Short Takes Short Takes (February 01, 2006)

Suffragette County

What's this we hear about San Mateo County wanting to switch to all-male elections? That's an outrage! After all suffering our foremothers went through to gain the right to vote in 1920, and now Chief Elections Officer Warren Slocum wants to take it away? We won't stand for it ... oh wait, that's all-mail elections in the county?

Never mind.
Good luck with that

Opportunity appears to be knocking for one man seeking a redress of grievances with San Mateo County.

In November, in keeping with a 1988 law meant to supplement small-town budgets, the county for the first time sent Portola Valley, Woodside and two nearby towns checks for property tax revenues owed them. Portola Valley got $915,000, representing two years of payments, with perhaps $400,000 in annual payments expected in future years.

A key question: "What about those other 15 years?"

Portola Valley resident Ted Lamb provided an answer at the January 25 Town Council meeting. The county, he said, owes Portola Valley $6.8 million in back taxes plus "triple damages" of $20 million and interest -- at an annual percentage rate of 18 percent -- of $18 million.

Anyone who pities the county's tight budget should get over it, he said: "We should not let them off the hook for one penny of that money."

Council members didn't respond, with the exception of Ed Davis, who laughed aloud.
No slacker, Shirley

Woodside's own Shirley Temple Black received a lifetime achievement award from the Screen Actors Guild over the weekend. Ms. Black surely must have been the hardest working child in showbiz. A look at her credits shows that in 1934 alone, the dimpled mop-top starred in nine films.

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