Author Archives : The Left Hook

Open Space Authority Director Hints at 2022 Run for Higher Office


In a Facebook post announcing her acceptance to Mills College, Santa Clara County Open Space Authority Director Shay Franco-Clausen signaled that she plans to run for an unnamed higher office in two years. In her now deleted post, she states that “Graduating from Mills College will be the preparation to continue my run for higher elected office in 2022!” With…

Policy Watch – Week of 5/18


In this week’s “Policy Watch” segment, we bring you the upcoming top ten policy issues for the South Bay area. |City of San Jose| Adopting amendments to strengthen eviction moratorium; update from BOS delay in extending countywide eviction moratorium Issue summary: Staff provide a supplemental memo with an update on Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors’ decision to wait until its…

Policy Watch: Week of 5/11


|City of San Jose| Establishing Coronavirus Relief Fund and approving food delivery contracts, incl. $23.9M for Revolution Foods  Issue summary: Staff recommend council approve an ordinance to establish the Coronavirus Relief Fund, and to take the following appropriation and funding actions: Establish an estimate for revenue from the Federal Government in the amount of $178,295,248; Establish an appropriation for COVID-19 Emergency…

San Jose City Clerk Loses Thousands of Fair Election Initiative Petition Signatures


Superior Court Judge Orders Full Count of Remaining Signatures San José, CA — A judge signed an order requiring the County Registrar of Voters (ROV) to conduct a full count of every voter’s signature in their possession to determine whether the Fair Elections Initiative qualifies for the November 2020 ballot.  The order comes on the heels of the startling revelation that the San Jose…

Policy Watch: Week of 5/4


|City of San Jose| Establishing Coronavirus Relief Fund with $45M appropriation; authorize $23.9M for Revolution Foods & other contracts to provide meals for food-insecure people Issue summary: Staff recommend council approve an ordinance establishing the Coronavirus Relief Fund and adopt the following resolutions: Appropriation and funding sources resolution with the following provisions: Establish an estimate for Revenue from the Federal Government…

Policy Watch: Week of 4/27


| City of San Jose | Adopting rent moratorium Issue summary: Staff recommend council adopt an urgency ordinance that establishes a moratorium on rent increases for tenants residing in rent stabilized apartments and mobilehome owners and mobilehome residents residing in mobilehomes subject to rent control. Specifically, the ordinance would: Prohibit rent increases through December 31, 2020; Apply the moratorium to rent…

Unlike other Silicon Valley firms, Tesla refuses to pay service workers during COVID-19


In Silicon Valley, nearly all the major tech companies have ensured that the people who cook, clean, protect, and transport workers to their campuses continue to receive their regular pay while they’ve been sent home. These commitments from some of the wealthiest corporations in the world have meant that thousands of people are able to put food on the table,…

Policy Watch: Week of 4/20


| City of Gilroy | Extending the Exclusivity Agreement with Sharks Sports & Entertainment, LLC to end of January 2021 for the indoor entertainment and sports complex at Gilroy Sports Park Issue summary: In May of 2019, the City of Gilroy entered into an exclusivity agreement for the possibility of a future partnership with a private firm, Sharks Sports &…

San José City Council unanimously votes to develop most expansive emergency paid sick leave policy in nation


The San José City Council voted unanimously to develop the most expansive emergency paid sick leave ordinance in the nation. The policy will fill the three largest gaps in recently passed federal law, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, by covering workers at large corporations, small businesses, and misclassified gig workers. Next Tuesday, April 7th, the Council will vote on putting…

Policy Watch: Week of 2/17


| City of San Jose | Council policy priority setting for 2020-21 Issue summary: Council will establish an updated, ranked policy priority list for 2020-21, incorporating staff’s recommendations for removing some priorities that have been completed and approve new items to be added. Staff recommend removing the following priorities from the 2019-2020 Council Policy Priority List as complete: Priority #3, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises…