The rush to change the City Charter to a strong mayor form of government is a rush that is driven not as much by need but by political expediency by special interests. The voters, if the measure goes to the November ballot, will be asked to lengthen the term of the current mayoral office holder,...
San Jose could face legal trouble for censoring racist remarks at meetings
Emanuel Jacobo said he knew he’d be cut off at a virtual San Jose City Council meeting after quoting a lyric by 2pac using the n-word during a discussion on police reform. “Cops give a damn about a negro, pull the trigger kill a n–––– he’s a hero,” Jacobo said, quoting 2pac’s Changes right before...
San Jose mayor compares racist cops to teachers in deleted tweet
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo compared racist cops to teachers in a now-deleted tweet as calls to defund the police intensified after Facebook posts made by active and retired police officers were exposed by a blogger. In a now-deleted tweet, Liccardo responded to a tweet from Sajid Khan — a public defender who recently became...
Calls to defund San Jose police intensify after racist Facebook posts exposed
Four San Jose police officers are on administrative leave after being linked to a private Facebook group rife with bigoted and racist comments, but South Bay community leaders say that’s not enough. The racism will not go away simply by firing or disciplining the officers who posted on the page, said Raj Jayadev, co-founder of...
After two decades, San Jose City Attorney Rick Doyle is retiring
For two decades, San Jose City Attorney Rick Doyle navigated the law through a recession, violent protests at City Hall and a full-scale transition to Zoom meetings because of the coronavirus. Now he plans to retire. He was at the helm when pension reform emptied out the police department and resulted in countless union-led lawsuits. He was there...
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo unveils host of police accountability reforms
Mayor Sam Liccardo presented a nine-point proposal for reforming the San Jose Police Department Wednesday, striving to initiate tangible changes to how the city’s more than a million residents are policed in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. The mayor’s vision includes unsealing arbitration files that allow fired officers to keep their badges,...
UPDATE: San Jose leaders advance ballot measure for strong mayor system, campaign finance reform
Despite criticism about a lack of public input, a San Jose council committee Wednesday advanced a proposal from Mayor Sam Liccardo to expand the powers of his office. The unanimous decision means the San Jose City Council next week will consider asking 2020 voters to decide whether the mayor should have more power in city...
Activists call out San Jose leaders for racial equity office instead of defunding police
Civil rights activists gathered at City Hall Saturday to remember fathers lost to police violence — and call out San Jose lawmakers for ignoring pleas to defund the police. Instead of reducing police spending in next year’s budget, Mayor Sam Liccardo and his council colleagues last week voted to spend $1.5 million to create a...
San Jose mayor faces backlash over time limits during marathon meetings
Mitch Mankin tried twice in five days to speak to his city councilmembers about defunding the police. But the San Jose resident, who works as a policy associate at a housing nonprofit, never got a turn during two public meetings to voice his concerns about one of the biggest debates facing the city — police...
San Jose measure falls short of signatures as mayor says it may violate First Amendment
Days after San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo questioned the constitutionality of a controversial ballot measure, elections officials announced Friday the initiative fell short of a threshold of signatures needed to qualify for the November ballot. After more than a year of intense public debate on the future of San Jose’s local elections, Liccardo — during...