When asked to rate life in San Jose, residents still largely give it a “meh” or worse. A plurality of residents — 42% — rate the quality of life in the city as just “fair” and another 16% rates it as “poor,” according to a recent report. Those ratings are essentially unchanged from the previous...
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UPDATE: San Jose approves naming street after Barack Obama
San Jose will join cities like Los Angeles and Milpitas in naming a street after Barack Obama, elected leaders unanimously decided Jan. 5. The renamed boulevard will include portions of Bird Avenue, South Montgomery Street, South Autumn Street and North Autumn. The plan has been more than three years in the making. Community leader Alex...
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In 2020, San Jose leaders contended with protests, a pandemic, housing shortages — and their own flubs
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...
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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...
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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...
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UPDATE: ‘I am not trying to cripple my successor’ Diep says about San Jose spending plan
After losing re-election, San Jose Councilmember Lan Diep wants to give $440,000 in district funds to the city’s general fund — a move Councilmember-elect David Cohen is calling a Trumpian political ploy. In a memo to the city’s Rules and Open Government Committee, Diep detailed his intent to give his District 4 funds — meant...
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San Jose bans natural gas in new commercial buildings
San Jose became the largest city in the country to ban natural gas in commercial buildings, but its plan to keep businesses running during a power outage was criticized by activists and lawmakers. The City Council voted 8-3 on Dec. 1 to approve the ban but in the wake of a public health crisis and...
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San Jose talks campaign finance after dramatic and costly election
As San Jose winds down from a feisty and expensive election season, Councilmember Sergio Jimenez asked lawmakers to rethink campaign finance regulations to help restore public trust in local government. “We’ve seen an astonishing amount of money spent on negative, divisive and often — as we all recall — misleading or outright false advertisements,” Jimenez...
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How will David Cohen shake up the San Jose City Council?
As the newly-elected David Cohen gears up to represent San Jose’s District 4, political observers look to the past to see where local policymaking is headed. The council for years has been divided across business and labor lines, leading to a handful of 6-5 split decisions in favor of Mayor Sam Liccardo’s voting bloc, which...
What the failure of Prop. 16 means for the future of affirmative action in San Jose
On Election Day, California voters overwhelmingly rejected a ballot proposition which would have reversed the state’s 24-year ban on affirmative action programs that use race or gender to decide who deserves a leg up in public employment, contracting and college admissions. Fewer than 44 percent of voters in the state voted to approve Prop. 16...