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As Santa Clara County lawmakers prepare to approve new political boundaries, some local politicians are raising complaints about the process. The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 earlier this month to advance a proposal for redistricting the county’s five political boundaries, choosing the so-called Yellow Map over two other options. Supervisors Mike Wasserman and Joe Simitian voted against...
Where to find free Thanksgiving meals in San Jose
Braving the chilly weather on an early Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of San Jose residents filtered through the Sacred Heart community center on South First Street to receive food boxes for Thanksgiving dinners. “This is our 57th year giving out food boxes to the community,” Demone Carter, community engagement director at Sacred Heart, told San José...
San Jose prepares to settle litigation with injured cop watcher
San Jose appears to be settling litigation with a resident injured while trying to film police officers. Last week in closed session, the San Jose City Council discussed a lawsuit brought by Nicholas Robinson, a security guard who records police interactions. Robinson was arrested while monitoring police conducting an arrest near Highway 101 in November 2018. He...
Silicon Valley lawmaker’s committee removal sparks outrage
An Asian American lawmaker from the South Bay has been booted from a key California committee, and LGBTQ and Asian American advocacy groups are crying foul. Speaker Anthony Rendon stripped Assemblymember Evan Low of his chairmanship and membership on the Business and Professions Committee this week without explanation. Rendon appointed Assemblymember Marc Berman of Palo...
VTA committee recommends Measure B funds for Silicon Valley highways
VTA is poised to distribute nearly $200 million for projects to reduce highway congestion following a critical committee vote. The Congestion Management Program and Planning Committee is recommending VTA’s board of directors approve funding for a list of 13 highway projects in cities across Santa Clara County. The funding comes from Measure B, a sales...
Santa Clara County group offers free legal services for undocumented residents
East San Jose’s Mexican Heritage Plaza has played host to cultural performances, rallies and a mass vaccination site. This week, a group of nonprofits will bring together its resources for another critical use in the Latino community: free legal and rental assistance for immigrants. The Rapid Response Network of Santa Clara County, a group of...
Vision for personal rapid transit system stalled in Milpitas
Rob Means dreams of revolutionizing Milpitas’ public transit by creating an environmentally-friendly track system to whisk people to destinations in small vehicular pods. But getting others to share that dream is tough. In 2019, Means, founder and secretary of LoopWorks, pitched Milpitas’ mayor and City Council on the concept of personal rapid transit (PRT), a system...
Billions of infrastructure dollars are coming to Silicon Valley
Caltrain, VTA and BART are all big winners with the passage of the federal infrastructure bill on Monday, with billions of dollars flowing into Silicon Valley. Some of the funding from the $1.2 trillion bill will be spent on local public transportation. Coming to the Bay Area is $66 billion which will enable the $7...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County supervisors delay jail decision
Santa Clara County lawmakers have deferred a decision on management of the jail system following calls to delay from one supervisor. Supervisor Susan Ellenberg requested the deferral Monday afternoon. She said a report on the jail does not include specific information the board requested about alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness and uses...
Santa Clara County supervisor uses private emails for public business
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo isn’t the only Silicon Valley lawmaker who uses private emails to conduct public business. Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, one of the frontrunners in the mayoral race to succeed Liccardo next year, also appears to communicate with other elected officials—and lobbyists—using a private email account, records obtained by San José...