Fourteen candidates vying for a seat on the San Jose City Council fielded rapid-fire questions about homelessness, public safety, environmental issues, taxes and development in a two-hour discussion hosted by San José Spotlight. The Dec. 5 forum, held at CreaTV San Jose’s downtown studios and moderated by San Jose City Hall reporter Nadia Lopez, was...
Silicon Valley’s minimum wage workers will see bigger paychecks in 2020
The lowest wage earners across Santa Clara County will get a boost in pay in 2020, with workers in Sunnyvale and Mountain View due to get the biggest bump as both cities increase their minimum wages to $16.05 in January. And San Jose, once a leader in raising the minimum wage, will fall in last...
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San Jose earned perfect score for LGBTQ equality, despite some shortcomings
For the fifth year in a row, the Human Rights Campaign gave San Jose a perfect score for equality in services, laws and protection for its lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer residents. The eighth annual Municipal Equality Index researched 49 criteria for local communities, including hot-button issues such as actions against conversion therapy and...
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San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo raises eyebrows with Mike Bloomberg endorsement
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo’s announcement Tuesday that he’s endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, just one week after his last pick, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., dropped out of the race is raising eyebrows from critics. Some are questioning the Silicon Valley mayor for backing a billionaire after Harris dropped out because she didn’t have enough capital...
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UPDATE: Lawmakers approve San Jose mayor’s spending plan for proposed tax
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo’s support for a real property transfer tax has been gaining more traction, as several community leaders, housing advocates and formerly homeless people lined up to speak next to the mayor at a news conference Tuesday to support using the funds generated from the tax toward affordable housing projects and homeless...
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San Jose leaders consider backing mayor’s plan for PG&E ratepayer takeover
With growing support from a host of 114 elected leaders in 58 cities and 10 counties, Mayor Sam Liccardo recently announced that his vision of turning PG&E into a customer-owned utility has received widespread recognition statewide. Nearly a month after introducing the proposal to the California Public Utilities Commission — which will ultimately decide on...
Environmental activists urge VTA to shift funds from highway projects to mass transit
Dozens of young environmental activists implored the Valley Transportation Authority’s Board of Directors to declare a climate crisis during its last meeting of the year this week. The group — including many local high school students — asked the board to commit to a zero carbon emission bus fleet, forswear future cuts to bus service...
New state law could shepherd in an era of growth for North San Jose
Following years of frustration over the inability to approve housing projects in North San Jose, city officials say a new state law may help transform one of the city’s most critical economic hubs. San Jose city leaders and planners have long aimed to make a low-slung, industrial corner of North San Jose into a walkable...
After years in limbo, Museum Place project may finally sprout in downtown San Jose
San Jose officials have been working to get a 1 million-square-foot tower and expansion to the Tech Museum out of the ground in downtown for years with several false starts. An approval this week may finally be the ticket that gets it moving. San Jose councilmembers Tuesday approved a development and lease agreement with prolific...
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San Jose: World AIDS Day is a time of remembrance, hope
Dennis Pitt-Clute takes 31 pills a day to combat his AIDS diagnosis, but when the 70-year-old works at PACE Clinic, a primary care facility dedicated to serving those who HIV, he’s more concerned about whether clients take their medications and make their appointments. “Some people really have difficulty getting to PACE, and I don’t understand...