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"content": "\u003cp>Former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker will not face any time behind bars after being \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016866/santa-clara-vice-mayor-anthony-becker-convicted-of-perjury\">convicted of perjury\u003c/a> in December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala sentenced Becker to two years of probation and 40 days of jail time, but allowed Becker to serve that time through a work service program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sentence appeared to be a midway point between the polarized requests from prosecutors — who asked that Becker face a “significant” jail sentence — and Becker’s attorneys, who asked that he only be sentenced to probation, with no additional punishment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There has to be some kind of punishment, otherwise people in the community are not going to think that their elected officials are going to be held accountable,” Alcala said in the court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker and his lead attorney, Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya, declined to comment after the sentencing, other than to say they would appeal the decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said he thought the sentence was “appropriate” in comments he made outside the courthouse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we were asking for was a significant jail sentence. The judge gave a jail sentence and allowed Mr. Becker to serve it on weekend work, and that’s within the discretion of the court,” Rosen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034592\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034592\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeffrey F. Rosen makes a statement following former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker’s sentencing hearing at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Apr. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Becker was convicted of a misdemeanor for violating his duty as an elected official to keep a \u003ca href=\"https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/system/files/unsportsmanlike-conduct-santa-clara-city-council_0.pdf\">civil grand jury report confidential (PDF)\u003c/a> until its public release and with felony perjury for lying to a grand jury about his actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016866/santa-clara-vice-mayor-anthony-becker-convicted-of-perjury\">announced his resignation\u003c/a> one day after his conviction in a Morgan Hill courtroom, just weeks before his first term in office was set to expire. He did not win a second term in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/santaclara/santaclara\">2024 election\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 2022 civil grand jury report at the center of the case, titled Unsportsmanlike Conduct, accused Becker and four other council members of having unethical and inappropriately close relationships with top lobbyists and officials from the San Francisco 49ers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12016866 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241205-VERDICT-JG-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The team’s ownership has spent millions of dollars over the past three election cycles to support some candidates, including Becker, and oppose others, including Mayor Lisa Gillmor, who has butted heads with the team over a host of issues related to the management of publicly owned Levi’s Stadium, where the 49ers play their home games.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky, the lead prosecutor on the case, wrote in a pre-sentencing memo in January that Becker deserves “a significant jail sentence that reflects the seriousness of his crimes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malinsky based his recommendation on what he called the “aggravated” and “self-serving” nature of Becker’s crimes, which he said eroded public trust in government and elected officials. He also disagreed with a recommendation from the county’s probation department that suggested no jail time should be levied and stated Becker’s level of remorse was “unknown.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034589\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034589\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky during the sentencing hearing following the perjury trial of former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Apr. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Becker has shown no remorse for his crimes despite ample opportunity and a public forum to do so,” Malinsky wrote, noting that Becker said the verdict was politically motivated and felt that justice was not served.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are not the words of a remorseful man who has learned the lesson from his actions and intends to put himself on a path of reconciliation and reform,” Malinsky wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the sentencing hearing on Friday, Becker made a statement to the court in which he apologized to the residents of Santa Clara for the “ordeal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to first apologize to the people of Santa Clara for this long ordeal. And additionally, I want to respect what the jury’s decision was, despite my other disagreements. I respect the jury’s decision. I respect this court. And I just want that to be known,” Becker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alcala said Becker’s statement helped guide his decision on the sentence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was hoping to hear an apology, which I did hear. I am going to let you serve that sentence in an alternative way other than sitting in a jail. If you hadn’t apologized, you would have been remanded today,” Alcala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034600\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034600\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala during the sentencing hearing following the perjury trial of former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Apr. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya, one of Becker’s attorneys, noted in his pre-sentencing memo that the court could meet its objectives of “protecting society, punishing the defendant, and deterring others from criminal conduct by demonstrating its consequences” by sentencing Becker to probation only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mr. Becker is now a convicted felon. Society garners no further protection by imposing\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>a jail sentence on Mr. Becker,” Montoya wrote. “Becker’s conduct did not subject anyone to physical violence, deprive anyone of a loved one, deprive anyone of their property, or deprive anyone of large amounts of money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also took issue with what he characterized as the prosecution’s unwillingness to “make an offer to resolve the matter” ahead of the trial through a plea deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034601\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034601\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya during the sentencing hearing following the perjury trial of former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Apr. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Montoya emphasized that Becker had no prior record and was allowed to be under his own supervision while the trial proceeded because he was not a danger to anyone else. The memo also highlighted Becker’s personal struggles, some due to the “collateral consequences” of his conviction, including permanent damage to his reputation, the loss of his political career and the loss of his income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Additional punitive punishment of time in jail is not warranted or necessary, is disproportionate to the underlying conduct, and is a departure from efforts to achieve uniformity in sentencing,” Montoya wrote. “A jail sentence will only serve to set Mr. Becker back and, more significantly, deprive him of caring for his mother who is currently very sick and undergoing treatment for a stage 3 cancer diagnosis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034615\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034615\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1-800x267.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1-1020x340.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1-2048x682.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1-1920x640.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Clara City Councilmembers Sudhanshu ‘Suds’ Jain (left) and Kevin Park make statements during the sentencing hearing following the perjury trial of former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Apr. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Several family members, friends and former colleagues of Becker’s wrote letters to Alcala asserting that they know Becker to be “of high moral character,” as well as an “honest and very kind and caring person” and a “good person who made a bad decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Santa Clara Councilmembers Suds Jain and Kevin Park spoke in support of leniency for Becker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jain called Becker, his friend, and said he admired his commitment to the job of being a council member who worked hard to stay well-informed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I consider him to be a very dedicated public servant,” Jain said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without naming any specific people, Park claimed Becker has been “under attack” for a long time and has faced a lot of harassment ever since running for office in Santa Clara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034591\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034591\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker leaves the courtroom after receiving his sentence at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Apr. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He is one of the hardest working people I know. He wanted to do this job, he wanted to do this as legitimately as possible,” Park said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the hearing on Friday, Rosen said the case boiled down to what people should and do expect from their elected officials and said that those who take oaths of office and then abuse that power “mock” their communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Government officials should be role models for all citizens to respect and follow the law,” he said. “If public officials do not respect and follow the law, who will?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Anthony Becker, the former Santa Clara Vice Mayor, was sentenced to probation on Friday, months after he was convicted of felony perjury.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker will not face any time behind bars after being \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016866/santa-clara-vice-mayor-anthony-becker-convicted-of-perjury\">convicted of perjury\u003c/a> in December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala sentenced Becker to two years of probation and 40 days of jail time, but allowed Becker to serve that time through a work service program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sentence appeared to be a midway point between the polarized requests from prosecutors — who asked that Becker face a “significant” jail sentence — and Becker’s attorneys, who asked that he only be sentenced to probation, with no additional punishment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There has to be some kind of punishment, otherwise people in the community are not going to think that their elected officials are going to be held accountable,” Alcala said in the court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker and his lead attorney, Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya, declined to comment after the sentencing, other than to say they would appeal the decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said he thought the sentence was “appropriate” in comments he made outside the courthouse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we were asking for was a significant jail sentence. The judge gave a jail sentence and allowed Mr. Becker to serve it on weekend work, and that’s within the discretion of the court,” Rosen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034592\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034592\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_009-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeffrey F. Rosen makes a statement following former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker’s sentencing hearing at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Apr. