The San Jose Public Library is locked in a standoff with LinkedIn, and the library director says unless the company continues to allow library patrons to access its online classes confidentially — as it has for years under its former name, Lynda.com — they’ll have to drop the service. Lynda.com was founded in 1995 by...
San Jose measure to shift mayoral elections moves forward
Top labor leaders from the South Bay gathered in front of San Jose City Hall Wednesday morning to push support for a proposal they say will put a cap on money in local politics and boost voter turnout by shifting mayoral elections to presidential election years. Leaders are racing to enact the sweeping reform called...
San Jose accused of violating state law and losing records in Google negotiations
Two groups suing San Jose over an alleged lack of transparency in negotiations with Google to sell publicly-owned land for a massive development in the city’s downtown say the city violated open meeting laws by discussing details of the project privately and failed to keep some recordings of those discussions as required by city law....
San Jose begins crafting its anti-displacement policy
As Silicon Valley’s economic growth persists, residents are plagued with a turbulent housing crisis that continues to raise rents and increase displacement among communities of color. In the hub of the valley, San Jose now exemplifies the region’s widening inequality, leaving local leaders chasing solutions that aim to close that gap. Among these solutions is an anti-displacement policy,...
Santa Clara County officials beef up law enforcement presence after Gilroy shooting
In the wake of a shooting rampage in Gilroy that left three people dead, Santa Clara County law enforcement officials are ramping up security at public events — including the upcoming county fair and San Jose jazz festival. Sheriff’s deputies patrolling the fairgrounds in South San Jose when the 75th Annual Santa Clara County Fair...
Cupertino policymaker in hot water for past sexual harassment lawsuit
After making headlines for encouraging people to contact pro-growth activists’ employers to get them “reprimanded,” Cupertino Planning Commission Chair R “Ray” Wang is in hot water again — this time for a sexual harassment lawsuit that was buried for more than a decade. Rosanne Foust, a top transportation leader, accuses Wang of sending sexually explicit...
San Jose opposes bill to ban towing vehicles
A handful of California lawmakers want to bar cities from towing cars over unpaid parking tickets and other fees that disproportionately harm low-income families and people living in their cars. But in San Jose, officials are pushing back stating that the bill will exacerbate existing parking woes and excessive abandoned vehicles on city streets. The...
How you can help Gilroy Garlic Festival’s youngest victims
A day after a gunman opened fire on a crowd enjoying the Gilroy Garlic Festival, tributes poured in for the rampage’s youngest victims — Stephen Romero, 6, and Keyla Salazar, 13. Katiuska Pimental Vargas, a community organizer with San Jose-based nonprofit Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN) posted on Facebook that her niece —...
Competing with tech, Santa Clara County cities balance budgets with need for talent
Salaries and benefits at public agencies can be a contentious issue from who decides on raises to how many resources are divvied out between departments and how the public benefits from it all. But inside the various city halls around Silicon Valley, cities are facing their own challenges when it comes to attracting and retaining talent. Silicon...
Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting: San Jose councilman fled amid gunshots
In the hours after a shooting rampage Sunday at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, South Bay lawmakers responded with an outpouring of grief and support to the neighboring city — and one San Jose councilmember described the harrowing experience of rushing for cover amid the gunshots. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, three people are dead...