Victims of wage theft and workplace sexual assault and harassment are calling on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to fund partnerships with local nonprofit organizations to expose violators of workers’ rights in the South Bay. The board on Tuesday will determine whether or not to allocate up to $1 million in county funds to...
Measure T funding plans top San Jose City Council agenda
From 388 miles of street repairs to two new fire stations, flood protection and an emergency operations center, San Jose elected leaders on Tuesday will discuss projects funded by a newly-passed bond. Measure T, a $650 million bond for infrastructure, public safety and disaster preparedness, was approved by nearly 70 percent of voters in November....
San Jose says goodbye to longtime city auditor
Sharon Erickson, the city leader tasked with keeping local government honest through independent audits, announced she’s retiring next month. Erickson served as the city auditor for more than a decade, probing into controversial topics such as the city’s billing systems, lack of oversight in environmental services, rent control, taxi regulations and towing services. Her office...
New Santa Clara smoking crackdown on youth raises eyebrows
In an effort to crack down on smoking and the purchase and use of flavored tobacco products by underage youth, Santa Clara City officials unanimously passed an ordinance Tuesday that enforces stricter tobacco regulations. Some of the regulations include banning smoking tobacco in new and existing multi-unit housing and requiring tenants to sign lease agreements...
Magdalena Carrasco jumps into crowded supervisorial race
Magdalena Carrasco, the dynamic lawmaker who broke the mold as San Jose’s vice mayor, is running for county supervisor in what’s shaping up to be a crowded field of high-profile candidates. “This feels like a very natural step for me,” Carrasco said in an interview Monday. “It really feels like the next step in the...
The ‘Year of the Woman’ makes its mark in Silicon Valley
A record number of women across the nation ran for political office last year – many first-time candidates – and despite some gender discrimination, the “pink wave” swept four women into top elected offices here in Silicon Valley. Newly-elected county Supervisor Susan Ellenberg remembers how empowered she felt watching Hillary Clinton’s concession speech after the 2016 election....
Don Rocha outlines vision for Dave Cortese’s office
As he takes the reins of Supervisor Dave Cortese’s office, former San Jose Councilman Don Rocha says he’ll focus on bolstering Santa Clara County finances in the face of potential cuts in federal funding to a county that’s boldly led the resistance against Donald Trump. “No one knows what the White House or Congress is...
Who is behind the anti-Google protests?
The chaos inside a recent San Jose City Council meeting was like nothing seen before: Eight people chained themselves to chairs to protest the city selling public land to Google for a massive tech campus. SWAT officers paced the room. Authorities blanketed the hallways all night, tense and ready for an uprising after monitoring social...
Johnny Khamis jumps into state Senate race
Several prominent politicians are lining up to replace termed-out state Sen. Jim Beall in an election that’s more than a year away. San Jose Councilman Johnny Khamis, a former Republican who fled the party in June over Donald Trump’s immigration policies, confirmed that he’ll run for the seat. Khamis discussed the idea with political consultant...
Attack ads run rampant in local elections
They say politics is a blood sport. Silicon Valley’s 2018 midterm election, featuring a handful of competitive city and county legislative races, was no exception. A slew of opposition ads and smear tactics shadowed several Bay Area candidates running for public office this year — including ads bankrolled by a new committee helmed by the...