Bay Area residents overwhelmingly think their lives are headed in the right direction, even as they see the region moving down the wrong track. That’s one of the key takeaways from the annual Silicon Valley Poll, released last week by local think tank Joint Venture Silicon Valley, with 81% of the 1,800 adults surveyed in...
After strike threat, tentative deal reached with San Jose public unions
San Jose has reached a tentative contract agreement with its public sector union workers, likely averting a strike and ending a monthslong standoff over demands for higher wages and workforce protections. The tentative agreement struck Thursday breaks a negotiation deadlock between city leaders and two major public sector unions, IFPTE Local 21 and MEF-AFSCME Local...
Santa Clara mayoral candidate claims Levi’s Stadium financials fall short
Former Santa Clara Councilmember Kathy Watanabe is calling for an independent analysis of the economic benefit Levi’s Stadium provides to the city, saying residents deserve a clearer accounting of the stadium’s costs, revenues and contributions to city coffers. Watanabe, a mayoral candidate in the upcoming Nov. 3 election, held a news conference Thursday in front...
Silicon Valley voters to weigh ‘billionaire tax’ ballot measure
California Proposition 40, also known as the billionaire tax, is one of the more complicated ballot measures put before voters this November because its fate depends on two other ballot measures. Proposition 40 — a one-time 5% tax to be imposed on roughly 200 state residents whose net worth exceeded $1 billion at the start...
Cupertino approves law enforcement contract after long fight
Cupertino officials have reluctantly agreed to sign a new contract with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office amid a long fight against a significant rate increase. The five-year contract for law enforcement services, unanimously approved by the City Council on Tuesday, starts Oct. 1 and is retroactive to July 1. Cupertino’s annual fee of $19...
Santa Clara County home aid workers see pay increase
After years of meager wage increases, thousands of home aid workers in Santa Clara County will receive a bump in their hourly pay amid a tight budget cycle — a move advocates said is necessary but falls short to cover rapidly rising costs of living. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a new two-year...
Santa Clara County court victory keeps millions in federal funds
Millions of dollars will be preserved for Santa Clara County after an appeals court backed the county-led lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration for imposing politically motivated restrictions on federal grants. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday affirmed a lower court decision that temporarily suspended the federal government from tying conditions onto...
Downtown San Jose venue faces closure after permit denial
Representatives for a late night venue in downtown San Jose said their business may close for good, after the City Council declined to grant a permit to stay open after midnight. San Pedro Social, located on Santa Clara Street, closed its doors in June, citing financial troubles brought about by its inability to tap into...
San Jose metro area ranks No. 1 in lawyer salaries
San Jose tops the nation in lawyer salaries, but the high pay masks a tradeoff with steep living costs and student loan debt pushing more graduates toward private practice — making public service work harder to sustain in one of the country’s most expensive markets. The San Jose metro area ranks No. 1 among 70...
Second downtown San Jose venue shutters amid permit battle
Another late night venue in downtown San Jose has temporarily closed its doors amid bureaucratic wrangling over operating permits. San Pedro Social, a Santa Clara Street establishment that opened in 2022, announced the closure in late June, citing a need to cut expenses amid a protracted effort to obtain permits that would allow the venue...