Dec 22, 2017
As the school year came to close and grades came rolling in, it was obvious that San Jose Unified Trustee Paymon Zarghami was not going to earn high marks for his Board of Education attendance record. Zarghami was only present for 65% of the meetings in 2017, teleconferencing in from Manhattan for most of the remainder. Teachers and students at…
Dec 21, 2017
Yesterday, Santa Clara County Board of Education Member Michael Chang unexpectedly stepped down from his post on the Board due to family health issues. His sudden resignation leaves the Board in a precarious situation, often tying on critical issues it faces, including its vote on whether to approve the charter for Promise Academy and its election of the Board Vice…
Dec 20, 2017
For nearly 30 years, local labor unions, the South Bay Labor Council, Working Partnerships USA, and elected and community allies have come together to put on the Labor Movement Holiday Party for thousands of families struggling to make ends meet. This year was no exception. Last Saturday, children and their parents were treated to a festive event which had 10…
Dec 20, 2017
For nearly 30 years, local labor unions, the South Bay Labor Council, Working Partnerships USA, and elected and community allies have come together to put on the Labor Movement Holiday Party for thousands of families struggling to make ends meet. This year was no exception. Last Saturday, children and their parents were treated to a festive event which had 10…
Dec 18, 2017
City of San Jose Approve Mayor’s appointments to Council Committees, Commissions, and intergovernmental bodies Council will consider approving the Mayor’s appointment to various council standing committees and assignments to boards and commissions. The Mayor’s proposed appointments to Council committees (Chair, Vice Chair, and 3 additional members) are as follows: Rules: Liccardo Carrasco Jones Khamis Davis Public Safety, Finance, &…
Dec 12, 2017
On November 14th, the San Jose City Council by a 6-5 majority voted against reducing the automatic allowable annual increase for rent controlled units. Despite the fact that other major cities in the Bay Area limit increases to a fraction of the CPI, tenants in San Jose will face increases of 5% a year. The City Auditor had documented the…
Dec 11, 2017
City of San Jose Approve changes to Affordable Housing Impact Fees and Inclusionary Housing Ordinance due to AB 1505 (“Palmer Fix”) Recently, the State Legislature adopted AB 1505, also known as the “Palmer Fix,” which allowed local jurisdiction to implement inclusionary housing requirements for rental and for-sale housing developments. This change in state law means potential changes to the…
Dec 7, 2017
The recent resignation of Richard Cordray, the head of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), gave President Trump another opportunity to weaken oversight of powerful financial institutions. The president wasted little time in appointing an open critic of the CFPB as its acting director. This is yet another blow for consumers who can expect little or no help…
Dec 6, 2017
Before a packed City Hall chambers, Council Members in the City of Santa Clara voted unanimously to pass a package of policies detailing new requirements for supporting affordable housing contributions as a part of future residential and non-residential development projects in the city. Testimony included dozens of construction workers who live and work in Santa Clara making a plea to…
Dec 4, 2017
Santa Clara County Approve amendments to the Transient Occupancy Tax The Board of Supervisors will consider approving amendments to: (1) conform the County’s transient occupancy tax (“TOT”) ordinance with amendments to state law (2) incorporate language from voter ratification of the TOT in 1988 (Measure A, November 8, 1988) regarding how proceeds of the TOT are to be used (3)…