San Jose

San Jose

San Jose activists, councilmember push surveillance regulation

Like many parents of young children in this pandemic age, Ethan Gregory Dodge is at the mercy of technology when it comes to his daughter’s education—sometimes the connection will lag, sometimes homework isn’t entirely clear through a screen. But what Dodge hasn’t left to chance is how technology interacts with him and those around him...

Wage theft, hazardous conditions claimed at San Jose homeless site praised by Newsom, Liccardo

A homeless housing project praised by state and local leaders during the pandemic is the site of wage theft and hazardous conditions, according to interviews and documents obtained by San José Spotlight. “This was by far the worst I’ve ever seen in regards to violations from A to Z,” said Mauricio Velarde, director of compliance...

How progressive is Silicon Valley? The answer might surprise you

Among the seemingly solid-blue picture of the Bay Area, pockets of a more conservative population are growing. When former President Donald Trump first ran for office in 2016, roughly 20% of Santa Clara County residents, or 144,514 people, voted for him. As hundreds of thousands turned out to vote again last year amidst the rampant...

San Jose audit: Police overtime skyrockets

San Jose’s police department saw overtime hours among its staff skyrocket over the past 10 years, according to a new report released by the city auditor. According to the report, overtime hours have increased 300% over the past decade and now account for 10% of the department’s budget. It also noted the largest increase in...

San Jose fact-check: Opportunity Housing and single-family homes

Planning Commissioner Pierluigi Oliverio is talking a lot about San Jose’s proposal to densify its single-family neighborhoods, but some residents say he isn’t educating the public as much as spreading misinformation. Faced with a housing crisis, San Jose leaders are devising a plan to allow more density in signature suburban neighborhoods. So-called Opportunity Housing allows...

Seniors empty San Jose mobile home park after years of debate

Six years after a developer revealed plans to replace a San Jose mobile home park that housed seniors with luxury condos, some residents found themselves surprised they don’t qualify for the replacement housing that was promised. While most residents seem to be happy with the agreement that allowed owners of the mobile homes in the park to either...

San Jose mayor targets business, blight, jobs and housing in budget plan

The San Jose City Council unanimously supported Mayor Liccardo’s new spending plan which aims to rebuild the economy and help San Jose recover from COVID. On March 9, the mayor released his annual March Budget Message with recommendations for the city’s 2021-2022 budget. Liccardo’s main focus is on creating jobs, helping local businesses get back...