Aug 7, 2014
Now that campaign finance reports are out for the end of the Primary season, we can see just what kinds of games candidates are playing to make themselves look successful. Take the case of San Jose City Council District One candidate Charles “Chappie” Jones. Campaign reports show that Jones loaned his campaign $19,356 last spring. At the time, his opponent…
Aug 6, 2014
Given that they share a conservative voting record on the City Council, Madison Nguyen’s endorsement of Sam Liccardo for Mayor comes as no surprise. They are both to blame for the current public safety crisis and endorsing Dave Cortese would be a tacit admission that the city has crumbled under their leadership. But if Liccardo is counting on Nguyen’s coattails consider this: The San…
Aug 5, 2014
UPDATE: It looks like there will be NO public safety tax proposal on the November ballot, and NO general sales tax proposal. The good guys on the council were able to thwart the sham of a “public safety” tax proposal and the Mayor and his allies defeated the general sales tax plan which actually could have done some good. Back…
Aug 4, 2014
Santa Clara County Unaccompanied Minor Immigrants Now that we’re out of July vacations, we have a lot more to talk about on Policy Watch. Let’s start with the most dramatic, controversial and needed: Santa Clara County Supervisors developing a “host family” program to provide temporary housing for unaccompanied immigrant children. Thousands of children have been streaming across the southern U.S.…
Jul 28, 2014
San Jose Potential measures for November Ballot San Jose City Council has a lot on its plate when Council Members come back from their July break. Polling results show support for a City sales tax increase and for a 20% Marijuana Business Tax. The Council may decide whether or not to put either or both items on the November ballot.…
Jul 10, 2014
The Registrar of Voters recently reported numbers from the June 3 Primary and if you’re a political junky (and we know that you are) they’re pretty interesting. The big takeaway is that Mayoral candidate Sam Liccardo is in trouble. Tweet
In a decisive call for a change in City leadership, 33% of voters cast their ballots for County Supervisor Dave Cortese in a crowded field of candidates to take over as Mayor of the 10th largest city in America. Council member Sam Liccardo will challenge Cortese in a November runoff, coming in 9 points behind Cortese with 25% of the…
Jun 4, 2014
San Jose Wastewater Technical Training Facility faces training challenges to new and promoted staff; San Jose Issue summary: The San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility has experienced a high turnover rate in operations and maintenance staffing during the last several years. A December facility staffing status memo reported a 25% vacancy rate in the combined five critical classifications: Wastewater Operators,…
May 27, 2014
Santa Clara County – 5/29/14 Senior Meal Funding Supervisor Dave Cortese is leading the effort to restore funding for meals cooked on site for the Senior Nutrition Program. During the April CSFC (Children Seniors Families Committee) meeting, the Department of Aging and Adult Services was asked to provide the Board with information regarding the feasibility of restoring cook-on-site meals to…
May 23, 2014
This week we discover a Whopper in the American Mid-west, specifically in a May 20th column in The Cleveland Plain Dealer written by Kevin O’Brien and titled, “Where the VA has taken veterans, Obamacare is leading all Americans.” O’Brien doesn’t like the Affordable Care Act and his hostility to that legislation has led him into Whopper land. To begin with,…