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Becker was convicted of a misdemeanor for violating his duty as an elected official to keep a \u003ca href=\"https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/system/files/unsportsmanlike-conduct-santa-clara-city-council_0.pdf\">civil grand jury report confidential (PDF)\u003c/a> until its public release and with felony perjury for lying to a grand jury about his actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016866/santa-clara-vice-mayor-anthony-becker-convicted-of-perjury\">announced his resignation\u003c/a> one day after his conviction in a Morgan Hill courtroom, just weeks before his first term in office was set to expire. He did not win a second term in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/santaclara/santaclara\">2024 election\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 2022 civil grand jury report at the center of the case, titled Unsportsmanlike Conduct, accused Becker and four other council members of having unethical and inappropriately close relationships with top lobbyists and officials from the San Francisco 49ers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The team’s ownership has spent millions of dollars over the past three election cycles to support some candidates, including Becker, and oppose others, including Mayor Lisa Gillmor, who has butted heads with the team over a host of issues related to the management of publicly owned Levi’s Stadium, where the 49ers play their home games.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky, the lead prosecutor on the case, wrote in a pre-sentencing memo in January that Becker deserves “a significant jail sentence that reflects the seriousness of his crimes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malinsky based his recommendation on what he called the “aggravated” and “self-serving” nature of Becker’s crimes, which he said eroded public trust in government and elected officials. He also disagreed with a recommendation from the county’s probation department that suggested no jail time should be levied and stated Becker’s level of remorse was “unknown.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034589\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034589\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_002-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky during the sentencing hearing following the perjury trial of former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Apr. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Becker has shown no remorse for his crimes despite ample opportunity and a public forum to do so,” Malinsky wrote, noting that Becker said the verdict was politically motivated and felt that justice was not served.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are not the words of a remorseful man who has learned the lesson from his actions and intends to put himself on a path of reconciliation and reform,” Malinsky wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the sentencing hearing on Friday, Becker made a statement to the court in which he apologized to the residents of Santa Clara for the “ordeal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to first apologize to the people of Santa Clara for this long ordeal. And additionally, I want to respect what the jury’s decision was, despite my other disagreements. I respect the jury’s decision. I respect this court. And I just want that to be known,” Becker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alcala said Becker’s statement helped guide his decision on the sentence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was hoping to hear an apology, which I did hear. I am going to let you serve that sentence in an alternative way other than sitting in a jail. If you hadn’t apologized, you would have been remanded today,” Alcala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034600\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034600\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_024_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala during the sentencing hearing following the perjury trial of former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Apr. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya, one of Becker’s attorneys, noted in his pre-sentencing memo that the court could meet its objectives of “protecting society, punishing the defendant, and deterring others from criminal conduct by demonstrating its consequences” by sentencing Becker to probation only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mr. Becker is now a convicted felon. Society garners no further protection by imposing\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>a jail sentence on Mr. Becker,” Montoya wrote. “Becker’s conduct did not subject anyone to physical violence, deprive anyone of a loved one, deprive anyone of their property, or deprive anyone of large amounts of money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also took issue with what he characterized as the prosecution’s unwillingness to “make an offer to resolve the matter” ahead of the trial through a plea deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034601\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034601\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_Middleton_AnthonyBecker_025_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya during the sentencing hearing following the perjury trial of former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Apr. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Montoya emphasized that Becker had no prior record and was allowed to be under his own supervision while the trial proceeded because he was not a danger to anyone else. The memo also highlighted Becker’s personal struggles, some due to the “collateral consequences” of his conviction, including permanent damage to his reputation, the loss of his political career and the loss of his income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Additional punitive punishment of time in jail is not warranted or necessary, is disproportionate to the underlying conduct, and is a departure from efforts to achieve uniformity in sentencing,” Montoya wrote. “A jail sentence will only serve to set Mr. Becker back and, more significantly, deprive him of caring for his mother who is currently very sick and undergoing treatment for a stage 3 cancer diagnosis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034615\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034615\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1-800x267.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1-1020x340.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1-2048x682.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-1-1-1920x640.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Clara City Councilmembers Sudhanshu ‘Suds’ Jain (left) and Kevin Park make statements during the sentencing hearing following the perjury trial of former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Apr. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Several family members, friends and former colleagues of Becker’s wrote letters to Alcala asserting that they know Becker to be “of high moral character,” as well as an “honest and very kind and caring person” and a “good person who made a bad decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Santa Clara Councilmembers Suds Jain and Kevin Park spoke in support of leniency for Becker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jain called Becker, his friend, and said he admired his commitment to the job of being a council member who worked hard to stay well-informed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I consider him to be a very dedicated public servant,” Jain said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without naming any specific people, Park claimed Becker has been “under attack” for a long time and has faced a lot of harassment ever since running for office in Santa Clara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034591\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034591\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/2025.04.04_MIDDLETON_ANTHONYBECKER_008-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker leaves the courtroom after receiving his sentence at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Apr. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He is one of the hardest working people I know. He wanted to do this job, he wanted to do this as legitimately as possible,” Park said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the hearing on Friday, Rosen said the case boiled down to what people should and do expect from their elected officials and said that those who take oaths of office and then abuse that power “mock” their communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Government officials should be role models for all citizens to respect and follow the law,” he said. “If public officials do not respect and follow the law, who will?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "east-san-jose-hospital-trauma-center-restored-first-day-public-ownership",
"title": "East San José Hospital Trauma Center Restored on First Day of Public Ownership",
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"headTitle": "East San José Hospital Trauma Center Restored on First Day of Public Ownership | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Santa Clara County has officially \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021981/santa-clara-county-reaches-definitive-deal-to-buy-east-san-jose-hospital-for-150-million\">brought a crucial regional hospital into public ownership\u003c/a>, following more than a year of turmoil that was touched off when a national health care corporation announced it would shutter the East San José facility’s trauma center and downgrade services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tuesday marked the first day that Regional Medical Center is operating under the umbrella of Santa Clara Valley Healthcare — the county’s public hospital and clinic system — joining Valley Medical Center and O’Connor Hospital in San José, as well as St. Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county announced Tuesday that the facility’s Level II trauma center, which was downgraded by the hospital’s previous owner, HCA Healthcare, in August, has been restored and is fully operational again, along with other service reinstatements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is about a commitment to excellence in service. This is about a commitment to ensuring access to health care. This is about providing opportunity to families who otherwise would go without,” James R. Williams, the county executive, said Tuesday during a ceremony at the facility,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Williams said the county board and other leaders have shown great leadership to ensure every resident in the county has access to quality health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034081\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12034081 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Clara County executive James R. Williams speaks during a ceremony at Regional Medical Center in East San José to mark the county’s first day of ownership of the facility on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Even in the face of extraordinary challenges at the federal level, we are making that investment because we know what is possible, we know what is necessary,” Williams said. “We know what it means for the people who live here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county’s takeover of Regional Medical Center follows months of negotiations with HCA over a purchase agreement. The county \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12001214/santa-clara-county-plans-to-buy-east-san-jose-hospital-to-reverse-cuts-to-care\">initially announced its plan to buy the hospital in August\u003c/a> at roughly $175 million, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021981/santa-clara-county-reaches-definitive-deal-to-buy-east-san-jose-hospital-for-150-million\">reduced to $150 million\u003c/a> in a January update from the county about the finalization of the deal.[aside postID=news_12021981 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240613-REGIONALMED-JG-1-1020x680.jpg']The 258-bed hospital is the main emergency facility for East San José and much of the eastern portion of Santa Clara County. Nashville-based HCA sent shockwaves into the region when it announced in February 2024 that it planned to close the trauma center and completely eliminate severe heart attack services and downgrade stroke services in August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following months of public outcry, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11990284/doctors-community-leaders-ramp-up-efforts-to-halt-closure-of-east-san-jose-trauma-center\">protests and demonstrations\u003c/a> by health care workers and local and regional elected officials, HCA partially backed off those plans in mid-July, though it still made several reductions in levels of service and care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County officials warned the closures and reductions would significantly impact people living in the surrounding areas, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11987665/advocates-urge-state-to-intervene-in-closure-of-san-jose-trauma-center\">including some of the most diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged\u003c/a> portions of the county.