COME HOME JEFF… Ever since Weekly editor ERIC JOHNSON announced his impending departure, Squid has given serious thought to the kinds of demands… er… requests Squid will make of Squid’s next editor. First: Squid’s own Web site. Maybe Squid can score a pretty one like State Senator JEFF DENHAM just did, at dumpdenham.com.

The folks there want the ever-more-conservative Denham out of office ASAP, long before he makes a run for the position of Lt. Governor.

It didn’t help that Denham recently became known as one of the “Gang of 14” after he and 13 other state senators held up the budget with a “no” vote. Heck, even Repub SEN. ABEL MALDONADO managed an “Ay.” But hey, it’s not Denham’s fault. Ever since he jacked Maldonado’s California Senate seat in a race with RUSTY AREIAS a few years back, “No” is all Denham has said.

Collective bargaining representation for farmworkers: No. Flood prevention bond: No. Emergency shelters: No. Kindergarten education: No. Universal healthcare: No. Greenhouse gas emission controls: No. Minimum wage hike: No. Safe baby surrender law: No. Wage discrimination penalties: No. Needle exchange programs: No. Child booster seat requirements: No.

Squid’s certainly not advocating the signing of the recall petition – found at dumpdenham.com. That’s dumpdenham.com – but Squid’s just sayin’.  

UNHEALTHY SITUATION… Squid appreciates timely notices from the Monterey County HEALTH DEPARTMENT about the presence of West Nile Virus or when the Bay becomes bacterial sludge. But Squid is thinking that the department’s punctuality ends at press releases.

On July 19 the Health Department called up several of Squid’s favorite Salinas eateries, telling them to pay a hefty price for their health permit or they would be shut down the next Monday. This was a jolt to businesses such as the CHERRY BEAN, SANG’S CAFÉ and the GOLDEN STAR RESTAURANT, none of which remembered receiving a bill in the first place It appears that the Health Department neglected to send the restaurants notice. But for their administrative trouble… err… blunder, the department tried to charge the businesses about $1,000 – double the renewal fee.

So a line of fuming business owners formed at the Health Department. JIM SANG, co-owner of Sang’s Cafe and the foe of any fee, started taking names for a petition. The complaints must have reached the higher ups in the Health Department because by the time Sang reached the payment window they waived his late fee and backed off on other businesses. Now, in addition to birds dropping dead from West Nile, Squid is paranoid about unscrupulous collectors.