Eight months after voters approved Measure E — a property transfer tax increase— the city will decide how to spend the money intended for affordable housing projects and homelessness prevention services. Under the plan coming to the City Council Nov. 10, councilmembers propose using the $30 million in tax revenue to create new properties for...
Silicon Valley reacts to Joe Biden winning presidency
After winning Nevada and Pennsylvania four days after the election, Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump on Saturday and will become the 46th president of the United States with Kamala Harris, the first woman Vice President, by his side. With victories in those two states, the former Vice President under Barack Obama harnessed a total...
Protester shot 6 times by San Jose police still awaiting trial 20 weeks later
It was the fifth night of protests in San Jose following the police killing of George Floyd and Yuridia Ochoa was doing a sideshow in his silver 2009 Audi A4 — turning in tight, fast circles in the car in front of City Hall at about 9 p.m. Within minutes, he was the target of...
Young South Bay activists mobilize to fight for climate justice
Marching down a narrow neighborhood street with signs reading “Green New Deal Now” and “We Can’t Breathe,” about 20 youth climate activists sought to surprise San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo with an early morning protest outside his home. “No justice, no sleep,” one of the protesters chanted through a megaphone while cars squeezed between the...
Major political changes coming to Santa Clara City Hall
One incumbent councilmember is out. Three new faces are in. And Mayor Lisa Gillmor has lost her stronghold on the Santa Clara City Council. “You’ve got a unique city because they have so much potential in Santa Clara and all of it is being squandered on personality,” said political consultant Rich Robinson. “This election is...
Voter turnout in San Jose’s East Side falls behind West Valley
Education trustee Teresa Castellanos spent weeks going door to door to speak with East Side voters before the Nov. 3 election. To her dismay, many of them told her no one has ever knocked on their door on the campaign trail. “That’s when I realized that there’s a whole electorate that’s not being targeted and not being...
San Jose community leaders challenge Trump with call to count votes — peacefully
As President Donald Trump cast doubt on election results even before all the votes had been tabulated, faith leaders and nonprofits gathered at San Jose City Hall to promote a complete count and a peaceful presidential transition. Scott Myers-Lipton, a sociology professor at San Jose State University and a member of Protect Our Community, said...
WATCH: What has San Jose learned from a season of protests?
As the country grappled with the police killing of George Floyd, San Jose found itself at the center of widespread protests, confrontational policing and conversations about police brutality, racial bias and First Amendment rights of protesters and journalists. What has San Jose — its people, elected leaders and civic institutions — learned from a season...
Election Day in Santa Clara County sees record turnout
This election saw the public turn out like never before in Santa Clara County. On Nov. 3, about 59,000 people countywide cast ballots in person. Counting mail-in ballots, the Registrar of Voters received more than 692,000 ballots, more than double the numbers from 2016. “We’ve been seeing very high participation numbers,” said Ryan Aralar, spokesperson...
Nation on edge as votes continue to be counted in presidential race
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hundreds began gathering at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C. as the sun set on Election Day. The polls weren’t closed, the ballots hadn’t been counted — but the crowd appeared confident President Donald Trump was on his way out. Some danced in the street while the song “Celebration,” blared from...