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than half of the residents in the area are Latino, about a third are Asian American, roughly 11% are white, and just under 2.5% are African American. People living there face higher rates of chronic disease, trauma and poverty — and they are twice as likely to lack health insurance, the county said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Today is a great day for the county of Santa Clara and for the residents of East San José, and for our entire county community,” said Betty Duong, the District 2 supervisor for Santa Clara County, who represents the area where the Regional Medical Center operates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034077\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12034077 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Betty Duong, the District 2 supervisor for Santa Clara County, speaks during a ceremony at Regional Medical Center in East San José on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Duong said her father was treated at the hospital when he was hit by a car, and her mother was treated there when she had a stroke, and she expressed gratitude to the roughly 1,000 staff members of the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For years, the Regional Medical Center staff has been part of our family. And now I am so proud to be able to say that I’m part of yours,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the trauma center, the county has brought back vital stroke and severe heart attack services, also known as the ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) program. Labor and delivery care, which was eliminated by HCA in 2020, will also eventually be offered again at the hospital under the county’s stewardship, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are restoring critical, life-saving services to our community through this important acquisition,” said Supervisor Otto Lee, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12034078 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sylvia Arenas, the District 1 supervisor for Santa Clara County, speaks during a ceremony at Regional Medical Center in East San José to mark the county’s first day of ownership of the facility, on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dr. Gloria Jiménez, a trauma surgeon who previously worked at Regional Medical Center before it was shuttered in August, asked to return to the staff and work the first shift at the reopened trauma center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I contacted the leadership, and I said, ‘I’ve been there, that’s my family. I want to go back home, and I want to be there the first day,’” Jiménez said. “Walking through the hallways this morning, it was like coming home.”[aside postID=news_12032727 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20240324_SANTACLARAMEDICALSTRIKE_GC-9-KQED-1020x680.jpg']She said having the facility owned in perpetuity by the county will offer residents not only life-saving services closer to home but confidence they will always have access to care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county is paying for the purchase of the hospital almost entirely through reimbursements the county received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency last year for its pandemic-related expenditures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not purchasing the hospital would have also resulted in significant costs to the county, officials said, as the service cuts at Regional Medical Center would require an increase in staffing and facility space at Valley Medical Center — which houses the only other trauma center within 15 miles — to serve additional patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the first month after services were cut at Regional Medical Center in August, Valley Medical Center’s trauma center saw a 50% increase in patients compared to the same period from the prior year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034092\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034092\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Susan Ellenberg, the District 4 supervisor for Santa Clara County, speaks during a ceremony at Regional Medical Center in East San José on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, who was the board president at the time the purchase agreement talks began, said Regional Medical Center not only plays a vital role in the eastern portion of the county but helps balance the loads at the other county facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our emergency departments are near capacity most days, and ensuring a healthy RMC means that patients in this area can get service close to home, leading to better outcomes for them and to less pressure and other E.R. locations, enabling everyone who needs emergency care to receive it in a timely manner,” Ellenberg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HCA faced significant criticism for its decision to cut services at Regional Medical Center and was accused by advocates and officials of putting profits over people’s health, as it estimated it would rake in $6 billion in profit for 2024 across its privately owned hospital portfolio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company’s proposal to overhaul and expand Good Samaritan Hospital in San José’s West Valley area also faced opposition from residents and community advocates, in large part due to its cuts in East San José. However, the San José City Council ultimately approved the major development plan in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A trauma center at Regional Medical Center in East San José that had been downgraded is back in operation on the first day under county ownership. ",
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"title": "East San José Hospital Trauma Center Restored on First Day of Public Ownership | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Santa Clara County has officially \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021981/santa-clara-county-reaches-definitive-deal-to-buy-east-san-jose-hospital-for-150-million\">brought a crucial regional hospital into public ownership\u003c/a>, following more than a year of turmoil that was touched off when a national health care corporation announced it would shutter the East San José facility’s trauma center and downgrade services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tuesday marked the first day that Regional Medical Center is operating under the umbrella of Santa Clara Valley Healthcare — the county’s public hospital and clinic system — joining Valley Medical Center and O’Connor Hospital in San José, as well as St. Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county announced Tuesday that the facility’s Level II trauma center, which was downgraded by the hospital’s previous owner, HCA Healthcare, in August, has been restored and is fully operational again, along with other service reinstatements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is about a commitment to excellence in service. This is about a commitment to ensuring access to health care. This is about providing opportunity to families who otherwise would go without,” James R. Williams, the county executive, said Tuesday during a ceremony at the facility,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Williams said the county board and other leaders have shown great leadership to ensure every resident in the county has access to quality health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034081\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12034081 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-3_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Clara County executive James R. Williams speaks during a ceremony at Regional Medical Center in East San José to mark the county’s first day of ownership of the facility on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Even in the face of extraordinary challenges at the federal level, we are making that investment because we know what is possible, we know what is necessary,” Williams said. “We know what it means for the people who live here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county’s takeover of Regional Medical Center follows months of negotiations with HCA over a purchase agreement. The county \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12001214/santa-clara-county-plans-to-buy-east-san-jose-hospital-to-reverse-cuts-to-care\">initially announced its plan to buy the hospital in August\u003c/a> at roughly $175 million, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021981/santa-clara-county-reaches-definitive-deal-to-buy-east-san-jose-hospital-for-150-million\">reduced to $150 million\u003c/a> in a January update from the county about the finalization of the deal.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The 258-bed hospital is the main emergency facility for East San José and much of the eastern portion of Santa Clara County. Nashville-based HCA sent shockwaves into the region when it announced in February 2024 that it planned to close the trauma center and completely eliminate severe heart attack services and downgrade stroke services in August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following months of public outcry, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11990284/doctors-community-leaders-ramp-up-efforts-to-halt-closure-of-east-san-jose-trauma-center\">protests and demonstrations\u003c/a> by health care workers and local and regional elected officials, HCA partially backed off those plans in mid-July, though it still made several reductions in levels of service and care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County officials warned the closures and reductions would significantly impact people living in the surrounding areas, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11987665/advocates-urge-state-to-intervene-in-closure-of-san-jose-trauma-center\">including some of the most diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged\u003c/a> portions of the county.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than half of the residents in the area are Latino, about a third are Asian American, roughly 11% are white, and just under 2.5% are African American. People living there face higher rates of chronic disease, trauma and poverty — and they are twice as likely to lack health insurance, the county said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Today is a great day for the county of Santa Clara and for the residents of East San José, and for our entire county community,” said Betty Duong, the District 2 supervisor for Santa Clara County, who represents the area where the Regional Medical Center operates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034077\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12034077 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-7_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Betty Duong, the District 2 supervisor for Santa Clara County, speaks during a ceremony at Regional Medical Center in East San José on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Duong said her father was treated at the hospital when he was hit by a car, and her mother was treated there when she had a stroke, and she expressed gratitude to the roughly 1,000 staff members of the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For years, the Regional Medical Center staff has been part of our family. And now I am so proud to be able to say that I’m part of yours,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the trauma center, the county has brought back vital stroke and severe heart attack services, also known as the ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) program. Labor and delivery care, which was eliminated by HCA in 2020, will also eventually be offered again at the hospital under the county’s stewardship, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are restoring critical, life-saving services to our community through this important acquisition,” said Supervisor Otto Lee, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12034078 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sylvia Arenas, the District 1 supervisor for Santa Clara County, speaks during a ceremony at Regional Medical Center in East San José to mark the county’s first day of ownership of the facility, on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dr. Gloria Jiménez, a trauma surgeon who previously worked at Regional Medical Center before it was shuttered in August, asked to return to the staff and work the first shift at the reopened trauma center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I contacted the leadership, and I said, ‘I’ve been there, that’s my family. I want to go back home, and I want to be there the first day,’” Jiménez said. “Walking through the hallways this morning, it was like coming home.