Bob Brunton’s campaign message is printed on his transparent face shield — a symbol of his willingness to speak with people face-to-face, including and especially those who belong to the opposing Democratic party. “Most of these issues aren’t really Republican-Democrat,” said Brunton, a Republican who is running to represent District 25 in the California Assembly....
Assembly candidate Alex Lee promises constituents come before corporations
Alex Lee says working in politics has always been about helping people. “It wasn’t really my dream to become an elected official or anything,” Lee said. “I think it started as early as when I applied to college, and that was during the election campaign of Barack Obama.” That year, 2008, was also the year...
UPDATE: More San Jose small businesses to get break on license tax
In an effort to relieve small businesses suffering during the pandemic, the San Jose City Council unanimously agreed to expand a tax break even though it will cost the city $1 million. The tax, which business owners pay annually to receive a license, ranges from $203 to as high as $163,745 depending on the number...
Farmworker bills aim to protect against COVID-19 but may not go far enough
In a fragrant field of dew-drenched leaves, an uneven row of farmworkers labored before sunrise at a farm in Morgan Hill. These men and women, as well as hundreds of thousands of other farmworkers across California, could benefit from a suite of Assembly bills that will likely be passed by the end of this month....
Union blames lack of overtime for San Jose’s fire inspection backlog
Despite having filled nearly all of its vacant positions, San Jose’s Fire Prevention Bureau will likely fall behind in conducting fire inspections — and largely because of its failure to pay overtime. “There’s a short-term solution to try to bring down the backlog and that is to reinstate the allowance of (paid) overtime,” said Matt...
New program guides East San Jose parents through online learning
As school districts across Silicon Valley extend online learning to stop the spread of COVID-19, one local school district is helping parents — mostly immigrants and communities of color — get comfortable with the technology. This week, the San Jose Evergreen Community College District began its Parent Academy, a series of courses that train East...
Proposed housing project at San Jose’s Blossom Hill station would help fund transit
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is looking to build 328 apartments at the Blossom Hill light rail station in south San Jose, with revenue from the development to be used to fund transit operations. “It’s all about generating revenue and riders in order to reinvest into our existing transit system,” said Kelly Snider,...
Time of reflection, change as San Jose police chief nears retirement
Quoting Steve Jobs, San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia said he’s not out to please everybody. “If you want to make everyone happy, don’t be a leader — go sell ice cream,” said Garcia, 49, who announced last month he is retiring at the end of the year. Having worked in the city’s roughly 1,400-member...
How San Jose police union contracts shield officers accused of misconduct
As San Jose and cities around the country study how to reform police departments, the role union contracts play in obscuring information about officers under investigation is facing scrutiny. “I am concerned that over the years a number of issues have been put into (police union) contracts that limit the management decisions of the police...
Census deadline looms as South Bay groups race to count residents
A federal judge in San Jose over the weekend halted the U.S. Census Bureau’s plans to wind down operations on Sept. 30, but local groups are still scrambling to get the word out about the federal survey and how it can benefit residents. “We’re really going where we know that folks need an extra push,...
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