District 8 Endorsement: Rose Herrera
May 16, 2012 by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (1)
Rose Herrera was elected in 2008 with endorsements from the San Jose Chamber of Commerce as well as the Santa Clara County Central Labor Council and the San Jose Police Officer’s Association. Somehow labor thought their endorsement would seal her loyalty. When she sided with the mayor on pension reform, Big Labor decided it was time to teach her a lesson.
District 6 Endorsement: Pierluigi Oliverio
May 16, 2012 by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (0)
San Jose-bred Pierluigi Oliverio works tirelessly for his constituents and is fully immersed in his district’s business. While sometimes too idealistic for his own good, his independence and intelligence make him a strong asset on the dais. Willing to speak his mind even when it has a political cost is rare in local politics, where compromise and backscratching can sometimes lead to lowest common denominator policy making.
District 2 Endorsement: Ash Kalra
May 16, 2012 by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (0)
Despite a DUI conviction that may have damaged his chances of running for mayor in 2014, Ash Kalra quickly bounced back and will coast to an easy re-election victory next month. The former public defender, a consistently labor-aligned councilmember, has stood up to Mayor Chuck Reed’s less-than-artful approach to pension reform while consistently noting that Measure B relies on no legal precedent.
Supervisor Endorsement: Joe Simitian
May 16, 2012 by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (0)
If Kris Wang or Barry Chang weren’t completely overmatched, we might urge against sending Joe Simitian back to his old job as county supervisor. After leaving District 5 for the State Assembly in 2001 and then moving over to the State Senate, Simitian risks becoming a cliché of a career politician. It doesn’t seem to be glory, insecurity or perks that motivate him, though. He happens to be a damn good legislator—a policy wonk in pure form. His work on high-speed rail and bans on distracted driving should be applauded, and he served residents well during his time at the county level.
Yes on Measure A
May 16, 2012 by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (0)
U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren led the effort to create the Department of Corrections when she was a county supervisor in 1988. The move took the jails away from a sheriff who didn’t manage his budget well and saved the county millions by replacing expensive sworn sheriff’s deputies with correctional officers. Two years ago, the County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to return to greater oversight by the office of Sheriff Laurie Smith. She’s better at managing a budget and the move eliminated redundant management overhead. An influx in inmates created greater security threats as well, requiring trained law enforcement officers. Unfortunately, the cost-saving measure—estimated at $5 million already by County Executive Jeff Smith—might not have been legal, according to a lawsuit filed by San Jose attorney James McManis. A “yes” vote on Measure A is the equivalent of approving something everyone already agreed is a good idea.
Yes on Measures C, E, G and H
May 16, 2012 by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (0)
These measures come down to how much people want to pay in property taxes, and what kind of education they want to provide future generations. There’s no denying that the state budget continues to cripple K-12, community colleges and California’s two public university systems with funding cuts. By approving Measure C, which would result in approving up to $350 million in bonds, voters will give students at the West Valley-Mission Community College District a first-rate, two-year education without the first-class price of the UC and Cal State systems. Measure E plans to bond $95 million in MIlpitas, and Measure G (Mountain View—Whisman School District) and Measure H (Cuprtino Union School District) would approve up to $198 million and $220 million in bonds, respectively. Considering siphoning of property taxes by Redevelopment Agencies is no longer allowed and tech titans Google and Apple are located in those last two cities, they should have no trouble paying off the bonds in the future.
Call It a Wash
May 16, 2012 by The Fly Politics, The Fly Comments (0)
Election season brings about some odd transfers of money when it comes to political contributions, and maybe no stranger transaction took place last year than the $4,000 the San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (ChamberPAC) returned to the Santa Clara Valley Water District in August. According to standards set by California’s Fair Political Practices Commission, a public entity is forbidden from contributing to any PAC, while the IRS says schools and charities risk losing their tax exemptions if they give money to PACs that support political candidates—which the ChamberPAC certainly does.
An Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg
May 15, 2012 by Joseph DiSalvo Business, Culture Comments (1)
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is making the rounds for his company’s IPO expected to to occur later this week. (Photo by Mathieu Thouvenin via Flickr)
Dear Mr. Zuckerberg: I humbly write to you today as one elected trustee of the Santa Clara County Board of Education. Yes, I know this is one extraordinary week in your life, and the time to read this blog is most likely very limited. However, I thought I would attempt to connect with you anyway. Please forgive the brazen request I’m about to make, but we need your generosity here and now.
City Concealed Street Closure Docs
May 15, 2012 by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics, Business, Culture, Media Comments (9)
The 500 block of South First Street fills up in evenings with cars of customers patronizing SoFA’s businesses.
Despite the city’s stated commitment to sunshine and open government, city officials and proponents of a proposal to permanently close a block of South First Street concealed critical documents from affected parties for a year—until the eve of a council vote. Promoters of the “pavement to plaza” conversion say a $500,000 grant from ArtPlace requires the street’s full closure. San Jose will contribute $98,000 in park and economic development funds, under the plan, which goes to the City Council at today’s 1:30pm meeting.
Mayor, Liccardo Push for High-Rise Towers
May 14, 2012 by Josh Koehn Politics, Business, Culture Comments (6)
Mayor Chuck Reed and Councilmember Sam Liccardo authored a memo last week that would give high-rise builders in downtown San Jose new incentives to start constructing towers before the end of next year. At its meeting Tuesday, the City Council will discuss the incentives as well as last week’s budget hearings, restricting payday lending offices, targeting parents who let their teenagers throw parties with alcohol, and a potential park expansion that could alter the view from San Jose Inside’s office.
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