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>She said having the facility owned in perpetuity by the county will offer residents not only life-saving services closer to home but confidence they will always have access to care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county is paying for the purchase of the hospital almost entirely through reimbursements the county received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency last year for its pandemic-related expenditures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not purchasing the hospital would have also resulted in significant costs to the county, officials said, as the service cuts at Regional Medical Center would require an increase in staffing and facility space at Valley Medical Center — which houses the only other trauma center within 15 miles — to serve additional patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the first month after services were cut at Regional Medical Center in August, Valley Medical Center’s trauma center saw a 50% increase in patients compared to the same period from the prior year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034092\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034092\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-5_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Susan Ellenberg, the District 4 supervisor for Santa Clara County, speaks during a ceremony at Regional Medical Center in East San José on April 1, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, who was the board president at the time the purchase agreement talks began, said Regional Medical Center not only plays a vital role in the eastern portion of the county but helps balance the loads at the other county facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our emergency departments are near capacity most days, and ensuring a healthy RMC means that patients in this area can get service close to home, leading to better outcomes for them and to less pressure and other E.R. locations, enabling everyone who needs emergency care to receive it in a timely manner,” Ellenberg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HCA faced significant criticism for its decision to cut services at Regional Medical Center and was accused by advocates and officials of putting profits over people’s health, as it estimated it would rake in $6 billion in profit for 2024 across its privately owned hospital portfolio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company’s proposal to overhaul and expand Good Samaritan Hospital in San José’s West Valley area also faced opposition from residents and community advocates, in large part due to its cuts in East San José. However, the San José City Council ultimately approved the major development plan in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "VTA’s Striking Workers Postpone Contract Vote as Agency Plans Sunday Meeting",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 6:20 p.m. Friday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Striking transit workers in the South Bay will postpone a planned Saturday vote on a new contract offer from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, after the agency asked union leaders to hold off until a special closed-session meeting could be held Sunday, according to union officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The VTA Board of Directors will meet Sunday at 10 a.m. to further discuss the ongoing negotiations with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, according to the union’s president, Raj Singh. The meeting was announced after ATU leaders encouraged their members to vote against the latest contract offer from VTA negotiators. It could signal an 11th-hour attempt from VTA leaders to avoid allowing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030951/vta-strike-underscores-silicon-valleys-widening-income-inequality\">the historic strike\u003c/a> by more than 1,500 bus drivers, train operators and maintenance workers to extend into a third week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The first two weeks now, essentially, the agency showed no urgency in trying to resolve the matter,” Singh said. “And so the fact that they’re [calling a special meeting] now, I hope it’s a step in the right direction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the VTA confirmed the planned meeting late Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier Friday, the VTA said that it had revised its previous offer to ATU, whose members have been off the job since March 10 over stalled contract negotiations, affecting tens of thousands of people who rely daily on transit in the South Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The VTA’s current offer to the union is a contract proposal that includes 10.5% raises over three years, with 4% in the first year, followed by 3%, and 3.5% in the subsequent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That proposal represents a 1.5% increase from the VTA’s previous offer of 9%, and comes a day after the VTA \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12032271/vta-strike-stretches-into-11th-day-agency-says-progress-being-made-in-talks\">told KQED\u003c/a> progress was made in negotiations on Wednesday regarding other key sticking points, including tentative changes to arbitration when employees file grievances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030671\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030671\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Baypointe light rail platform in San José is vacant on Monday, March 10, 2025, the first day of a strike by the union representing VTA’s bus drivers and light rail train operators. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For several weeks, the union’s ask has been for an 18% raise over three years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Friday afternoon, Singh said the union agreed to a compromise on arbitration, and feels the agency’s wage offer isn’t a fair one, pointing to the 4% annual raise that VTA General Manager Carolyn Gonot received in January. Singh indicated a 12% raise over three years would be something the union might accept.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it would be fair to give us essentially what they gave the general manager at least,” Singh said. “So at least seeing fours across the board would be fair.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singh said the union has also asked the VTA to guarantee that no union workers or leaders will face discipline or civil charges for their participation in the strike, and asked that all workers in the union be immediately reinstated when the strike ends, including those on probation or in training. Singh said the VTA in its previous offer rejected those asks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s unclear what specifics the board members will discuss Sunday, or what revised offer, if any, they will make to the union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12031387 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/01062023-Newsom-Inauguration-RL-CM-03-copy-1536x1024.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier Friday, the agency said its latest offer “is highly competitive and fair,” and reiterated that VTA operators are the second-highest paid among Bay Area transit workers, and said its mechanics are the highest paid in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Throughout lengthy negotiations, VTA has gone above and beyond to accommodate union demands, including agreeing to the union’s proposed arbitration language and significantly enhancing dental coverage at the union’s request,” the agency said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a letter posted on its website earlier Friday, ATU’s leadership had notified members of the previously planned special membership meeting on Saturday, with voting also scheduled to take place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union leadership said it held two meetings with VTA officials on Thursday, and recommended that its members vote against the current contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Management made it clear they would not offer more than a total 10.5% increase, justifying their position by citing reasons such as ATU’s highest offer in the past decade, claims that we are ‘uneducated workers,’ budget constraints, and the potential need to cut services,” the letter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Since we have once again hit a deadlock and the agency refuses to budge, we are putting the offer to a membership vote. However, let there be no misunderstanding – your leadership has NOT agreed to this proposal. Your Negotiations Team is strongly recommending a UNANIMOUS NO VOTE,” the letter concluded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tens of thousands of people use VTA buses and light rail trains every day, according to the agency, with roughly 100,000 riders on weekdays, including large proportions of students and low-income earners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union has said in previous statements that its members were on strike due to what it perceived as the agency wasting time in six months of negotiations that began in August, as well as concerns over arbitration, extended leave for injury or illness, and respect and fairness for its members’ work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stacey Hendler Ross, a spokesperson for VTA, said earlier on Friday that the agency hopes union members will approve the new offer and choose to end the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“VTA is trying to make incremental movement over the wage proposal just to get people back to work even though the agency is headed into a $40 million deficit for next year,” Hendler Ross said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can only hope that workers will see this as the fair and competitive offer that it is and come back to work so we can get our passengers back on the road,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singh, on Friday afternoon, seemed unconvinced about the agency’s inability to up its offer. “There is plenty of cushion in the budget for them to offer something more,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030673\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030673\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striking VTA workers picket acknowledge a passing honking car outside the agency’s headquarters on North First Street in San José on March 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The agency and the union have traded sharp rhetoric during the now 12-day strike, including blaming one another for the work stoppage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ATU leadership has held its members and the riders who depend on public transportation for their livelihood hostage for two weeks,” the VTA said in its statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union can choose to end the strike and allow employees back to work at any time, including before a new contract is made official.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "An expected Saturday vote by striking South Bay transit workers on a new contract offer is now postponed while the VTA’s leaders plan to hold a special meeting Sunday.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 6:20 p.m. Friday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Striking transit workers in the South Bay will postpone a planned Saturday vote on a new contract offer from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, after the agency asked union leaders to hold off until a special closed-session meeting could be held Sunday, according to union officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The VTA Board of Directors will meet Sunday at 10 a.m. to further discuss the ongoing negotiations with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, according to the union’s president, Raj Singh. The meeting was announced after ATU leaders encouraged their members to vote against the latest contract offer from VTA negotiators. It could signal an 11th-hour attempt from VTA leaders to avoid allowing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030951/vta-strike-underscores-silicon-valleys-widening-income-inequality\">the historic strike\u003c/a> by more than 1,500 bus drivers, train operators and maintenance workers to extend into a third week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The first two weeks now, essentially, the agency showed no urgency in trying to resolve the matter,” Singh said. “And so the fact that they’re [calling a special meeting] now, I hope it’s a step in the right direction.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the VTA confirmed the planned meeting late Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier Friday, the VTA said that it had revised its previous offer to ATU, whose members have been off the job since March 10 over stalled contract negotiations, affecting tens of thousands of people who rely daily on transit in the South Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The VTA’s current offer to the union is a contract proposal that includes 10.5% raises over three years, with 4% in the first year, followed by 3%, and 3.5% in the subsequent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That proposal represents a 1.5% increase from the VTA’s previous offer of 9%, and comes a day after the VTA \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12032271/vta-strike-stretches-into-11th-day-agency-says-progress-being-made-in-talks\">told KQED\u003c/a> progress was made in negotiations on Wednesday regarding other key sticking points, including tentative changes to arbitration when employees file grievances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030671\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030671\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-3-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Baypointe light rail platform in San José is vacant on Monday, March 10, 2025, the first day of a strike by the union representing VTA’s bus drivers and light rail train operators. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For several weeks, the union’s ask has been for an 18% raise over three years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Friday afternoon, Singh said the union agreed to a compromise on arbitration, and feels the agency’s wage offer isn’t a fair one, pointing to the 4% annual raise that VTA General Manager Carolyn Gonot received in January. Singh indicated a 12% raise over three years would be something the union might accept.