The San Jose Police Department’s ink-stained nemesis has gone native and joined the apparatus that puts people behind bars rather than hold the system accountable. That’s right, reporter Sean Webby is leaving the Mercury News to become a media coordinator for District Attorney Jeff Rosen.

People within the San Jose Police Department are keeping close tabs on Chris Moore, as an important milestone approaches for the police chief. At the end of January, 12 months will have passed since Moore was officially named the San Jose’s top cop by City Manager Debra Figone. The year mark means that Moore’s retirement pay and sick-time buyout can be cashed out at the highest possible levels when he decides to call it quits. According to police spokesman Jason Dwyer, that won’t be any time soon and definitely not this year.

Some residents in San Jose were surprised to receive a holiday card last month from Steve Kline, who is running for a City Council seat in District 6 against incumbent Pierluigi Oliverio. Kline says the card was nothing more than him and his husband wishing a happy holidays to a few of their close friends and neighbors. How many friends and neighbors? Oh, Kline’s ballpark figure is about ... 1,000.

Councilmember Pete Constant is leading the charge to terminate the CalPERS pension program for the mayor and City Council. Originally asking City Attorney Rich Doyle to study the proposal in June, Constant’s Dec. 19 memo, which suggests Doyle draft a resolution that gives notice of the city’s intention to terminate its contract with CalPERS, went in front the Rules and Open Govt. Committee on Wednesday and was unanimously approved.

Iowa just held its Republican Primary to ring in the New Year, which means two things: It’s officially election season from now through Nov. 6, and the opinions of Iowans no longer matter. Much was made about the 2010 Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which, according to the court’s interpretation of the First Amendment, means the government can’t limit spending on elections by companies and nonprofits. A battle is now being fought at the local level in Milpitas, where community activist Ed Riffle is challenging the constitutionality of a new ordinance passed by the City Council that limits campaign contributions to $500 per election.

Contrary to rumors circulating at City Hall, Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen says she did not tell police officer Tam Truong to run for a District 4 City Council seat against Kansen Chu next fall. Instead, Nguyen says she was introduced to the Dick-Tracy-turned-political-candidate through a friend of a friend. (Isn’t that what Facebook is for?)

As part of its mission to encourage local dollars to be spent at local businesses, the Republican-led San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a trip to Cuba? The Chamber Explorations program sent out a flyer advertising a nine-day, “once in a lifetime travel opportunity!” to visit the socialist island.

‘Tis the season for people to ponder making a political run, and a newcomer to the scene intends to shake up San Jose’s City Council. Fly has learned that Tam Truong, a 30-year-old detective for the San Jose Police Department, picked up filing papers from the City Clerk’s office this week and plans to challenge District 4 Councilmember Kansen Chu in the fall. What makes Truong such an intriguing candidate, aside from being young and well educated, is who he intends to align himself with.

The winter of discontent continues unabated for the Milpitas Monarch, Jose Esteves, who complained at last week’s City Council meeting of feeling harassed by Public Records Act requests. (Message to Mayor Esteves: If you already feel harassed, stop reading here.) It would be one thing if the PRA requests were coming from an angry citizen, but almost half of the 66 requests—which ask for phone records, emails, video surveillance, and dates and times the mayor used a key card to enter City Hall—came from Councilmember Debbie Giordano. It turns out the mayor, whom critics accuse of holding an unauthorized wedding on City Hall property earlier this year, may be up to more than just connubial biz.

Back in August, Fly detailed the sordid tale of fear and loathing taking place within the Milpitas Planning Commission. Mark Tiernan, a veteran in organizing local campaigns, felt he was kicked out of his commission chair position in a coup partly orchestrated by fellow commissioner Noella Tabladillo. Tiernan said loudly in a commission meeting that Tabladillo couldn’t be trusted, and she in turn called him an asshole. Tiernan then made a bold claim to Fly that he thought Mayor Jose Esteves was behind the whole thing. Esteves is now having Tiernan removed from the commission, but there could be an even bigger things happening behind the scenes.

Move over Google, it seems public service is one of the valley’s most desired jobs. Two Cupertino councilmembers, Kris Wang and Barry Chang, are supposedly interested in the race for a seat on the county Board of Supervisors.

David Ginsborg, right-hand man to county tax assessor Larry Stone, is running for a seat on the Santa Clara Valley Water District board come next November. We’re not sure why anyone would want to spend waking hours noodling on water policy, but then again it can’t be any less exciting than tax assessments. Ginsborg isn’t the only one running against incumbent Joe Judge, though.

A political comic strip/hit-piece lampooning Cupertino Mayor Gilbert Wong was sent to 7,200 Cupertino voters over the weekend, just two days before the city’s election on Tuesday. Titled “The Adventures of Gilbert Wrong, Mayor of Cupertino,” the comic strip sets out four different scenarios in which Wong is contacted by a secretary with someone waiting to bend the mayor’s ear. Nonetheless, Wong was able to be re-elected as mayor.

Four San Jose councilmembers want City Manager Debra Figone to explain how she hires and ensures diveristy in senior staff positions. Few outside searches take place for qualified candidates, and just as few minorities currently hold director-level positions. As a result, Councilmembers Kansen Chu, Ash Kalra, Nancy Pyle, Xavier Campos and Don Rocha sent a memo to the city’s Open Rules and Government Committee asking for data. They also want a discussion on hiring practices to take place at the council level.

The state redistricting committee threw a wrench in the careers of politicians throughout California this summer by redrawing the lines. As a result, one unexpected race will pit two local, union-friendly Democrats—Jim Beall and Joe Coto—against each other in the newly established 15th State Senate District.

The most lucratively compensated of City Hall official is Debra Figone, San Jose’s city manager, who earned $239,000 last year. Figone has worked for the city on and off for nearly a quarter of a century, and since returning from a stint as Los Gatos’ city manager, she has racked up the limit of 1,200 hours of unused sick leave. All of this has set off speculation that Figone will retire sooner than later.