Author Archives : The Left Hook

The Race is On For AD 27


The campaign to replace Assemblymember Nora Campos when she terms out in 2016 is already off the ground for at least two candidates interested in the seat. San Jose City Council Member Ash Kalra kicked off his campaign over the weekend, drawing a strong and supportive crowd, as lion dancers ushered in the lineup of impressive names there to endorse…

Ro’s Running Again


Ro Khanna is running for Congress…again.  It’s nothing new.  He’s been running for Congress since he graduated law school 13 years ago.   It’s what he does. Tweet

Ash Kalra Will Run for State Assembly


San Jose City Councilman Ash Kalra is expected to announce Jan. 31 his bid for the California State Assembly’s District 27 seat. The kickoff of the Indian American official’s campaign – at a yet-undisclosed location – will be preceded by a fundraising birthday party Jan. 21 at the M lounge in San Jose. Tweet

The San Jose Police Department is Falling Apart


Our headline says it all.  The Left Hook has obtained a copy of the latest staffing plan for the San Jose Police department which shows a further gutting of relevant enforcement units needed to control crime in the once -“Safest Big City in America.” Tweet

Liccardo’s Reach Across the Aisle is Short


There’s a difference between the talk and the walk and, where Mayor Sam Liccardo is concerned, the San Jose Mercury News doesn’t seem to be able to distinguish the two.  In an editorial touting the newly elected San Jose Mayor’s efforts to “reach across the aisle” to collaborate with campaign foes, what’s missing is a dose of reality. Tweet

A Test for Mayor Liccardo’s Weight on SJ Council


Getting out ahead of Mayor Liccardo’s plan for immigrant residents, a new memo by Councilmembers Ash Kalra, Tam Nguyen, Magdalena Carrasco and Raul Peralez  calls for funding to help immigrants take advantage of President Obama’s recent executive order on immigration.  Last November, the President declared, through an executive order, various forms of temporary relief from deportation and work authorization for…

Open Discussion: What a Concept


With all the cloudy weather lately, SJ Council Member Don Rocha thought it would be good to bring a little more sunshine to City Hall.  He wants the new Mayor to explain why he pushed City Manager Ed Shikada out the door just as he was beginning to make some progress with city unions. Tweet

Liccardo Misses Chance to Set Strong Course With Foes


Collaborate: /kəˈlæb əˌreɪt/ verb: to work, one with another; cooperate. It’s the word that newly inaugurated San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo has put forth often to identify his approach to governing the City. When he was sworn in before a crowd of more than a thousand at the Center for Performing Arts, the new Mayor seemed a bit rattled by an unavoidable change in plans,…