Months after a poll sponsored by a business group revealed that San Jose voters favored switching to a strong mayor government, a new poll sponsored by a labor organization is suggesting the opposite. The poll, obtained by San José Spotlight, was conducted by EMC Research and found that at least 56 percent of respondents were not interested in...
Black and white “prison stripes” have been donned by minimum security inmates at one Santa Clara County jail for more than a decade. Now, advocates from the Bill Wilson Center are trying to change that. Amanda Clifford, a policy and advocacy associate at the center, said switching from stripes to a solid colored uniform at the...
Increasingly, more families and communities of color in San Jose are struggling to stay in their homes and keep their businesses. As the city prospers amid an economic boom, vulnerable residents in low-income neighborhoods affected by a spike in development and increasing cost of living expenses are subject to higher rates of displacement in the...
After months of negotiations with Santa Clara County, thousands of its workers, represented by Service Employees International Union Local 521, went on strike Wednesday — a protest that hasn’t happened in 40 years. “We are striking because there is a crisis in Santa Clara County when it comes to public services,” said Social Worker Supervisor...
A drawn-out, months long battle over racial representation on San Jose’s Planning Commission came to an end Tuesday after two new appointees were chosen by the City Council, following hours of intense debate from both sides of the political aisle. After a lengthy interview process, Rolando Bonilla and Mariel Caballero were appointed to one of...
In the aftermath of 9/11, Silicon Valley’s airport became the first in the country to pioneer a therapy animal program to ease passengers’ fears and anxieties before boarding flights. Now, 18 years later, the program is still going strong, and the animals are bringing joy to airport-goers of all ages. Adam Albert, a volunteer since 2015, brought Johnny, his...
Santa Clara residents will likely see a question on the March 3 ballot next year that asks whether the city should be split into three voting districts, a yearslong contentious topic in the South Bay city. The city’s Charter Review Committee, which is an advisory board, has worked on the most recent effort to shape Santa Clara’s...
After two of her Milpitas City Council colleagues dropped out of an Assembly race to replace Kansen Chu, Councilmember Carmen Montano announced Monday that she’s jumping into the fray. The announcement comes a little more than a week after Milpitas Vice Mayor Karina Dominguez ended her Assembly campaign after three months and longtime South Bay...
Amid the region’s housing crunch and an increasing homeless population, San Jose is searching for solutions to temper the ongoing crisis, as more families and communities of color are subject to displacement. In response, the City Council on Tuesday will discuss anti-displacement strategies to curb the adverse effects of Silicon Valley’s economic boom. “The City Council’s study...
A small crowd of eager donors crammed into a Fremont home on Saturday night for a fundraiser for former Vice President Joe Biden, days after the Democratic presidential hopeful’s campaign was overshadowed by reports that President Donald Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate the Biden family — a charge that’s now led to an impeachment inquiry. But...
