San Jose Inside

I attended the District 5 (D5) community budget meeting last week—it was the third D5 community budget meeting I’ve attended. Approximately 50 people were there, with the majority being city employees.  Many of the speakers shared emotional testimonials.

Dear Mr. Doyle:
Several weeks ago, it was reported that the old city hall property site will be turned over to the Santa Clara County Government as part of a negotiated debt settlement between the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and the Santa Clara County Government.

California teachers could soon be required to include the history of gays, lesbians and transgenders in their curriculum, after a landmark vote was passed Thursday in the state Senate.

The San Jose City Council once again fell short on Tuesday in its efforts to craft a plan to deal with the popularity of medical marijuana clubs in the city. Many of the ideas being proffered by city staff, Mayor Chuck Reed and councilmembers Rose Herrera, Sam Liccardo and Pete Constant, were wildly ambitious, including things that no other municipality has tried in the 14 years since the passage of Prop 215.

Updated with correction: Apr. 14.

The City Council votes this afternoon on the mayor’s proposal to drastically limit the city’s medicinal marijuana dispensaries, auction licenses via eBay or randon lottery, and require onsite cultivation. At the same time, the council will be asked to consider a more conservative plan being put forward by Councilmembers Donald Rocha and Pierluigi Oliverio.

The events of the last 10 years have been incredibly significant in the shaping of American history:  9/11, Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, Great Recession, the election of Barack Obama, to name a few. One of the most critical of these events occurred on Jan. 8, 2002, with the signing of the No Child Left Behind Act by President Bush.

The debate over what to do with the city’s 100-plus medical marijuana collectives looks like it will finally result in some action Tuesday, when the City Council will vote on setting up a complete regulatory program.

The citywide Community Budget meetings started last week with the city manager and other city department heads in attendance to answer questions. Ten public meetings will be held with one meeting in each Council district.

Today, almost 1 percent of children (1 in 110) are diagnosed with Autism. Autism is a growing epidemic, and the American medical industry and educational system is behind the curve. In an effort to help meet the challenge, the local chapter of Autism Speaks is hosting a Walk-A-Thon here in San Jose next month to raise money and awareness for the cause.

With Republicans and Democrats in Washington still haggling over a possible federal funding compromise, the possibility of a government shutdown today looms ever more ominous. It has been almost two decades since the last shut down, so it is probably worth reminding ourselves of how it will likely impact everyone.

The plaintiff known as “Jane Doe” in the DeAnza gang rape trial will not be awarded any punitive damages, a jury decided Thursday.

UPDATE: Jane Doe’s attorney responds to verdict.

The San Jose Redevelopment Agency laid off over half of its staff on Wednesday, leaving just 31 people to oversee RDA projects.

The local construction industry had a bone thrown its way Tuesday, as the first portion of a BART extension project has received federal support, according to a San Jose Business Journal report.

Since late last year, founding organizer Ted Gehrke had been mounting what he called a “last-ditch” effort to keep the Metro Fountain Blues Festival alive. At the same time that the festival was celebrating its 30 anniversary in 2010, SJSU’s Associated Students was forced by its financial situation to pull out as the main sponsor.

Yesterday, April 4, marked the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. To commemorate that tragic event, union workers nationwide held rallies to protest recent moves against workers’ rights to organize.