It was a ticking time bomb. Brush covered the ground, people flicked cigarettes out of cars and the sun glared down on land by Interstate 280 in San Jose. Alexis Cook, 26, who lived with her daughter and stepfather near Interstate 280 and CEFCU Stadium, knew someone had to clean up the dried needles dropping...
Poll shows Dave Cortese leads Senate race; opponent calls it unethical
A new poll obtained by San José Spotlight shows Santa Clara Supervisor Dave Cortese has a double-digit lead in the November Senate race, but his opponent is calling foul. The poll, conducted by EMC Research, surveyed 815 likely voters in state Senate District 15 between June 11 and 19. It found that Cortese is “well-positioned” for...
Santa Clara County approves Caltrain sales tax measure
Caltrain moved one step closer to being saved when the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved a sales tax measure Tuesday to keep the rail running. “I appreciate that folks weren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves, keep talking and get us to ‘yes,'” said Board President Cindy Chavez. However, to be placed on...
What you should know about Prop. 15
Supporters of California Proposition 15 say the initiative will generate millions for schools and local government, but opponents fear it would be catastrophic for business owners. Prop. 15, also known as the Tax on Commercial and Industrial Properties for Educational and Local Government Funding Initiative, asks voters to approve an amendment to the Constitution requiring...
New gender-bias complaints emerge against Santa Clara County school official
Two local educators have leveled new complaints of gender-based harassment against Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph Di Salvo, who’s been in hot water over his behavior toward women. The complaints came to the board after Di Salvo claimed a long record of supporting women in July to rebut an independent investigation that...
Santa Clara County COVID-19 tax plan fails
Santa Clara County’s effort to tax residents to pay for COVID-19 relief measures failed after a short debate Tuesday. County leaders proposed two options for asking voters in November to approve a 5/8-cent sales tax to help close the county’s estimated $300 to $600 million budget deficit. The county has spent $165.4 million so far...
San Jose: Debate heats up over plan to install electronic billboards
A plan to allow up to 90 digital billboards in downtown San Jose has some residents fired up, citing worries about aesthetics, safety and even bird health. “The hazards of electronic billboards are manifold,” Puragra “Raja” GuhaThakurta said at a recent city meeting. “Some of you have brought up driver distraction and the damage it...
Santa Clara County education board hit with lawsuit over gender harassment probe
Tensions in the Santa Clara County Office of Education continue to rise as trustee Joseph Di Salvo filed a federal lawsuit against the board and his colleagues Tuesday, claiming a vote to censure him last month violated his free speech and due process rights. The civil complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the...
Santa Clara City Council candidate aims to push Republican principles
Gautam “Gary” Barve hopes to bring a business-centered perspective to the Santa Clara City Council. Running for the District 6 seat in the November election, the 35-year-old said he wants to represent Republican ideals if elected – starting with reopening the economy immediately. Although Santa Clara County public health officials make the final call on...
San Jose pension plans face perilous future in COVID-19 economy
The coronavirus pandemic has already wreaked havoc on the city’s financial health, with officials tightening their belts last month to make up for a $71 million shortfall in its $4.1 billion budget this year. But questions remain about how the budget crisis will affect the city’s pension system, which has an unfunded liability of $3.4...