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it would be fair to give us essentially what they gave the general manager at least,” Singh said. “So at least seeing fours across the board would be fair.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singh said the union has also asked the VTA to guarantee that no union workers or leaders will face discipline or civil charges for their participation in the strike, and asked that all workers in the union be immediately reinstated when the strike ends, including those on probation or in training. Singh said the VTA in its previous offer rejected those asks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s unclear what specifics the board members will discuss Sunday, or what revised offer, if any, they will make to the union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier Friday, the agency said its latest offer “is highly competitive and fair,” and reiterated that VTA operators are the second-highest paid among Bay Area transit workers, and said its mechanics are the highest paid in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Throughout lengthy negotiations, VTA has gone above and beyond to accommodate union demands, including agreeing to the union’s proposed arbitration language and significantly enhancing dental coverage at the union’s request,” the agency said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a letter posted on its website earlier Friday, ATU’s leadership had notified members of the previously planned special membership meeting on Saturday, with voting also scheduled to take place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union leadership said it held two meetings with VTA officials on Thursday, and recommended that its members vote against the current contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Management made it clear they would not offer more than a total 10.5% increase, justifying their position by citing reasons such as ATU’s highest offer in the past decade, claims that we are ‘uneducated workers,’ budget constraints, and the potential need to cut services,” the letter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Since we have once again hit a deadlock and the agency refuses to budge, we are putting the offer to a membership vote. However, let there be no misunderstanding – your leadership has NOT agreed to this proposal. Your Negotiations Team is strongly recommending a UNANIMOUS NO VOTE,” the letter concluded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tens of thousands of people use VTA buses and light rail trains every day, according to the agency, with roughly 100,000 riders on weekdays, including large proportions of students and low-income earners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union has said in previous statements that its members were on strike due to what it perceived as the agency wasting time in six months of negotiations that began in August, as well as concerns over arbitration, extended leave for injury or illness, and respect and fairness for its members’ work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stacey Hendler Ross, a spokesperson for VTA, said earlier on Friday that the agency hopes union members will approve the new offer and choose to end the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“VTA is trying to make incremental movement over the wage proposal just to get people back to work even though the agency is headed into a $40 million deficit for next year,” Hendler Ross said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can only hope that workers will see this as the fair and competitive offer that it is and come back to work so we can get our passengers back on the road,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singh, on Friday afternoon, seemed unconvinced about the agency’s inability to up its offer. “There is plenty of cushion in the budget for them to offer something more,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030673\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030673\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striking VTA workers picket acknowledge a passing honking car outside the agency’s headquarters on North First Street in San José on March 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The agency and the union have traded sharp rhetoric during the now 12-day strike, including blaming one another for the work stoppage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ATU leadership has held its members and the riders who depend on public transportation for their livelihood hostage for two weeks,” the VTA said in its statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union can choose to end the strike and allow employees back to work at any time, including before a new contract is made official.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 7:50 p.m. Monday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authotrity’s legal challenge aiming to put a stop to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030951/vta-strike-underscores-silicon-valleys-widening-income-inequality\">ongoing strike by transit workers\u003c/a> in the South Bay has been dealt a major blow by a judge, according to newly filed court documents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an order filed with the Santa Clara County Superior Court Monday, Judge Daniel T. Nishigaya rejected VTA’s request for a temporary restraining order to immediately halt the historic strike by more than 1,500 bus drivers and train operators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The judge allowed the case to proceed and set a court date for March 26, when the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, whose workers have been on strike since March 10, must argue why the court should not issue an injunction to halt the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the denial of the temporary restraining order means the courts are unlikely to intervene in the labor dispute before March 26, by which time the union and the VTA may have reached a new contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030759/vta-sues-to-end-historic-south-bay-transit-workers-strike\">filed its complaint\u003c/a> a week ago, seeking to force workers back to their jobs while negotiations over a new labor contract continue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The VTA has since submitted other supporting filings that helped reveal some of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031387/newsom-should-intervene-in-vta-strike-expert-says\">apparent bad blood\u003c/a> between the agency and its largest labor group, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday, Nishigaya rejected the VTA’s initial filing on technical grounds, stating it did not comply with state court rules. He then allowed the VTA to resubmit its request for a restraining order, which he denied Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So unfortunately for our passengers, that does not allow for the workers to come back and therefore service to be reinstated,” Greg Richardson, VTA deputy general manager, said Monday night during a news conference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richardson said he’s hopeful that a resolution to the contract dispute could be settled before the March 26 court date, though he acknowledged the potential for the strike to drag on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030770\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030770\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dafina Cozine, a bus operator, joins a strike with hundreds of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority workers, represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, on N. First Street, in San José, demanding a better contract and an increase in wages on March 11, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Raj Singh, the union’s president, said members are frustrated VTA appears more focused on trying to win a court fight instead of working out a deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They really haven’t made any efforts to resolve this issue,” he said. “They keep either going back to court or they’re hoping that the governor’s office is going to intervene.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency and the ATU have been negotiating since August over a new contract, with the most recent contract expiring on March 3. The union \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030584/santa-clara-county-transit-grinds-to-a-halt-as-vta-workers-strike\">began striking\u003c/a> on March 10, grinding the agency’s main services to a halt and forcing tens of thousands of riders to find other ways to get around, including walking or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030951/vta-strike-underscores-silicon-valleys-widening-income-inequality\">paying more\u003c/a> money for rideshares like Lyft and Uber.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders say their biggest aims are changing how arbitration is used when worker grievances are filed with the agency, as well as opposing proposed changes from VTA to reduce long-term injury or illness leave from two years to one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12031268 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250313_MUNI-OPERATOR-DAY_DMB_00008-KQED-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency and the union also remain very far apart on wages, with VTA offering the union members 9% raises over three years, and the union asking for 18% raises over the same period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After striking with no talks for several days last week, the union and VTA met with mediators on Thursday and Friday, as well as over the weekend, but no resolution was reached, according to both ATU and the agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the talks over the weekend were “productive and promising, but unfortunately at the end there was really no resolution to any of the issues that are still outstanding,” Richardson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do think things are closer than most people want to believe, we’ve just got to get it across the finish line,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Saturday, VTA’s General Manager Carolyn Gonot wrote to Gov. Gavin Newsom, asking him to intervene by appointing a board of investigation to look into the issues in the negotiations. A labor expert interviewed by KQED recommended \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031387/newsom-should-intervene-in-vta-strike-expert-says\">Newsom’s involvement\u003c/a> last week to help break the logjam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Governor’s intervention is clearly warranted here,” Gonot wrote to Newsom. “The abrupt disruption in service has created substantial uncertainty for VTA’s tens of thousands of daily riders and other members of the public who rely on VTA to transport their employees, students, and loved ones throughout the County and beyond.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment. Richardson said the response from Newsom’s office was to encourage both the agency and the union to continue to negotiate in good faith.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under state law, the governor can appoint a board to investigate during a public transit strike or threat of a strike and have the board make a written report of the facts of the dispute within a week. The report would not contain recommendations and would be made public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story has been updated to clarify when the judge’s initial order was filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 7:50 p.m. Monday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authotrity’s legal challenge aiming to put a stop to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030951/vta-strike-underscores-silicon-valleys-widening-income-inequality\">ongoing strike by transit workers\u003c/a> in the South Bay has been dealt a major blow by a judge, according to newly filed court documents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an order filed with the Santa Clara County Superior Court Monday, Judge Daniel T. Nishigaya rejected VTA’s request for a temporary restraining order to immediately halt the historic strike by more than 1,500 bus drivers and train operators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The judge allowed the case to proceed and set a court date for March 26, when the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, whose workers have been on strike since March 10, must argue why the court should not issue an injunction to halt the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the denial of the temporary restraining order means the courts are unlikely to intervene in the labor dispute before March 26, by which time the union and the VTA may have reached a new contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030759/vta-sues-to-end-historic-south-bay-transit-workers-strike\">filed its complaint\u003c/a> a week ago, seeking to force workers back to their jobs while negotiations over a new labor contract continue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The VTA has since submitted other supporting filings that helped reveal some of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031387/newsom-should-intervene-in-vta-strike-expert-says\">apparent bad blood\u003c/a> between the agency and its largest labor group, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday, Nishigaya rejected the VTA’s initial filing on technical grounds, stating it did not comply with state court rules. He then allowed the VTA to resubmit its request for a restraining order, which he denied Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So unfortunately for our passengers, that does not allow for the workers to come back and therefore service to be reinstated,” Greg Richardson, VTA deputy general manager, said Monday night during a news conference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richardson said he’s hopeful that a resolution to the contract dispute could be settled before the March 26 court date, though he acknowledged the potential for the strike to drag on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030770\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030770\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dafina Cozine, a bus operator, joins a strike with hundreds of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority workers, represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, on N. First Street, in San José, demanding a better contract and an increase in wages on March 11, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Raj Singh, the union’s president, said members are frustrated VTA appears more focused on trying to win a court fight instead of working out a deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They really haven’t made any efforts to resolve this issue,” he said. “They keep either going back to court or they’re hoping that the governor’s office is going to intervene.