union has come up $6 million short in its effort to meet the 10 percent cut on salaries and benefits, leaving the city no choice but to eliminate 81 positions. As a result, 51 firefighters will lose their jobs, one station will be closed, and other stations will have to contend with reduced staffing and equipment. It is the first time in the city’s history that firefighters have been laid off

SJPD Chief Rob Davis announced today that he will retire after 30 years on the San Jose police force. Mayor Chuck Reed released a brief message thanking Davis for his service.

By the time this article hits the streets, there likely won’t be a place in the valley to buy a bottle of kombucha tea. Nob Hill on Santa Teresa Boulevard had a few last Friday; Cosentino’s Market on Bascom Avenue had a couple more. Even over the hill in Santa Cruz, grocers expected to run out by the end of the weekend.

It started quietly, about two weeks ago. First, megastore Whole Foods announced it would join roughly a dozen suppliers in stopping sales of all unpasteurized kombucha tea products. The issue: concerns that the fizzy, fermented elixirs may contain more alcohol than the “trace amounts” listed on the label.

It’s getting to be like a game of chicken. On Tuesday evening, City Council decided to delay its vote on the 10 percent wage cut for city employees after five unions provided a counter-offer that would be the equivalent of the proposed cut. They are now ready to study the offer, and to meet again on Thursday or Friday to decide whether to accept it.

It’s official: it was determined Friday afternoon that Challenger Jeff Rosen defeated District Attorney Dolores Carr Tuesday in an upset victory by a previously unknown 15-year prosecutor.

At the close of Tuesday’s poll, Rosen held a 2,217-vote lead, but the County Registrar’s office determined Wednesday it would still have to count 77,000 provisional and mailed ballots to determine a victor.

Today we brought change to this county.  By a margin of 2,854 votes and 1.14%, we won!

I am incredibly humbled to announce that, on January 3, 2011, I will be inaugurated as the Santa Clara County District Attorney.  This change will happen because you spoke out.  In this election, we spoke with the people of this county, and together, loudly and clearly, we said one word: justice.

The 2009-2010 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury today released a 33-page report titled Cities Must Rein in Unsustainable Employee Costs that says, “Employee costs are escalating in the cities of Santa Clara County, revenues are not keeping pace with these increases and cities are cutting services.” The Grand Jury looked at rising wages, health insurance, pensions, and vacation, holiday, and sick leave and made recommendations to control costs.

The campaign to hold a statewide constitutional convention fizzled out last February. That’s when Repair California, the bi-partisan organization behind the bid, ran out of funds and announced their efforts would have to be put on hold.

This Saturday, statewide leaders from both sides of the aisle will be coming together at San Jose State University to discuss fixing California’s broken government. Titled “Reviving California Community Summit,” the public event will focus on re-building momentum for comprehensive reform.

Both the Police Department and the Fire Department have an uphill battle ahead of them as they prepare to fight the City Council’s decision that they either take an across-the-board 10 percent pay cut or lose jobs. Cooperation between them might strengthen their position, but that’s not likely to happen soon. The bone of contention is Proposition K, which would expand gambling within San Jose