It's too bad that the local NPOs who worked very hard against these pay day loan thugs were not acknowledged at all, but a comedian and mayor who don't need the publicity are touted. Nuestra Casa, for example, worked hard on this campaign, educating locals about the dark side of these businesses and encouraging civic leaders to not welcome these predators.

I wouldn't call the story fantastic, I would call it sad.

"the Silverman skit wasn't played during the meeting. It wasn't even talked about. Mayor Carlton did reference a CNBC report at the beginning of her comments - but Sarah Silverman and John Oliver's show is on HBO. She didn't mention either of them at all in her comments that night.

Does anyone know what Cat Carlton was talking about when she called to talk to Silverman on KQED?

Cat Carlton doesn't need to toot her own horn- she just gets the job done. In my living in Menlo Park for over a quarter of a century this is by far the best City Council I have seen. They work well together, are smart, inquisitive, thoughtful, productive, and respectful of each other. They are a great team.

Thanks Cat, Ray, Peter, Kristin and Rich. You are wonderful!!!

This council is a good council? Members rarely ask hard questions of staff, several mayors gallivant around to other countries supposedly helping our little town, members rarely debate issues with one another, discusses big topics into the wee hours so public can't participate, and they hire consultants right and left to study subsets of issues rather than a more comprehensive view (think long-term transportation solutions and bicycle routes)? This is a do-nothing council that lets developers and staff run the town into the ground with impending gridlock and likely lawsuits for not providing fair share housing for all the new jobs (commuters) it's allowing.