The supply chain crisis is impacting Silicon Valley businesses, big and small. The San Jose Chamber of Commerce held a breakfast Thursday where business leaders discussed how inflation and COVID-19 have impacted their shops, and shared how over the last two years things have gotten more expensive—and unpredictable. Chamber President Derrick Seaver said it’s complex to pinpoint all...
Santa Clara County sheriff will not seek reelection
After nearly a quarter-century of service, Santa Clara County’s sheriff is calling it quits at the end of the year. Sheriff Laurie Smith told San José Spotlight she does not plan to run for reelection in the June primary. The deadline for entering the race is Friday. There has been widespread speculation about whether Smith...
Silicon Valley residents say state ‘death tax’ should go
An anti-tax movement is working in Silicon Valley and elsewhere in California to gut a law that taxes transfers of inherited property. An estimated 8,000 volunteers for the nonprofit Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association have been collecting signatures across California to put a measure on the November ballot to repeal part of Prop. 19. Approved in...
San Jose libraries want funds to return to pre-pandemic service
San Jose’s budget process has begun, and libraries are hoping to get enough funding to return to pre-pandemic service levels. With an expected surplus this coming fiscal year and an easing of COVID restrictions, the San Jose Public Library Foundation sees it as an opportunity to return to normalcy—at least in terms of budget and operations....
Former Silicon Valley judge leads shift in state juvenile justice
This story was originally published by The Imprint, a national news outlet covering child welfare and youth justice issues. Katherine Lucero—a daughter of farmworkers and longtime juvenile court judge who calls for compassion and support rather than jail and foster care—is now leading the most populous state toward a once-unimaginable goal: a future without youth...
Silicon Valley lawmaker wants to bring dignity to digital age
There is an alarming gulf between people thriving in the digital economy and those shut out of it. That gulf grew wider during the COVID-19 pandemic as tech workers enjoyed the ability to work from home while people in service jobs struggled with layoffs and housing insecurity. Rep. Ro Khanna has watched this crisis unfold in...
San Jose council review: Homeless jobs, Coyote Valley corridor
How do we help the people of Ukraine or our homeless residents? What is the Coyote Valley Monterey Corridor going to look like? These are some of the questions the San Jose City Council tried to answer at its March 8 meeting. The City Council unanimously approved a $2.85 million contract with Goodwill of Silicon...
San Jose won’t split from sister city over Ukraine conflict
Rather than break ties with its sister city in Russia over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, San Jose officials are choosing to keep communication lines open. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to send a letter of peace and support to sister city Ekaterinburg, Russia, encouraging its residents to stand against President Vladimir Putin. A sister...
Silicon Valley water leaders want longer term limits
Directors of a Santa Clara County water district want to extend their term limits, even as some members cast doubts about the cost and necessity. Valley Water’s board of directors voted 4-3 last month to put a measure on the June primary election ballot asking voters to approve an extension of how long directors can serve on...
UPDATE: Santa Clara begins tracking police military equipment
Santa Clara took a step toward police transparency Tuesday when the City Council approved a new policy determining when and how its police department will be allowed to use military-level equipment. The policy, which the City Council approved unanimously, guides how the Santa Clara Police Department should pay for, acquire and use certain types of...