It’s always a shame to let facts interfere with a good story, but county Supervisor George Shirakawa Jr.‘s downfall didn’t start with a hushed voice from a trench coat in the dark corners of a parking garage. Here’s how Metro/San Jose Inside uncovered some of the disgraced politician’s illegal activity.
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Council Moves EPS Ban Forward
San Jose came closer to banning Styrofoam and expanded polystyrene (EPS) food containers after the City Council voted 9-2 Tuesday to move forward with a phase-out. Councilmembers Johnny Khamis and Pete Constant opposed a ban.
Breaking Down Local Legislators’ 2012 Work
When the calendar ticked over to 2013, a slew of bills authored last year by our local state senators and assembly members became actual law. Moving forward, those lawmakers have until late February to introduce bills, which means they’re in the middle of planning a legislative agenda for the coming year. We compiled a list of their just-enacted bills and called up those same representatives to ask them what they have planned for the upcoming year.
Investor Groups with Cash Pushing Middle-Class Homebuyers out of the Market
A trend has emerged in the Silicon Valley real estate market, where middle-class homebuyers are losing out to cash buyers—often investment groups from overseas—who convert owner-occupied homes into rentals. The natural tendency of sellers to choose quick, guaranteed sales over offers with financing contingencies is a new assault on middle-class home ownership, a shift likely to expand the ranks of landlords and tenants and make home ownership an increasingly elusive American dream.
Political Predictions a Tricky Game
Predicting the future of politics is a tricky proposition, as Nate Silver pointed out in his NY Times blog and book during the election season. But taking a closer look at local issues, there are a few predictions you can, or can’t, count on in the future.
Teen Murder Rate Skyrockets in 2012
With fewer resources to combat crime, the San Jose Police Department reports that nearly a quarter of the 45 homicide victims in 2012 were 18 years old or younger.
Time for San Jose to Grow Up
It is high time San Jose joined the big leagues and moved to a strong-mayor form of government. The recent response by City Manager Debra Figone to Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio’s public suggestion on who should be the police chief is simply another example of the bush-league government system that regulates elected officials to second-class status.
Shirakawa Wonders if People Dislike Him because He’s a Raider Fan
The day after a county audit demanded George Shirakawa reimburse $12,772 in improper charges with his county-issued credit card, the president of the Board of Supervisors threw out a checklist of reasons why the media would make up “straight-up untrue” reports about his fraudulent expense reports, misuse of taxpayer money and missing campaign disclosure forms.
Herrera Retains Council Seat
In polarized San Jose, where unionistas have been battling pension reformers, both camps racked up victories and defeats, and neither was fully vanquished. As of early Wednesday morning, with two-thirds of the precincts in District 8 reporting results, Councilmember Rose Herrera was gliding to a ten-point triumph over Jimmy Nguyen.
Mayor Joins Republicans, Backs Khamis
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed decided to endorse Johnny Khamis for the District 10 City Council seat in November’s election. Reed, who was joined in supporting Khamis with former San Jose Councilmember Pat Dando and State Assemblymember Jim Cunneen, both of whom are Republicans, called Khamis “a long time friend and a loyal supporter” in a press release sent out Tuesday morning. His selection is interesting on a number of fronts.
Police Chief Chris Moore Retiring
San Jose Police Chief Chris Moore will announce at a 2pm press conference today that he is retiring at the end of January 2013. David Vossbrink, the city’s communications director, confirmed that a national search for a new chief will be launched this week.
Who Really Benefits from Prop 33?
If approved in November, Proposition 33 would allow auto insurers to offer discounts to new customers who have had continuous coverage for the past five years. Sound familiar? It should.
Police Chief Takes Heat for Homicides
Who should hold sway over these city streets? It’s a debate that is taking place behind closed doors and in front of the media now that San Jose is on pace to break the annual record for homicides going back 15 years. On Tuesday, State Assemblymember Nora Campos (D-San Jose) sent an “open letter” to Moore, encouraging him to ask the California Highway Patrol for assistance in combatting crime and patrolling city streets.
Secret Baseball Meetings, Audit Coincide
The proposed Oakland A’s move to San Jose hasn’t had much progress in over three years. But an interesting development occurred last week. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig’s three-person committee in charge of finding the best future home for the A’s reportedly met with city officials and business leaders in San Jose and Oakland. Meanwhile, investigators from State Controller John Chiang’s office have been coming through old San Jose Redevelopment Agency records pertaining to land being held for a possible A’s stadium.
U.S. Attorney May Not be Out of Line
Dave Hodges operates A2C2 medical marijuana collective in San Jose. He wrote this column for San Jose Inside.—Editor
Harborside collectives in San Jose and Oakland were recently ordered to shut down by U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag. Many have called Harborside a model for other medical marijuana collectives. To help everyone better understand what the complex California law states, I want to provide some direct quotes and key information.
U.S. Attorney out of Line about Marijuana
U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag’s war on medical marijuana is a violation of current federal Department of Justice policy, an embarrassment to the President of the United States and is, literally, threatening the health and safety of our community. She should be removed from her post, immediately.
