Silicon Valley Newsroom
Chavez Loses Soft-Money Lawsuit
Dec 03, 2009, by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (29)
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James Emerson ruled yesterday that limits on campaign contributions by independent political committees violate those committees’ freedom of speech. According to City Attorney Rick Doyle, the ruling effectively invalidates the city’s existing soft-money contribution limits, capping individual contributions to campaigns at $250. In August, the City Council voted to maintain the cap.
Reed Lashes Out at Stimulus Package
Nov 20, 2009, by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (9)
Mayor Chuck Reed is in Washington to tell the Administration what he thinks of the stimulus package. The feds probably wish he hadn’t come at all. When asked at a meeting at the Brookings Institute how $79 million in federal stimulus funding has helped San Jose deal with the recession, Reed answered, “It’s been a very minimal impact.”
“The money you give us to put people to work is not creating long-term jobs,” Reed complained
Student Heard Apologizing to Police on ‘Enhanced’ Audio Tape
Nov 19, 2009, by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics, Media Comments (36)
Following a cell phone video that shows SJSU student Phuong Ho being hit with batons and tased by the SJPD officers, the department claimed he was resisting arrest. Enhanced audio of the video taken by one of Ho’s housemates on his cellphone seems to tell a different story.
Davis Comes under Fire
Nov 13, 2009, by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics, Media Comments (18)
Groups representing San Jose’s diverse ethnic communities have called for the resignation of Police Chief Rob Davis, claiming that the police use excessive force in dealing with minorities. “There needs to be a change in the culture of the current police force, and we don’t think that Police Chief Davis can make that change,” wrote Richard Konda, executive director of the Asian Law Alliance.
UPDATE: SJPOA President Bobby Lopez says activists calling for Davis to resign are “well-intentioned but misinformed.”
SJPOA Attacks Merc Use-of-Force Series
Nov 12, 2009, by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics, Media Comments (28)
A number of posts over the past week on ProtectSanJose.com, a blog run by the Police Officers Association (SJPOA), have effectively called into question a series of San Jose Mercury News articles about use of force by SJPD.
The Merc series started with the Oct. 24 posting of a cell-phone video that seems to show SJPD officers beating and Tasing a Vietnamese SJSU exchange student while he is pinned to the floor. The series culminated with a Sunday package a few days later, headlined “Mercury News investigation: San Jose police often use force in resisting-arrest cases.”
Perez Retires from SJECC
Nov 12, 2009, by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics, People Comments (2)
Rosa Pérez, Chancellor of the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District, announced that she will be retiring because of poor health. Pérez has battled respiratory problems in the past. Her retirement will go into effect on June 30, when her current contract expires.
Pérez was something of a trailblazer at SJECC. She is the first Latina to serve as Chancellor on a permanent basis, and she is also one of the nation’s very few openly gay chancellors. But her tenure at the head of SJECC has not been without its controversies. She has come into conflict with the California School Employees Association for downsizing staff because of the economic crisis.
Divvying up the Deficit
Nov 06, 2009, by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (11)
There’s one thing that everyone in city government agrees on—the deficit is growing. It now stands at $96.4 million, the worst it’s been since the dotcom bust, and there seems to be no end in sight as it inches ahead to the $100 million milestone.
Last night, the City Council voted 10-1 to share the burden more or less equally between three distinct sectors. Inevitably, the taxpayer is up there on the frontlines, with several new taxes proposed
SJPD’s Internal Review Under Fire
Nov 03, 2009, by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (10)
Critics of the SJPD claim that the recent arrest of Vietnamese student Phuong Ho, which happened to be captured on camera by his roommate, is indicative of a larger problem concerning the amount of force being used by the police. Even Mayor Chuck Reed has expressed “significant concerns about how and when force is used” by the police.
Rosen Accuses Carr of Favoritism
Oct 30, 2009, by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (8)
Jeff Rosen, a deputy District Attorney running against his boss, Santa Clara County DA Dolores Carr, said yesterday that she played favorites to help a major campaign supporter.
The case began when Ali Yahya Valdovinos, a Stanford University student, was charged with felony grand theft. Valdovinos is represented by James McManis, a major contributor to Carr’s campaign. Reports claim that McManis called Carr, who intervened personally, and Valdovinos later pleaded no-contest to petty theft instead.
Merc Posts Video of SJPD Officer Beating SJ State Student
Oct 25, 2009, by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (32)
UPDATED. The San Jose Mercury News posted a video on its website last night that shows San Jose police officers beating a San Jose State student with a baton and using a Taser on him during a Sept. 3 arrest. According to the accompanying article, the force was used “even though the suspect was on the ground, and apparently offering no physical threat to the officers.”
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