Tag: President Obama
President Obama Insists Phone Call Surveillance Done Legally
Jun 07, 2013, by Josh Koehn Politics, Culture Comments (4)
President Obama defended the widespread surveillance of phone calls made within the country during a press conference Friday at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose. (Photo by Jamie Soja)
During a press conference held Friday at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, President Obama insisted that “Big Brother” has played by the rules while keeping tabs on nearly every phone call made within the nation’s borders during the last seven years.
Why Sheriff Smith Won’t Run for Mayor
May 17, 2013, by Rich Robinson Politics Comments (18)
County Sheriff Laurie Smith, right, has proven herself to be a strong leader. But will that translate to a run for mayor of San Jose in 2014?
We dream of the perfect candidate in our business. The right person, at the right time, with resources to win and the perfect fit for the populace and the times. Barack Obama in President 2008, Jerry Brown Governor in 2010, Willie Brown for San Francisco Mayor 1995, and Sheriff Laurie Smith for San Jose Mayor 2014. Only the last scenario won’t happen.
Rules to Discuss Legislation Targeting Chronic Homeless
May 07, 2013, by Jennifer Wadsworth Politics, Culture Comments (12)
Homeless residents in San Jose sit in their tent, which was set up last summer along Guadalupe creek in downtown San Jose.
Of San Jose’s 5,000 or so homeless residents, nearly 30 percent are chronically on the streets, according to city housing officials. Most of the chronically homeless suffer from mental illness, physical disability, addiction or some combination of the three. On Wednesday, the San Jose’s Rules and Open Government Committee will discuss legislation that could address such problems.
The Sequester and the Local Impact
Mar 08, 2013, by Sparky Harlan Comments (9)
President Obama warned the public for months about the potential effects of a sequester, which might become more obvious in the coming weeks and months. (Photo by Jamelle Bouie, via Flickr)
After months of reading about the horrors of sequestration, most folks didn’t even blink when President Obama signed the document ordering the cuts beginning March 1, 2013. Call it “sequestration fatigue,” but the hype leading up to the date was akin to the expectation of all computers crashing on Y2K. While I have heard some pundits call the 2.3 percent reduction in Federal government spending “budget dust,” the cuts target certain departments and programs and leaves others alone.
Santa Clara County Gun Buyback Nets 1,116 Firearms, 47 Assault Weapons
Mar 06, 2013, by Jennifer Wadsworth Politics, Culture Comments (3)
Sheriff Laurie Smith examines a firearm with Supervisor Ken Yeager at this past weekend’s gun buyback event.
A South Bay gun buyback became the third largest in the nation last weekend, when Santa Clara County traded $114,000 in cash for 1,116 firearms. Forty-seven of the guns were assault weapons, 479 handguns, 355 rifles and 235 shotguns. There’s still $36,000 leftover for a future buyback.
County Braces for Sequester, Budget Cuts
Feb 28, 2013, by Jennifer Wadsworth Politics Comments (1)
An agreement between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner to avert the sequester, which has a deadline of Friday, seems unlikely as partisan politics continue to cause gridlock.
Santa Clara County could lose millions of dollars if Congress doesn’t quit its bickering and steer clear of the impending sequester. Not since 1985 has the threat of sequestration come this close, the White House says. Sequestration is a big word for slash-and-burn cuts to federal services, which inevitably trickle down to state and local governments.
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