Councilwoman Magdalena Carrasco’s vision for cannabis businesses in San Jose focuses on righting the wrongs. For decades, residents in the east San Jose district have been victims of the country’s war on drugs. Now she wants to change that with an equity program. “The way that I see this is what a tragic point in...
Watch out, Silicon Valley: Nevada is luring tech businesses away
During the fight for a future headquarters for Seattle-based e-commerce giant Amazon, the city of San Jose submitted a proposal that made no mention of its neighbor Nevada or any major cities across the state line. But the proposal sent by Southern Nevada had a lot to say about San Jose and California. Charts from...
Funk: Will Newsom fix California’s broken public education funding model?
As Gov. Gavin Newsom begins his first term, early indication shows that he will focus on universal preschool, two years of free community college and increased funding for higher education. But K-12 public education advocates will be anxious to hear how he addresses K-12 funding with enormous pressure facing school districts across California with budget...
San Jose flood victims: Time’s up. From Paradise to Coyote Creek, we need action
Breathing the hazardous air from the Paradise fire has put a spotlight on the fact that climate change is impacting our daily lives and the effects must be proactively addressed now. It has also brought back the trauma we experienced during the Coyote Creek flood in our neighborhoods (Rock Springs, Olinder and mobile home...
Diridon: God, forgive us for squandering your gifts
Please forgive us God, Jehovah, Allah, Yahweh, or whatever we each respectfully choose to call the Universe’s guiding spirit. We’ve ignored the multiple warnings that you’ve shared and are destroying our wonderful blue haven for warm blooded creatures. You created the nurturing environment in which we evolved and thrived. You’ve tried to guide us during...
San Jose homeless crisis: This is where they sleep
Underneath your highways. On your sidewalks. In their cars. San Jose is home to more than 4,300 homeless residents. And when the lights go out in Silicon Valley, this is where the unsheltered homeless population sleeps. Rosalie Carrillo sleeps on the dirt beside a sidewalk near Story Road. She got hit by a car and...
Pedestrian deaths spiked in San Jose last year
A New Year’s Day traffic collision that injured San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo marks an ongoing trend of pedestrian injuries and fatalities throughout San Jose — and has given a high-profile face to a public safety campaign that some say needed a publicity boost. Liccardo collided with a 2002 Toyota Highlander on Jan. 1 while...
Silicon Valley braces for nightmare traffic in 2019
Traffic congestion continues to be a major concern among employers in the Bay Area, and some fear the commute problems could end Silicon Valley’s worldwide appeal. Companies, meanwhile, are coming up with new strategies to get their employees to work in 2019. The Bay Area Council says that the commute problems affect the business climate,...
Thousands raised for San Jose firefighters who lost Paradise homes
Retired San Jose Fire Captain Jeff Shackelford devoted 25 years to battling deadly blazes — then he lost his home in the most destructive wildfire in California history. Shackelford, 88, who’s battling dementia, lost his home in the devastating Camp Fire which charred about 164,000 acres. Shackelford now lives in a memory care facility. But...
San Jose defends its cardrooms from Blackjack ban
San Jose’s longstanding war with its cardrooms has turned into… love? As state gaming regulators mulled a controversial proposal to ban Blackjack in California cardrooms, San Jose officials loudly stood up for Casino M8trix and Bay 101 by opposing the change and sending a top city leader to Antioch to speak out against the plan....