Domino effect

In this case, the first domino to fall was Alameda after losing at the appellate court level, but has been granted a reprieve in the form of a re-hearing at the appellate court level.   As I mentioned on Friday, in response to the first Appeals Court decision, Assemblymember Rob Bonta has introduced legislation that would allow for “rational classifications” to be included when structuring school parcel taxes.   While some may cynically view this as a self-serving piece of legislation to further Rob Bonta’s political career — and seriously people, I don’t know how some of you go through life thinking the worst of everybody and everyone.  I mean, I’m not super naive or anything but the levels of cynicism that exists is breathtaking sometimes, but I digress — this has become an issue that extends way past the borders of Alameda.

The same law firm that took up the Borikas case has gone to practically every single jurisdiction that he could possibly muster and is now suing a bunch of other school district, from the Hayward Daily Review:

On the heels of the precedent-setting court victory, attorney David Brillant is seeking to invalidate four parcel tax measures approved on the November ballot in San Leandro Unified, West Contra Costa Unified, Davis Joint Unified and a group of five districts in Los Angeles County. Brillant filed the suits in the county courts in January, just before the 60-day statute of limitations following the election was up, he said. His clients, which vary from case to case, are commercial property owners in each district.

Wah wah waaahhhhh

The other day this letter was sent out to resident anti-everything David Howard, “publisher” of Action Alameda from the City of Alameda:

Total recall, the unfortunate 2012 remake

Before I forget, tonight is the Alameda Democratic Club endorsement meeting for the City Council, 7:00 p.m. Alameda Hospital.   I’ll be taping the meeting tonight and throwing up the video on-line as soon as humanly possible if you can’t make it out to tonight’s meeting.

Normally I wouldn’t write about silly campaigns like the one spearheaded by local naysayer David Howard, but given that this non-issue is fast become an issue thanks to independent expenditure committees, it’s time for folks to say enough is enough.  Particularly because the candidates themselves have agreed to run clean campaigns.

What I’m referring to is the recall petition that should be circulating as of Friday to recall Rob Bonta.  Because, let’s be perfectly honest here, the point of the actual recall is not really to express discontent with Rob Bonta as Vice Mayor of Alameda, but it is really to torpedo his Assembly race which is sort of a gross misuse of the recall process, but nothing that isn’t fair game in the David Howard political playbook.

Will the recall proponents get their numbers?   Doubt it.  But that’s not the goal here, the goal is to punish Rob Bonta for whatever transgressions that he supposedly committed.   The thing about it is that every single item proffered as proof as necessary to rid Alameda of Rob Bonta could be attributed to at least three other members of the City Council — except for the running for higher office thing — but only Rob Bonta is being targeted.