Dec 16, 2014
After months of research and public discussions, Santa Clara County Supervisors have officially passed the most comprehensive Living Wage ordinance in the nation. A week ago, Supervisors approved the progressive details of the newly proposed law, which include: requiring county contractors to pay employees a living wage, with health and retirement credits, paid sick leave, a voice on the job…
Bowing to pressure from those who support an open, Democratic and transparent government, San Jose Mayor-elect Sam Liccardo is now pulling the reins, a tiny bit, on rushing to appoint a campaign supporter of his as a replacement for the open District 4 seat. But it’s not enough. Community leaders and good government advocates are outraged at the way the…
Dec 15, 2014
San Jose: Reed/Liccardo seek to ram D4 Council replacement through, waiving Sunshine rules. As recommended by the Rules and Open Government Committee on December 10, 2014, the council is being asked to appoint an interim representative for Council District 4 to serve until a new council member has been elected. (Mayor/Liccardo). Reed and Liccardo recommend appointing former Council member Margie…
Dec 12, 2014
UPDATE: Memo madness. Two more memos were added to Tuesday’s San Jose City Council agenda, in an attempt to pull the reins on Mayor-elect Liccardo’s rush to appoint an ally on the dais. While nevertheless expressing his great respect for likely appointee Margie Matthews, Councilman Don Rocha called for a longer application process with the Council taking up the option to…
Dec 11, 2014
UPDATE: Two candidates have thrown their names into the pot to be considered for a temporary appointment to serve in District 4: David Hernandez, and former City Council member Margie Mathews, according to the City Clerk’s office. Anyone else interested has until noon today to apply for consideration, and the City Council is expected to make an appointment Tuesday Dec.…
Dec 9, 2014
Santa Clara County Supervisors have taken the bold step toward establishing the most comprehensive living wage law in the nation. At the board meeting Tuesday morning, Supervisors voted 3 to 1 (yea: Chavez, Cortese, Yeager; nay: Wasserman; Supervisor Joe Simitian abstained) on the substance of a law that will require county contractors to pay their employees a living wage, in…
Dec 2, 2014
If you’re diverting your attention to more mundane issues now that the General Election is over…not so fast. San Jose City Council members decided to call a special election to fill the seat in District 4 left vacant when Kansen Chu was elected to the State Assembly. Tweet
This Black Friday we need to send the Waltons a message. We can’t sit back while their workers go hungry any longer. And Walmart and the Waltons must stop taking illegal actions against Walmart workers who want to work hard and be able to provide for our families. Tweet
Nov 25, 2014
There could be a very crowded field vying for the open District 4 seat on the San Jose City Council. Kansen Chu, on his way to the State Assembly in District 25, has two more years in his Council term. Mayor-elect Liccardo could choose the unpopular option of appointing someone to the post for the rest of the term, but…
Nov 20, 2014
Everyone’s talking about it. The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters is a mess. Now the Board of Supervisors has ordered an investigation into the “processes, procedures, and technologies used by the Registrar of Voters that may have impeded the timely delivery of a secure and accurate vote tally.” County Executive Jeff Smith has until January to get back to…