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...
World Cup a win for downtown San Jose
The United States soccer team may have tied England at the World Cup’s Friday match, but the game was a win for San Jose regardless of the results. World Cup watch parties—organized by the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team, local businesses and the San Jose Downtown Association—have activated San Pedro Square in a way the...
San Jose wants to double pot shops to increase revenue
San Jose wants to more than double the number of cannabis dispensaries to increase tax dollars, but officials are struggling to find a policy that works. Last week, the San Jose City Council voted 10-1 to relax various regulations. Councilmember Matt Mahan was the lone dissenter. The new policy aims to change three issues to...
San Jose faces decades of City Hall debt
It’s been roughly 20 years since San Jose leaders voted to build a new City Hall, rotunda, plaza and parking garage at Fourth and Santa Clara streets in the heart of the city’s downtown. It’ll be nearly another two decades before the full tab is paid. Even before the idea became a reality, city leaders...
Silicon Valley’s big tech donates little locally
Tech companies based in Santa Clara County earn billions in revenue but only donate a tiny portion to local nonprofits as social inequality in one of the country’s wealthiest counties worsens. A review by San José Spotlight of donations from several Santa Clara County-based tech companies shows these corporations gave a fraction of 1% of their revenue...