Sep 15, 2014
SAN JOSE Reed, Liccardo, Khamis plan to delay Measure B As outlined in the memo from Reed/Liccardo/Khamis & recommended by Rules on Sept. 10, direct the City Manager to begin negotiations with the Police Officers Association and other applicable bargaining units to: (a) Enter into a stipulation to defer the implementation of the portion of Measure B that calls for…
ICYMI: Four former San Jose Police chiefs are speaking out about the need for strong public safety leadership in San Jose, condemning the current city administration for its lack of responsibility in dealing with the San Jose Police Department. Bill Lansdowne, Chris Moore, Rob Davis and Tom Wheatley are calling for the city to do more to support its police…
Sep 10, 2014
With all of the new worries we’ve had in San Jose in recent years…the police exodus, the rise in crime, the poor relationships between city employees and their bosses…it’s easy to lose sight of other “quality of life” issues that are really just as important. In fact, some of the issues that are getting left on the back burner, cold…
Sep 9, 2014
Santa Clara County Living Wage Forum results The Human Relations Commission will take action on a recommendation to present the final report on the “Price We Pay to Live in Santa Clara County” Public Forum to the Santa Clara County administration and the Finance and Government Operations Committee. Hundreds of people turned out to testify on the state of income inequality…
Sep 5, 2014
Journalism hit a new low Wednesday. The cover of this week’s issue of the Metro is a selfie of Jennifer Lawrence. A picture that was stolen from her personal property and posted on the internet without her permission. First, let’s lay down the obvious. This isn’t a “sex scandal” or “leaked photos”. A criminal (or group of criminals) used sophisticated…
Sep 2, 2014
San Jose When San Jose City Councilmembers meet next week (today’s council meeting was cancelled because of yesterday’s holiday) there may be another chance to revive the effort to crack down on Wage Theft in San Jose. The need for an ordinance to keep unscrupulous employers from cheating their workers has the support of a few of our more fair…
Aug 29, 2014
The San Jose Mercury News has become a victim of its own ideological homogeneity. The San Jose Mercury news was once a great bastion of journalism. Described in the 90′s as “a middle-of-the-road political cast slightly tilted to the Democratic side”, the paper more recently leans decidedly right. Throughout the 80′s, 90′s and early 2000′s, the paper reigned as one of…
Aug 28, 2014
One by one, they lined up and waited for their turn at the microphone. Santa Clara County is weighing what it can do to help lift the working class of Silicon Valley out of poverty wages and these people had come with their stories – backed with powerful statistics: 30% of county residents fall below the self-sufficiency standard for basic…
Aug 27, 2014
Pop quiz: What demographic trait do millions of unmarried women, adults under 30 and people of color have in common? You might guess it’s their relative lack of power and influence. In fact it’s exactly the opposite – potentially. This group, known as the Rising American Electorate (RAE), could prove to be the most powerful voting bloc in the country…
Aug 26, 2014
While tech workers reap high salaries and lavish benefits, the people who cook and serve their food, maintain their offices and provide workplace security often live in poverty – and for every tech job created, four service workers are needed to support it, creating a large and growing underclass of “invisible workers” in Silicon Valley. The issue — and startling statistics…