San Jose plans to decommission its only sanctioned tent homeless encampment months after it opened. The Taylor Street Navigation Hub is scheduled to close by next January as San Jose grapples with its $50 million deficit. The move comes as a shock to homeless advocates, as San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan threw his weight behind the...
San Jose budget proposal outlines millions in service cuts
After months of speculation about where the budget axe might land to balance a $50 million deficit, San Jose’s city manager has released a proposal for the upcoming fiscal year that includes broad cuts to city services but avoids layoffs. The $5.5 billion budget proposal submitted by City Manager Jennifer Maguire on Friday has come...
Internal poll puts Matt Mahan higher in CA governor contest
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is touting a new optimistic poll in his struggle to leave the back of the pack in the crowded race for California governor. An internal poll of 900 likely primary voters — 100 of whom were Republicans and 800 described by the survey as “open to Democratic candidates” — says...
Is Matt Mahan’s campaign for California governor losing steam?
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s late entry into the California governor’s race met immediate fanfare in Silicon Valley two months ago. But reports of internal tension, a top strategist’s exit, a curious fundraising scheme and persistent low polling suggest his billionaire-paved road to Sacramento may turn to gravel. Since his Jan. 29 campaign announcement, Mahan...
San Jose looks to cut homeless shelter operating costs
San Jose has doubled the number of homeless shelters it operates over the past year and a half — and with that comes staggering operational costs that will require creative cuts. The city is projecting its shelters will rack up $94 million in maintenance and operating costs in the upcoming fiscal year. This eye-popping figure...
Silicon Valley’s tech world takes center stage in state politics
From a wide-open governor’s race to a bitter congressional contest, Santa Clara County has emerged as a key battleground in the tech industry’s bid to control California politics — and shield billionaires from a wealth tax. Two electoral fights have shaped the “Valley of Heart’s Delight” into combative territory. In the 17th Congressional District, incumbent...
San Jose workers want safeguards from AI
San Jose has been an early adopter of generative artificial intelligence tools. Now the city’s largest public sector union is demanding it also move quickly to embrace safeguards for workers. Amid ongoing contract renewal negotiations with the city, AFSCME Local 101 has introduced a package of proposals intended to give workers a greater say in...
Will Matt Mahan’s solutions to homelessness work for California?
If San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan becomes California’s next governor, policy experts say some homeless solutions he has implemented in Silicon Valley’s largest city could work — but others may fall flat. Mahan has scaled up production of tiny homes, more than doubling the number of beds it operates last year to get people off...
San Jose mayor behind in polls but ahead on prediction markets
Traditional polling puts San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan toward the back of the pack in the race for California governor. But online gambling markets are betting bigger on his success. While polls by Emerson College, UC Berkeley and the Public Policy Institute of California have all put Mahan under 5% favorability in the race, the...
San Jose mayor touts 15-point housing plan for California
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan aims to stand out from the crowded field of California governor candidates with a statewide policy plan to speed up housing production. Advocates say there’s plenty to like — even if certain facets of the plan could cut funding to local public services. Mahan unveiled his 15-point plan March 5...