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency and the ATU have been negotiating since August over a new contract, with the most recent contract expiring on March 3. The union \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030584/santa-clara-county-transit-grinds-to-a-halt-as-vta-workers-strike\">began striking\u003c/a> on March 10, grinding the agency’s main services to a halt and forcing tens of thousands of riders to find other ways to get around, including walking or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030951/vta-strike-underscores-silicon-valleys-widening-income-inequality\">paying more\u003c/a> money for rideshares like Lyft and Uber.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders say their biggest aims are changing how arbitration is used when worker grievances are filed with the agency, as well as opposing proposed changes from VTA to reduce long-term injury or illness leave from two years to one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency and the union also remain very far apart on wages, with VTA offering the union members 9% raises over three years, and the union asking for 18% raises over the same period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After striking with no talks for several days last week, the union and VTA met with mediators on Thursday and Friday, as well as over the weekend, but no resolution was reached, according to both ATU and the agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the talks over the weekend were “productive and promising, but unfortunately at the end there was really no resolution to any of the issues that are still outstanding,” Richardson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do think things are closer than most people want to believe, we’ve just got to get it across the finish line,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Saturday, VTA’s General Manager Carolyn Gonot wrote to Gov. Gavin Newsom, asking him to intervene by appointing a board of investigation to look into the issues in the negotiations. A labor expert interviewed by KQED recommended \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031387/newsom-should-intervene-in-vta-strike-expert-says\">Newsom’s involvement\u003c/a> last week to help break the logjam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Governor’s intervention is clearly warranted here,” Gonot wrote to Newsom. “The abrupt disruption in service has created substantial uncertainty for VTA’s tens of thousands of daily riders and other members of the public who rely on VTA to transport their employees, students, and loved ones throughout the County and beyond.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment. Richardson said the response from Newsom’s office was to encourage both the agency and the union to continue to negotiate in good faith.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under state law, the governor can appoint a board to investigate during a public transit strike or threat of a strike and have the board make a written report of the facts of the dispute within a week. The report would not contain recommendations and would be made public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story has been updated to clarify when the judge’s initial order was filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>As transit workers in the South Bay \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031387/newsom-should-intervene-in-vta-strike-expert-says\">continue their historic strike for a fifth straight day\u003c/a>, a unionized group of Santa Clara County medical employees is threatening a work stoppage of their own later this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hundreds of workers represented by the Engineers and Scientists of California Local 20 say they plan to hold an unfair labor practice strike from March 24 through 26 to push back against what they call “bad faith” negotiating by the county during long-running contract talks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union includes clinical lab scientists, microbiologists and medical lab technicians who work at the Santa Clara County-run Valley Medical Center and O’Connor Hospital in San José, as well as St. Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, and county public health labs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our members have given us the mandate to insist on good faith bargaining so we can continue to deliver quality patient care and reject the County’s effort to forcibly waive our rights,” Jaspal Sandhu, a clinical lab scientist at Valley Medical, said in a statement from the union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sandhu is also a member of the negotiating team for the workers. “We remain committed to working towards reaching a fair agreement but will strike if necessary to try to put an end to the county’s bad faith,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union has been negotiating with the county for their next contract since July 2024, and their previous contract expired in September.[aside postID=news_12021981 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240613-REGIONALMED-JG-1-1020x680.jpg']The union alleges the county has refused to explain its proposals asking union members to give up the right to future negotiations over working conditions and the right to “take collective action to improve patient care,” the statement from the union said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union also said the county has threatened “to unilaterally impose these waivers of rights in violation of the law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara County, in a statement to KQED, said it is committed to finalizing a contract with the union that is fair for the workers, the county and its residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Reaching a financially sustainable agreement is critical given the current financial challenges facing local governments,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two sides were having mediated negotiations on Friday, but it’s unclear if a deal is expected to be reached soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county said its health care system “will make the necessary preparations to ensure that all critical lab work can proceed so that our patients can receive the compassionate and critical care that they need” in the event of a strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joana Santos, a clinical lab scientist at St. Louise, said in the union statement that the county’s proposals could put “patient safety at risk by allowing managers to move workers between highly specialized worksites without their input.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our patients deserve better, for they trust us with our health,” Santos said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As transit workers in the South Bay \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031387/newsom-should-intervene-in-vta-strike-expert-says\">continue their historic strike for a fifth straight day\u003c/a>, a unionized group of Santa Clara County medical employees is threatening a work stoppage of their own later this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hundreds of workers represented by the Engineers and Scientists of California Local 20 say they plan to hold an unfair labor practice strike from March 24 through 26 to push back against what they call “bad faith” negotiating by the county during long-running contract talks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union includes clinical lab scientists, microbiologists and medical lab technicians who work at the Santa Clara County-run Valley Medical Center and O’Connor Hospital in San José, as well as St. Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, and county public health labs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our members have given us the mandate to insist on good faith bargaining so we can continue to deliver quality patient care and reject the County’s effort to forcibly waive our rights,” Jaspal Sandhu, a clinical lab scientist at Valley Medical, said in a statement from the union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sandhu is also a member of the negotiating team for the workers. “We remain committed to working towards reaching a fair agreement but will strike if necessary to try to put an end to the county’s bad faith,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union has been negotiating with the county for their next contract since July 2024, and their previous contract expired in September.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The union alleges the county has refused to explain its proposals asking union members to give up the right to future negotiations over working conditions and the right to “take collective action to improve patient care,” the statement from the union said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union also said the county has threatened “to unilaterally impose these waivers of rights in violation of the law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara County, in a statement to KQED, said it is committed to finalizing a contract with the union that is fair for the workers, the county and its residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Reaching a financially sustainable agreement is critical given the current financial challenges facing local governments,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two sides were having mediated negotiations on Friday, but it’s unclear if a deal is expected to be reached soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county said its health care system “will make the necessary preparations to ensure that all critical lab work can proceed so that our patients can receive the compassionate and critical care that they need” in the event of a strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joana Santos, a clinical lab scientist at St. Louise, said in the union statement that the county’s proposals could put “patient safety at risk by allowing managers to move workers between highly specialized worksites without their input.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our patients deserve better, for they trust us with our health,” Santos said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "How the VTA Strike Underscores Silicon Valley’s Widening Income Inequality",
