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Some of Santa Clara County’s most vulnerable families are receiving $1,000 checks starting this week—the first of many. The Silicon Valley Guaranteed Income Program is giving 150 families $1,000 a month with no strings attached for two years. The program, run by housing nonprofit Destination: Home, prioritizes homeless and marginalized families while studying the effects of...
Santa Clara County loses revenue from Stanford’s property tax exemptions
The largest tax exempt entity in Santa Clara County is depriving neighboring cities of much-needed tax revenue, local leaders say. Stanford University received more than $16.8 billion in tax exemptions last year for its various campus properties, nearly half of the $35.2 billion of property tax exemptions in the county, according to the Santa Clara...
San Jose commission to divvy up millions from Google
A select group of San Jose residents have the job of spending about $155 million from Google—and they’re ready to get to work. The group, known as the Community Stabilization and Opportunity Pathways Fund Commission, is comprised of 13 residents who either have experienced homelessness or come from a field of advocacy, education or workforce development....
San Jose trails neighbors on minimum wage
Paychecks are increasing in San Jose come Jan. 1, but for some residents it’s barely enough to get by. The minimum wage in San Jose will go from $16.20 an hour to $17 an hour, but the hike isn’t keeping pace with the rising costs of living in the Bay Area, workers said. Ahtziri Hernandez, a...
California franchise owners fight fast food law
A state law meant to address working conditions among fast food workers could soon be stopped. The International Franchise Association (IFA), the world’s largest trade organization for franchise operators, wants to place a referendum on the 2024 ballot to repeal AB 257. The group announced this week it has gathered more than one million signatures...
UPDATE: Silicon Valley Latinas rally for fair compensation
Latinas in Silicon Valley get paid 33 cents for every dollar a white man earns—and local leaders say that needs to change. Dozens of people gathered Thursday morning in Santa Clara for a joint rally in honor of Latina Equal Pay Day, hosted by the Santa Clara County Office of Women’s Policy and Latina Coalition...
Silicon Valley officials shut down their Twitter accounts
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen recently deactivated his office’s Twitter account, but he isn’t the first South Bay politico to leave the social media site—and he likely isn’t the last. Rosen deactivated the DA’s official Twitter account earlier this week, noting the recent takeover by billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has resulted...
San Jose tourism slow to recover
A recent audit of the nonprofit that manages San Jose’s arts and cultural centers shows the organization is rebounding from a devastating pandemic year—but is still a long way from regaining pre-pandemic revenues. The city’s annual audit of Team San Jose found the organization exceeded its goals of booking hotel rooms, hosting events and bringing...
Downtown San Jose loses another major retailer
The closing of a neighborhood drugstore means the loss of much needed services for residents and business owners in downtown San Jose. The CVS on The Alameda, which closed about two weeks ago, offered a convenient one-stop shop for groceries, basic goods and pharmaceutical needs, but it also became a “magnet” for homeless residents who...
The Biz Beat: Cajun eats and live music define Mama Kin’s success
The first thing you’re likely to notice as you enter Mama Kin in downtown San Jose is the live band onstage, or the line of hopefuls with guitars signed up for the open mic if it’s Tuesday. Music is essential to Mama Kin’s atmosphere—appropriate for a venue named after an Aerosmith song—as is the selection of Cajun...