Two San Jose lawmakers’ investments in Amazon and their abrupt departure from a City Council meeting — after they discussed and nearly voted on a policy to pay grocery workers higher wages — is raising questions about why the conflict wasn’t flagged sooner. Councilmembers chalk it up to a lack of forethought. As elected leaders Tuesday debated a $3...
New policy allows seniors to get COVID-19 vaccinations anywhere in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County’s public health officials now say anyone 65 and older can get their vaccine from anywhere in the county. The county’s new “no wrong door” policy, announced Thursday morning, makes it possible for seniors to get vaccinated regardless of who their normal medical provider is. “A Kaiser patient can go to the county,...
COVID-19 vaccination clinic brings hope to East San Jose
The recent arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine at Mexican Heritage Plaza signaled the dawn of a new day in East San Jose, an area hit harder than any other in Santa Clara County by the pandemic. San Jose Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco said it’s critical to have a vaccination site “smack in the middle” of a...
Bay Area health leaders urge prioritizing people 65+ for COVID-19 vaccine
Amid statewide COVID-19 vaccine shortages, health officials in eight Bay Area counties are recommending that all health care systems prioritize shots for patients 65 and over. Those aged 65 and over account for the majority of COVID-19 deaths — 81% of deaths in Santa Clara County. The announcement comes as the Bay Area faces a...
San Jose approves rent freeze for apartments, mobile homes through June
Apartment-dwellers and mobile home residents struggling to pay rent in San Jose because of the pandemic are getting some relief. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Feb. 2 to immediately halt rent increases for residents living in rent-controlled mobile homes and apartments through June 30. Neither the state nor Santa Clara County have taken...
San Jose takes first step to boost pay for grocery store workers amid COVID-19
After hours of “awkward” debate that included the vice mayor and a councilmember getting booted from a meeting due to a conflict of interest, San Jose is moving forward with giving grocery store employees a pay boost during the pandemic. The San Jose City Council voted 6-3 Tuesday to draft a measure that would require large grocery...
‘Do something!’ — San Jose business owners say they are fed up with homeless
They’ve reported gun violence, had cars stolen and watched in outrage for months as trash piles up and homeless encampments grow around them. Business and property owners in downtown San Jose are demanding the city take action to end vandalism, theft and increasing illegal camping they say is destroying their livelihood. And they are not...
Santa Clara County could issue $10,000 fine for ‘interference’ in public meetings
If you try to stop someone from speaking at the county’s Board of Supervisors meeting, you might be fined $10,000. Santa Clara County supervisors are considering a plan to levy a $10,000 fine against anyone who might threaten, intimidate or use violence to prevent someone from participating in a public decision-making process. The ordinance would...
Bill to allow legislative staffers to unionize gets support from San Jose lawmakers
Unions are having a transformative 2021: They’re waging war against Proposition 22 and breaking into the traditionally union-hostile tech industry. Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) and a majority of Silicon Valley’s legislators are hoping to carry some of that momentum into their chambers. On Jan. 25, Gonzalez reintroduced Assembly Bill 314, which would give legislative staffers...
San Jose official nearly dies from COVID-19, warns others in East Side
Rolando Bonilla woke up on a December morning finding himself gasping for air. “I couldn’t breathe,” the 42-year-old said during a recent phone interview. “Even the act of inhaling was difficult.” Bonilla, the vice chair of San Jose’s Planning Commission, had gone to bed the night before with a fever and aches. Then walking became...