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"content": "\u003cp>While higher wages are a key sticking point for the more than 1,500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030780/bus-drivers-light-rail-operators-on-strike-in-the-south-bay\">bus drivers and train operators on strike\u003c/a> in the pricey Silicon Valley, tens of thousands of riders could also face increased costs as they figure out how else to get around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a problem that underscores the growing income inequality and cost of living in the South Bay, both for transit operators and the riders who depend on their service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s definitely very inconvenient, and it’s going to affect my plans on going to work,” Chris Zin of Union City said of the strike, which ground \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara-valley-transportation-authority\">Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority\u003c/a> service to a halt this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zin took BART from Union City to Milpitas, where he was waiting Monday afternoon at a VTA bus stop near the station when he saw an electronic signboard notifying him about the lack of bus and light rail service. Because of that, he said he’ll need to pay to travel one stop farther on BART to Berryessa and then for a service like Uber or Lyft to take him the rest of the way to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s going to affect my income as well,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sudden loss of transit service is especially a burden on those with limited incomes, who often have few other options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030771\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12030771 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hundreds of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority workers, represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, strike for the second day on North First Street in San José, demanding a better contract and an increase in wages on March 11, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a lawsuit the VTA filed to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030759/vta-sues-to-end-historic-south-bay-transit-workers-strike\">try to halt the strike\u003c/a>, the agency said a shutdown in services “especially impacts certain sectors of the population including seniors, people with disabilities and low-income riders.” Nearly 21% of weekday VTA riders earn less than $15,000 a year, the agency said. More than 27% are going to or from school or college, and about 40% are going to or from work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We calculate that regular folks are spending $10,000 at least minimally on their transportation costs in our region. These are all really difficult things, especially when most people are now spending more than 50% of their income on housing alone,” said Russell Hancock, the president and CEO of think tank Joint Venture Silicon Valley. “So we’re a deeply burdened region.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a strike, the added costs to transit riders can be one more hit to their checking accounts or even drive people away from using transit in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Very often it’s the people that are in the service professions that are reliant on transit, so this can hurt,” Hancock said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12030759 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-2-KQED-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raj Singh, the president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, the union representing the striking VTA workers, said he empathizes with riders, but he blamed the transit agency for what he called “bad faith” negotiations that ran for more than six months before \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030584/santa-clara-county-transit-grinds-to-a-halt-as-vta-workers-strike\">the strike was called\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel for those people. The best part of our job, being an operator, is getting someone from A to B, whether it’s their doctor’s appointment, grocery shopping, or even the school trips. We take pride in the work that we do,” Singh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s unfortunate that the agency has pushed us to this point,” he said. “I hope people understand that this wasn’t something that we intended on doing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The VTA’s latest offer to ATU workers includes a 9% pay increase spread over three years, with 4% coming in the first year, followed by 3% and 2%, respectively. The offer represents half of what the union is seeking — an 18% raise over the same time period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>VTA officials have said the agency can’t afford the union’s ask without cutting service and possibly cutting jobs, and believe their current offer is competitive, as it would ensure ATU members remain the second-highest paid transit workers in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hancock and some transit riders, meanwhile, said they understand that striking transit workers are also having trouble in an expensive place to live and work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030773\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030773\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A blacked-out sign at a railroad track stop on North First Street in San José on March 11, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sheila Mirrielees, who takes public transit from Mountain View to work in downtown Oakland, was planning on using a VTA light rail train to get home on Monday afternoon from Milpitas BART.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I didn’t listen to the news this morning. So now I have to take an Uber out to Mountain View,” Mirrielees said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As long as the strike continues, Mirrielees said she’ll stick to using Caltrain and BART for her commute. Despite the inconvenience, she said she’s on the side of the striking workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is such an expensive area to live that the wages just don’t keep up in most professions,” she said. “People just don’t go on strike for the fun of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Silicon Valley was once known for its wealth as a middle-class region, that has shifted dramatically in the last few decades, Hancock said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030673\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030673\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striking VTA workers picket acknowledge a passing honking car outside the agency’s headquarters on North First Street in San José on March 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Now, we have the nation’s highest wealth and income gaps where the bulk of the wealth is held by a small number of people and a large number of people are barely getting by,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Joint Venture’s recently published annual report, \u003ca href=\"https://jointventure.org/publications/silicon-valley-index\">the Silicon Valley Index\u003c/a>, Hancock noted that while the region remains an “economic superpower,” it is simultaneously struggling to address critical issues like homelessness, stagnating wages and higher costs for just about everything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most people will tell you that those are the conditions for instability and that those are the conditions where you start seeing blood in the streets,” Hancock said. “It’s just a very difficult place to live.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Waiting for a ride on Monday afternoon, Preeti Sharma of Milpitas described her day as “not a good one” because she was tired from the daylight saving time shift and wanted to get home quickly, but was caught off guard by the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sharma was catching a ride that day with her friend Helly Tanna, who takes an AC Transit bus into Milpitas BART, but due to the strike on Monday, the signboard Tanna usually checks to confirm her bus is coming was blank, even though the AC Transit is running.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The confusion added some stress to her day, and she had to coordinate with her husband and their baby’s sleeping schedule to arrange a last-minute pickup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s unclear how long the strike will last, union and agency officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If it will be long-lasting, then it might cause trouble,” Tanna said. “We’ll see.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zin took BART from Union City to Milpitas, where he was waiting Monday afternoon at a VTA bus stop near the station when he saw an electronic signboard notifying him about the lack of bus and light rail service. Because of that, he said he’ll need to pay to travel one stop farther on BART to Berryessa and then for a service like Uber or Lyft to take him the rest of the way to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s going to affect my income as well,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sudden loss of transit service is especially a burden on those with limited incomes, who often have few other options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030771\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12030771 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-16-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hundreds of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority workers, represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, strike for the second day on North First Street in San José, demanding a better contract and an increase in wages on March 11, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a lawsuit the VTA filed to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030759/vta-sues-to-end-historic-south-bay-transit-workers-strike\">try to halt the strike\u003c/a>, the agency said a shutdown in services “especially impacts certain sectors of the population including seniors, people with disabilities and low-income riders.” Nearly 21% of weekday VTA riders earn less than $15,000 a year, the agency said. More than 27% are going to or from school or college, and about 40% are going to or from work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We calculate that regular folks are spending $10,000 at least minimally on their transportation costs in our region. These are all really difficult things, especially when most people are now spending more than 50% of their income on housing alone,” said Russell Hancock, the president and CEO of think tank Joint Venture Silicon Valley. “So we’re a deeply burdened region.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a strike, the added costs to transit riders can be one more hit to their checking accounts or even drive people away from using transit in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Very often it’s the people that are in the service professions that are reliant on transit, so this can hurt,” Hancock said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raj Singh, the president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, the union representing the striking VTA workers, said he empathizes with riders, but he blamed the transit agency for what he called “bad faith” negotiations that ran for more than six months before \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030584/santa-clara-county-transit-grinds-to-a-halt-as-vta-workers-strike\">the strike was called\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel for those people. The best part of our job, being an operator, is getting someone from A to B, whether it’s their doctor’s appointment, grocery shopping, or even the school trips. We take pride in the work that we do,” Singh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s unfortunate that the agency has pushed us to this point,” he said. “I hope people understand that this wasn’t something that we intended on doing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The VTA’s latest offer to ATU workers includes a 9% pay increase spread over three years, with 4% coming in the first year, followed by 3% and 2%, respectively. The offer represents half of what the union is seeking — an 18% raise over the same time period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>VTA officials have said the agency can’t afford the union’s ask without cutting service and possibly cutting jobs, and believe their current offer is competitive, as it would ensure ATU members remain the second-highest paid transit workers in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hancock and some transit riders, meanwhile, said they understand that striking transit workers are also having trouble in an expensive place to live and work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030773\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030773\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250311_VTASTRIKEDAY2_GC-22-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A blacked-out sign at a railroad track stop on North First Street in San José on March 11, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sheila Mirrielees, who takes public transit from Mountain View to work in downtown Oakland, was planning on using a VTA light rail train to get home on Monday afternoon from Milpitas BART.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I didn’t listen to the news this morning. So now I have to take an Uber out to Mountain View,” Mirrielees said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As long as the strike continues, Mirrielees said she’ll stick to using Caltrain and BART for her commute. Despite the inconvenience, she said she’s on the side of the striking workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is such an expensive area to live that the wages just don’t keep up in most professions,” she said. “People just don’t go on strike for the fun of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Silicon Valley was once known for its wealth as a middle-class region, that has shifted dramatically in the last few decades, Hancock said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030673\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030673\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250220-VTASTRIKED1.