What’s going on this Valentine’s/President’s Day weekend?
• Leon Panetta was easily confirmed as CIA Director.
• A cool Jewish Community Federation event if you are in SF on the morning of Feb. 24: Shai Aggasi, CEO of Better Place will be giving the keynote to the group’s Business Leadership Council breakfast. Better Place is a very interesting company that is trying to build infrastructure for an electric car network. They have actually already begun work on networks in Israel and Denmark, and have come to some agreements with some California mayors (including SF’s Gavin Newsom and SJ’s Chuck Reed). From what I hear, he’s also a very good speaker.
• The Chief of Cal Fire, Ruben D. Grijalva, plans on retiring after about three years in the gig. Arnold has appointed Del Walters to replace him.
• Bill Clinton will not be canceling his speech at the Manchester Hyatt. A coalition of groups made a big public push against the speech because the owner of the hotel, Doug Manchester, was an early and key donor to the Yes on Prop 8 campaign. He will be violating a labor sanctioned boycott, and will have to cross a picket line, to grab a pile of bucks. Stay classy, Mr. President.
• This is a good recap of a conference call with Assemblyman John Perez on marriage equality issues.
• It’ll probably never happen, but former GOP Assemblyman Bill Maze wants to split California into two states. Unlike most of these proposals, he wants to split the coastal areas from the inland areas, creating one rural state of 45 counties and, basically, Chile, with 13 counties but including LA, San Francisco and San Jose, and therefore most of the people.
• The SJ Merc takes a look at the stimulus and specifically what’s in it for Silicon Valley firms. If you are reading this from the Valley, well, there are a lot of reasons to be glad the package will become law.
• As we await the outcome of Measure B, the solar energy proposal on the March ballot in Los Angeles, a major deal was struck in Oakland to provide solar for 845,000 homes, creating 1,300 megawatts of energy in a massive solar-thermal power deal. This is worth keeping an eye on.
• Well, here’s one way to get a job: standing out on the corner at a busy intersection. Our intersections will get mighty busy if everyone does that, though…