In 2020, San Jose endured weeks of protest, a housing crisis, a historic election and a pandemic that led to the deaths of more than 650 area residents. Local lawmakers were forced to make tough decisions to keep the city running. Here are some of the year’s most contentious and impactful political moments. George Floyd’s death leads...
Plenty of trash but little cash in San Jose program to pay homeless to pick up garbage
Weeks after San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo announced a program to pay homeless people cash to pick up garbage around the city, people in the program say trash was left piling up and they weren’t paid for weeks — until San José Spotlight asked about it. On Dec. 19, a day after an inquiry from...
South Bay Latinos cheer Padilla appointment to U.S. Senate
Gov. Gavin Newsom made history appointing California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ Senate seat — and South Bay Latinos acknowleged it was not by chance. Latinos throughout the state lobbied hard for the governor to appoint someone from their community, saying their time for representation was long overdue. They...
San Jose transit chief was touted for Biden’s top transportation post
Before President-elect Joe Biden nominated former South Bend Mayor and presidential rival Pete Buttigieg to be his Secretary of Transportation, there was buzz that a notable local official might be in the running for the role. Nuria Fernandez, the CEO and general manager of the Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority, made the short list...
Airport panel rejects San Jose’s Diridon, Google project plans
A critical airport commission unanimously voted against San Jose’s Diridon plan and Google’s downtown megacampus, taking issue with proposed building heights that would disrupt the city’s international airport. Santa Clara County Airport Land Use Commissioner Glenn Hendricks admonished San Jose for failing to answer commissioner’s questions. “I’m extremely disappointed in the city of San Jose...
A split San Jose council appoints Diep to critical city commission
A divided San Jose City Council voted 6-4 to appoint outgoing Councilmember Lan Diep to a critical city commission created to significantly challenge San Jose’s government. The council voted unanimously Dec. 15 to appoint 22 other members to the newly-formed Charter Review Commission, but opted to vote for Diep separately because he is a sitting...
UPDATE: San Jose extends paid sick leave as COVID-19 spreads
Fearing the federal government won’t help residents, San Jose leaders voted unanimously to extend local paid sick leave protections through an emergency measure. Councilmembers Magdalena Carrasco, Sylvia Arenas and Maya Esparza spearheaded the measure because they worried the federal government wouldn’t extend its Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which has provided paid sick leave...
San Jose business leaders see a thriving downtown — just not right now
With many businesses shuttered and trash mounting, it is hard to imagine how downtown San Jose will evolve into the metropolis city leaders are hoping for. But experts at a recent San José Spotlight panel were confident that with a little patience, a lot of housing and eager investment from local developers, a vibrant downtown core...
San Jose mayor picks defeated councilmember for key panel, raising questions
A last-minute decision by Mayor Sam Liccardo to appoint defeated Councilmember Lan Diep to a critical city commission has some community leaders crying foul. The leaders also allege the mayor might have violated open meeting laws in the process. As mayor, Liccardo is allowed to appoint three people to serve on the 23-member Charter Review...
San Jose artist, 14, finds himself in national spotlight
Tyler Gordon, a 14-year-old San Jose artist, has hit the national stage with kudos from none other than Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and Time magazine. After recently tweeting a time-lapse video of himself painting a portrait of Harris, Gordon received a surprise phone call just before Thanksgiving from the vice president-elect recognizing him for the...