Ousted San Jose City Councilman Tam Nguyen isn’t planning to disappear now that his one term on the council is over. In a recent interview with San José Spotlight, Nguyen said he plans to continue working on finding solutions to issues like affordable housing and homelessness as a community member. Nguyen, 62, lost his bid...
“Stand up, fight back”: Women’s March takes over downtown San Jose
From City Hall to Arena Green, thousands took to the streets of San Jose over the weekend to shout their support for women — in their communities, in America and around the world. They brought signs, drums, water, food and demands. The third-annual Women’s March San Jose, organized by nonprofit Women’s March Bay Area, began...
Don Rocha outlines vision for Dave Cortese’s office
As he takes the reins of Supervisor Dave Cortese’s office, former San Jose Councilman Don Rocha says he’ll focus on bolstering Santa Clara County finances in the face of potential cuts in federal funding to a county that’s boldly led the resistance against Donald Trump. “No one knows what the White House or Congress is...
New San Jose police watchdog details plans to expand oversight duties
Shivaun Nurre is coming into the job of San Jose Independent Police Auditor with a vision to expand the duties of the office, months after her predecessor resigned amid a high-profile fight with San Jose’s police union. But Nurre, 58, leads the office at a critical time — police officers across the country and in...
Cannabis panel discusses removing barriers, ending the war on drugs
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...