Tag: Mike Wasserman

Family Health Fiasco: Kathleen King Wanted Better Push Polls for Measure A

May 22, 2013, by Silicon Valley Newsroom Politics Comments (9)

A flyer with pictures of elected officials who in 2012 supported Measure A, the 1/8th cent county sales tax increase that will collect $500 million over 10 years.

Push polls are a common occurrence in campaign season. They are designed to leave voters with a more positive or negative reaction to topics and/or individuals after answering questions. Political consultant Rich Robinson recently wrote a column on San Jose Inside about his distate for the leading questions, which are often asked without proper context, he argued. Based on email records obtained through a court order last week, it can be said that Kathleen King, executive director of the Santa Clara Family Health Foundation, does not share this opinion about push polls.

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Supervisor Ken Yeager Snubs Mayor Chuck Reed over Marriage Equality

Apr 25, 2013, by Josh Koehn Politics, Culture Comments (16)

County Board of Supervisors President Ken Yeager declined to meet with his former council colleague, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, due to the latter’s opposition to same-sex marriage.

Ever since Chuck Reed was elected mayor of San Jose in 2006, he has held quarterly meetings with the president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. The goal of these meetings is to allow city and county officials to discuss legal disputes without lawyers present. But that all changed last week, when current Board president Ken Yeager snubbed Reed’s request for a meeting.

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Playing Politics with Election Dates

Mar 08, 2013, by James Rowen Politics, Culture Comments (33)

Democratic Central Committee member Carol Garvey speaks to supervisors before the Mar. 5 vote to call a special election in June.

I don’t regularly watch Board of Supes meetings. But I watched on Tuesday because I don’t often see a board trying to figure out how to replace a colleague who is being charged with five felonies. (Sorry, George Shirakawa, it has nothing to do with you being a Raiders fan. That would have been cause enough for a sixth felony.) The board decided to hold a special election on June 4 because they didn’t want to look like 4 white guys telling East San Jose who should represent them. Brilliant political move. I noticed something interesting in the process.

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The Super County Supervisor Race

Mar 06, 2013, by The Fly Politics, Culture, The Fly Comments (6)

The race to succeed George Shirakawa Jr as the District 2 county supervisor has officially started.

The county’s four remaining supervisors voted Tuesday to hold a million dollar special election on June 4 to fill the seat of soon-to-be-jailbird George Shirakawa Jr. If only there was an app for that. Considering the job pays six figures, provides a CalPERS pension, comes with all kinds of perks—assuming you don’t exceed a $3,000-a-year local meal allowance with your P-Card (really?!)—and could last 12 years if all three terms are completed, there should be no shortage of entrants.

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Supervisors Lean Toward Special Election

Mar 04, 2013, by Josh Koehn Politics Comments (2)

With blinding efficiency, the county’s website was updated.

UPDATE: The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously (4-0) to call for a special election on June 4. A second reading of the matter will take place at next week’s BOS meeting.

County supervisors seem poised to call a special election Tuesday rather than appoint someone to fill the seat of George Shirakawa, who resigned from his supervisor post Friday just hours after being charged with five felonies and seven misdemeanors relating to his misuse of campaign and public funds.

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Supervisors to Discuss Immigration Reform

Feb 23, 2013, by Jennifer Wadsworth Politics, Business, Culture Comments (2)

With upcoming drafts for immigration reform coming from a bipartisan group in Congress and President Obama, the county Board of Supervisors plans to discuss the issue at its next meeting.

Santa Clara County, inextricably defined by its immigrant population, has long been touted as one of the best places for foreign-born to become successful, engaged members of society. So, as the country tackles comprehensive immigration reform for the first time in decades, the county has a lot to add to the national conversation. The county Board of Supervisors will discuss this topic and others at Tuesday’s meeting.

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