A legal settlement has been reached in the federal lawsuit between the city and a San Jose State student whose violent encounter with police two years ago was captured on video. Rather than go to court, the city will reportedly settle with Phuong Ho—who said his civil rights were violated when police used a Taser as well as a baton to subdue him—for somewhere in the range of $90,000 to $225,000.
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City Hall Land Swap and Jobs
A couple of weeks ago, the San Jose city government sent out hundreds of layoff notices to city employees. KRON 4 News reported that 25 percent of the city’s librarians received notices that their positions could be eliminated. The Mercury News reported that the San Jose police officers’ union has offered to cut their salaries by 10 percent in an effort to reduce the number of layoffs. Even with this last-minute concession, San Jose’s police force may still be reduced by 106 officers.
Green Light for Pot Clubs That Do it Right
A protocol put together a few weeks ago by deputy DA Jim Sibley tried to clarify his office’s stance on medical marijuana with a simple explanation: Collectives are legal under California law if they are clearly nonprofit and follow land-use codes. That didn’t stop Police Chief Chris Moore from telling the San Jose City Council that he’d heard directly from the DA’s office that not one of the 100-plus dispensaries in San Jose is legal.
Budget Crisis Looks Even Bleaker
San Jose City Manager Debra Figone unveiled her proposed budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year on Monday, and the forecast is grim. With a projected shortfall of $115.2 million, Figone’s budget says 588 city positions will likely need to be eliminated, which comes out to roughly 10 percent of all workers. Of that amount, 370 workers would be subject to layoffs. These numbers come under the assumption that the city will get all 11 labor unions to agree to an ongoing 10 percent cut in total compensation for city workers. If agreements are not reached, an additional 446 positions would need to be eliminated.
Pink Slips and Pension Reform
In the 10th year of budget cuts, San Jose City manager Debra Figone has said more than 600 employees could lose their jobs to help tackle a $115 million deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. The process of handing out pink slips began this week, and more than 100 police officers are being notified that they could be out of a job come July.
City Manager Delivers Bleak Outlook
Editor’s Note: The following is a letter that was sent out last week to city employees from City Manager Debra Figone. In the letter, Figone explains the current budget crisis. San Jose is expected to have a deficit of $115 million for the next fiscal year starting in July. Even if all workers agree to a 10 percent cut in total compensation, Figone writes, almost 620 jobs will still need to be eliminated. The last day on the job for many of these people would be June 25. Figone will be unveiling her proposed budget on May 2.
Paint Over Walls Or Paradigms?
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.
Labor Groups Rally in San Jose
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.
The Social Contract
In society we have chosen to give up some of our liberty or ability to do anything we want for the the trade off of having more opportunity under law. If we do not like the rules of society than we can move away to a remote mountain and have more freedom, but one would give up certain benefits we have in society based on law.
Pete Constant Changing Party Affiliation
San Jose City Councilmember Pete Constant is the closest thing that this city has to a Tea Party Republican in local politics. Or at least he was. In a surprising announcement late last night, Constant said that he is abandoning the Republican Party and registering as a Democrat.
Comments on Firefighters Contract
Last week the council took up the firefighters union contract with more than 100 firefighters in attendance. I thought I would share why I voted no. First, I think it is clear that if you have worked in city government over the years that things are drastically changing due to structural budget deficits. Second, if you are new to working in city government, you will most likely not have the same career as those before you.
More Unions on Board with Concessions
After the City Council voted 9-2 on Tuesday in support of the agreement reached with San Jose’s Firefighters Union, three more unions, representing city architects and engineers, trade worker supervisors, and mid-level managers, have reached a similar agreement.
Honda: Withdraw from Afghanistan
Rep. Mike Honda (D-San Jose), who represents California’s 15th Congressional District, has gotten out in front on the effort to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Declaring with colleagues that “funding of a war that costs over $2 billion a week [is] unsustainable,” Honda, co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus’s Taskforce on Peace and Security, went public with a series of statements following Gen. David Petraeus’s Wednesday testimony to the House Armed Services Committee.
City Approves Bond Financing for Convention Center
The San Jose McEnery Convention Center is in dire need of an upgrade to avoid losing business to rival venues in San Francisco and Santa Clara. The cost of just the most urgent improvement is $26.5 million. It’s money that the city doesn’t have—what the city does have is a $105 million deficit. On the other hand, the Convention Center brings in about $12.5 million to Downtown businesses, and this could be lost if no upgrade takes place.
POA’s Gang Shooting Report Pushes To Save Jobs From Layoffs
The Police Officers Association published a report of a weekend drive-by shooting to show why it says the public will be less safe if officers are laid off due to the city’s budget crisis
An Interview with Mayor Chuck Reed
The mayor on libraries and community centers vs. SJPD’s retirement benefits, the problems with contracting out city services, the grounding of the police chopper, and the importance of citizen involvement.
