Was Cesar Chavez a racist? No, I don’t think so. But today, people of every political stripe and ethnicity are labeled “racists” for espousing some of the same attitudes towards immigration and immigration law as Cesar Chavez did.
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The State’s Ginsu Knife
Do you remember the commercial for Ginsu Knives from the late ‘70s? It would show a sharp knife on TV cutting through everything from tomatoes to tin cans. The announcer would repeatedly say: “But wait! There’s more!”
Well, just when you thought we had a balanced budget for the City of San Jose, the state of California has said “But wait! There’s more!”
Don Gage: Headed Back to Gilroy
Citing “low morale” and “childish” political infighting on Gilroy’s city council, Santa Clara County Supervisor Don Gage announced that he will run for mayor of that city. Gage served on Gilroy’s City Council from 1981 to 1997, when he ran for a seat on the county’s Board of Supervisors.
Reed & Mayors Vow to Fight Schwarzenegger Budget
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed struck a defiant pose yesterday in response to California’s new state budget. After hammering out a difficult budget of his own to cover the city’s $84 million deficit, Reed was shocked to learn that his city could be handing over as much as $100 million to the state.
His strategy is simple: Sue the state. “We will certainly be joining in with other cities in litigation,” he said.
This was echoed by mayors across California
Club Wet’s Permit Pulled
Another downtown club went dark last week as SJPD Chief Rob Davis used the city’s urgency ordinance for the first time, suspending the entertainment permit of the SoFA district’s Club Wet for one month. Recent club closures unrelated to the urgency ordinance include Taste, The Vault Ultralounge and Johnny V’s. The urgency measure gives the chief broad discretion to close businesses viewed as imminent threats to public safety. The ordinance was passed by the city council two years ago following a shooting incident in the parking lot outside Club Ambassador.
Reed Names Law Enforcement Advisor
Lt. Jose Salcido will be leaving the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office after more than three decades to become a senior policy advisor to San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. Salcido is currently the sheriff’s liaison to the county Department of Corrections and has taken out papers to run for sheriff. The mayor, who has known Salcido for 12 years, says the new appointee will be doing “community outreach’ on “community issues” and will advise him on law enforcement policy issues.
Coroner’s Report: Meth, not Tasers, Killed Richard Lua
The Santa Clara County coroner’s office reports that an “astronomical” amount of methamphetamine killed a man who died in February following a violent fight with San Jose Police. When Richard Lua, 28, died following the altercation, suspicion immediately fell on the Tasers that members of the SJPD were forced to use to subdue him. Officers reported that Lua was attempting to evade arrest, and tried to grab an officer’s gun before he was stunned.
SJPD’s New Club Cop: An Interview With Lt. Larry McGrady
More enlightened police strategy appears to be taking hold in downtown San Jose´s entertainment zone. In the past, aggressive law enforcement tactics resulted in large numbers of public-intoxication arrests and lawsuits from club owners and members of the public, as well as packed council hearings, heated public debates over racial profiling and complaints of economic damage to downtown’s business community. Faced with community uproar, fiscal issues and political pressure, SJPD seems to have gotten the message.
A New Weapon Against Gangs
District Attorney Dolores Carr today announced an unprecedented move in prosecuting gang violence in Santa Clara County, charging five people involved in the shooting of 18-year-old Larry Martinez with murder.
Kalra and Liccardo Respond to POA Video
We write to express our concern regarding the recent tone of the rhetoric between a few members of the San Jose Police Officers Association and police critics. Issues surrounding race and police enforcement inevitably invite controversy and sharp differences of opinion. Nonetheless, we expect that members of the San Jose Police Officers Association and other community members will confront what they view as distortions of the facts with respectful criticism and correction.
We do not expect, however, that any member of the San Jose Police Department will label critics as “thugs.”
Raj Jayadev Ridiculed in POA Video
So Fly was browsing YouTube.com, looking for more videos of Keyboard Cat, when up popped an interesting little video posted by the San Jose Police Officers Association. On it, Raj Jayadev, founder of Silicon Valley De-Bug (and a regular SJI contributor), is seen addressing a San Jose City Council meeting, talking about the distrust brewing between some city residents and the police department.
Council Votes to Change SJPD Policy on Public Intoxication Arrests
The City Council last night agreed to soften San Jose’s police tactics when it comes to arresting people for public intoxication, a move they hope will result in fewer arrests. After a few hours of discussion, the council voted 8-1 to sign off on recommendations put forward by the city-appointed Public Intoxication Task Force.
How Little Cau Bich Tran’s Death Taught Us
When news broke of a 27-year-old Vietnamese man being shot and killed at his home by a San Jose police officer, the pain of the tragedy in the local community was amplified by a gut-wrenching and unexpected feeling—familiarity.
While questions are still being asked after the May 10 shooting of Daniel Pham, the basic fact pattern that has been disclosed by the San Jose Police Department is sadly reminiscent of a 2003 incident involving a young Vietnamese mother, Cau Bich Tran, who was shot by San Jose police in her home.
Fatality on Light Rail
KLIV is reporting that a VTA Light Rail train struck and killed a pedestrian last night on the First Street line. Jennie Hwang Loft, VTA’s public information officer, confirmed that a fatality occurred between the Civic Center and Japantown/Ayer stops, but would not confirm that a pedestrian was hit.
A Citizens’ Budget Survey
Instead of writing a blog this week I spent my time preparing a survey for you about the budget deficit facing the city of San Jose. The link below will allow you to get a glimpse of some the decisions that must be made.
Views from Cambrian and Edenvale
Last week I attended two more community budget meetings to hear feedback from residents in District 9 and District 2. The District 9 meeting was a bit different from previous sessions, as there was no slide presentation. Instead, it included an overview and discussion to go over paper handouts on the Proposed Operating Budget with City Management.
Not much was shared on the cost of providing services to residents but rather, attendees were told: “Here are the proposed cuts.”
