A local teachers’ union stormed a school board meeting Thursday calling for Evergreen School Board trustee Jim Zito’s resignation on claims he’s been “controlling and inappropriate” toward female colleagues and community members. More than a dozen teachers and supporters from the Evergreen Teachers Association (ETA) held a news conference before the meeting, where several women...
San Jose councilmembers unanimously approve mayor’s new budget plan
As the city copes with the ongoing economic impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo announced in his recent budget message that he wants to shift public dollars to prioritize housing and homelessness, while cutting back on city spending in the event of an economic downturn. The mayor’s budget message, which was...
Vargas: We need a plan to protect vulnerable communities from COVID-19
As COVID-19, colloquially known as the “coronavirus,” spreads around the world, people are starting to use words like “epidemic” and “pandemic” to describe it. While the risk to otherwise healthy people is limited, the virus presents a very real danger to those who have a compromised immune system such as seniors. In response, many countries...
Silicon Valley lawmaker wants to bring Andrew Yang’s universal income plan to California
Andrew Yang’s presidential run ended in February, but Assemblymember Evan Low is trying to bring one of Yang’s key issues to life in California: Universal basic income. Low, who was Yang’s national campaign co-chair, recently introduced a bill in the state Assembly that would provide $1,000 a month to many California residents in an effort...
VTA adopts enhanced cleaning practices in response to coronavirus concerns
The Valley Transportation Authority is taking new steps to disinfect buses, light rail cars and stations to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Santa Clara County. The agency’s response to concerns about surface transmission of coronavirus drew praise from regular riders and advocates alike. “They are doing everything they can,” said transit activist...
Comcast to provide tech, training to San Jose tiny homes residents
Days after residents moved into San Jose’s first tiny homes community, Comcast announced it will provide the formerly homeless residents with a first-of-its-kind technology program that includes internet access and digital literacy training. The California-based Comcast team got involved in the city’s tiny homes project, which opened two weeks ago on Mabury Road, after a...
San Jose adopts a ban on evictions amid coronavirus outbreak
Fearing severe economic consequences to vulnerable San Jose families, city lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously approved adopting a moratorium on evictions for residents who can’t pay rent because of lost income resulting from the coronavirus outbreak. As the virus continues to spread across the globe with new cases every day, leaders are advising residents in more than 90...
Santa Clara officials fail to appoint councilmember in tense public meeting
Tensions ran at a fever pitch Monday night as Santa Clara councilmembers realized that for the third time in a row, they’d fail to agree on who to appoint to a key elected position in the city that was vacated early. Santa Clara officials spent about an hour discussing how to fill a council seat representing...
San Jose approves new zoning rules for mobile homes to bolster protections
San Jose lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously approved creating a new land use designation for mobile home parks that would prevent hundreds of low-income residents from being forced to lose their homes as developers eye the land to build extravagant new homes. The stricter redevelopment protections will apply to all 58 mobile home parks in the...
Coronavirus: San Jose State suspends classes, county bans mass gatherings after death
San Jose State University leaders on Monday announced they will suspend classes through Friday due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. University president Mary Papazian broke the news in a letter late Monday just as Santa Clara County officials announced the first death in the county from COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. There are 45...