-JG-8-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striking VTA workers picket acknowledge a passing honking car outside the agency’s headquarters on North First Street in San José on March 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Now, we have the nation’s highest wealth and income gaps where the bulk of the wealth is held by a small number of people and a large number of people are barely getting by,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Joint Venture’s recently published annual report, \u003ca href=\"https://jointventure.org/publications/silicon-valley-index\">the Silicon Valley Index\u003c/a>, Hancock noted that while the region remains an “economic superpower,” it is simultaneously struggling to address critical issues like homelessness, stagnating wages and higher costs for just about everything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most people will tell you that those are the conditions for instability and that those are the conditions where you start seeing blood in the streets,” Hancock said. “It’s just a very difficult place to live.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Waiting for a ride on Monday afternoon, Preeti Sharma of Milpitas described her day as “not a good one” because she was tired from the daylight saving time shift and wanted to get home quickly, but was caught off guard by the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sharma was catching a ride that day with her friend Helly Tanna, who takes an AC Transit bus into Milpitas BART, but due to the strike on Monday, the signboard Tanna usually checks to confirm her bus is coming was blank, even though the AC Transit is running.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The confusion added some stress to her day, and she had to coordinate with her husband and their baby’s sleeping schedule to arrange a last-minute pickup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s unclear how long the strike will last, union and agency officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If it will be long-lasting, then it might cause trouble,” Tanna said. “We’ll see.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On Monday, more than 1,500 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority bus drivers, light rail operators and other employees went on strike for the first time in the agency’s history after more than six months of failed negotiations over wages and other issues.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC1945432953\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:33] It’s about nine a .m. on Tuesday, and we’re talking about the VTA strike. But first, I mean, just sort of stepping back here, how big of a role does the VTA play in getting people around the South Bay?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:02:10] Vta, the Valley Transportation Authority, runs a ton of busses and light rail all around Santa Clara County. They serve, according to the agency right now, about 100,000 people per day. They are the transit agency for this region. And so that means they serve the most heavily populated and dense areas and do all kinds of bus and light rail transfers at really popular places like Diridon Station in downtown San Jose or at these various BART stations. They also serve the outer reaches of the county, like Morgan Hill and Gilroy with bus service, and light rail extending into the eastern foothills and into different regions all around big and small cities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:04] Okay, so we’re talking about 100,000 people across Santa Clara County who rely on the VTA every day. Now I wanna talk about the strike, which is affecting all of those folks who rely on this agency. Who exactly is on strike right now and what jobs are we talking about?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:03:25] The Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 265, it’s a long name for a union, but that is the local chapter of a very large national transit union. And at VTA, Local 265 represents more than 1 ,500 currently, bus drivers and light rail train operators, as well as a series of other critical functions like maintenance workers who keep those trains and busses operating. as well as customer service agents and dispatchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Melissa Rodriguez \u003c/strong>[00:03:58] A lot of us here don’t want to, but we have to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:04:00] Melissa Rodriguez is a bus driver, and she’s been doing it for years with VTA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Melissa Rodriguez \u003c/strong>[00:04:06] It’s hard to live. A lot of people, a lot of drivers live really far away. They drive two to three hours just to get here, just to go to work, and it’s hard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:04:16] And I talked to her outside of the Cerone yard. It’s a bus depot in North San Jose. And she’s essentially one of hundreds of workers yesterday who were taking shifts on picket lines and protesting essentially what they believe is an unfair contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Melissa Rodriguez \u003c/strong>[00:04:32] People that I’ve had on my bus, they were supportive. They said they had to find other avenues to go ahead and get to where they needed to get to. I feel really bad, but if we don’t do anything about this now, we’re just gonna continue to fight like this back and forth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:04:54] Yeah, let’s talk about that a little bit more, Joseph. Why exactly is this strike happening? And I guess how did we get here?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:05:01] It’s been months and months of negotiations. ATU members were negotiating for a new contract. Their current contract expired in early March, but they’ve been negotiating with the agency to hammer out a new contract since August. Despite that, you know, more than six month negotiation period where for most weeks they were meeting twice a week, they were unable to get the contract completely figured out. And the two sides, the agency and the union, they remain really far apart on these critical issues like wages, as well as how employee grievances are handled and a couple of other issues that are important to the union right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:05:50] What exactly are these VTA workers asking for? What are their demands?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:05:57] Yeah, the biggest one right now, at least in terms of, you know, on paper, where they’re farthest apart is wages. So the VTA made its most recent offer to the union in late February, on February 28th, and they were offering a 9 % raise to these drivers, operators, and other workers over a period of three years. Meanwhile, on the other hand, you’ve got the union on that same day making their most recent ask. And for wages, they are asking for 18%. So they want a 6 % raise in each of the three years that this contract would cover. The union is asking for double what the agency is offering. So that is one of the biggest chasms, I guess, you could say. One of the bigger sticking points is the arbitration issue. So essentially, this is the way that the union and the agency work out disputes. When there is a problem with the way a worker was treated in the view of the union, they can bring a grievance to the agency. and that can sometimes go into the arbitration process. The ATU and the VTA have been meeting for months and negotiating multiple times a week up until this strike occurred. And the negotiation team for the union includes its president, Raj Singh, and he has been characterizing these negotiations in a really negative light.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Raj Singh \u003c/strong>[00:07:13] Negotiations have not been in good faith, you know, the communication was very poor. The agency has stuck to their normal routine that it’s, you know, it’s used for every single negotiations that I’ve seen in my 17 years of employment here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:07:29] He said that the agency is wasting the union’s time for the first several months of the negotiations and not addressing real issues and not making what the union considers to be real substantive offers in terms of wages. He has kind of lambasted the agency and claimed that they are the reason this strike is happening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Raj Singh \u003c/strong>[00:07:49] We’re asking for the agency to, you know, present something that they believe is fair. We want to get this done sooner rather than later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:08:01] Wow, strong words there. And also seems like there’s just a lot going on here. The union and the agency being very far apart on wages and this sort of conflict resolution process. I mean, how has VTA responded to all of this and especially these demands?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:08:24] Yeah, I mean, I think there’s been some nearly equally strong words coming from the VTA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Greg Richardson \u003c/strong>[00:08:32] Let me first start by saying how disappointed we are with the action taken last night by ATU Local 265 with their communication to our board of their intent to strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:08:45] you’ve got the deputy general manager of VTA, his name’s Greg Richardson, and he has, you know, been interviewed a million times by local media as well as held press conferences where he has decried what he calls a decision, a choice by the union to basically abandon a hundred thousand people every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Greg Richardson \u003c/strong>[00:09:05] you know these are folks who are trying to get to their job and if they’re not aware of it and they’re having a clock in clock out i mean this is going to be something that that could impact them dramatically and uh… it’s not something that we want to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:09:18] The other thing that Greg Richardson and VTA spokespeople have noted is that there simply in their view is not enough money in the piggy bank, so to speak, to meet the union where they are asking to be met.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Greg Richardson \u003c/strong>[00:09:33] ATU’s demand is for a 19 .1 % increase over three years. The reality, with a wage increase at this level, or anything close to it, would be service cuts throughout our system and the likely elimination of positions across VTA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:09:50] Richardson has said, you know, it’s going to be a little bit of a fiscal challenge for the agency to be able to meet the offer that they’ve already made at 9%, but they’re willing to do that and they are committed to doing that without having to cut, first of all, any employees or cut any service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Greg Richardson \u003c/strong>[00:10:06] You know, do we want to keep the ridership going? Of course. I mean, the momentum that VTA has gained over the last 18 to 24 months has been dramatic, but it’s more important about the impact it’s going to have on those riders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:10:21] And as we’re talking Joseph, it’s day two now of the strike. How has it gone so far?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:10:27] Yeah, day one was interesting. Spirits were high, a lot of strikes with labor unions often start early in the morning, and there’s no exception here. You had workers kind of in line with their shifts, right? Because bus drivers and train operators, they get up before the crack of dawn in some cases. And so you had folks picketing outside of five locations that are run by the VTA, including their headquarters in North San Jose, and you had folks out there in the dark of night, essentially around four in the morning. beginning their picketing and their chanting of slogans and, you know, basically just making a public show of force that they won’t be ignored and that their demands are serious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">There was an incident in the morning at the Cerone yard where there’s this pickup truck driven by what ATU says was a VTA supervisor that kind of made contact with a couple of the picketers. And there was a dispute about whether he collided with them on purpose or what was happening. But it was a really messy situation. A couple of people got sent to the hospital just to make sure they were okay with some minor injuries. but overall that incident really increased the tensions. VTA, for its side, is saying that the picketing workers were at fault, essentially blocking the car’s way, the pickup truck’s way, and kind of getting in the way of the car on purpose. So there seems to be a lot of disagreement, but either way, nobody is happy about this incident with the pickup truck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:11:53] I mean, what impact is this having so far on riders in the county, Joseph? I mean, because obviously no one, it seems like, is driving the busses. So are none of the trains or busses operating right now? I mean, what does this all mean for riders?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:12:14] Yeah, not a single bus or train, light rail train, from VTA is running right now and has not been running since just after midnight on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Sheila Mirrielees \u003c/strong>[00:12:23] And so there’s a strike that I didn’t listen to the news this morning. So now I have to take an Uber out to Mountain View.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:12:32] Sheila Mirrelees of Mountain View took Cal Train and BART into work in Oakland in the morning but was coming back through BART and planned to take a VTA light rail train back home in the afternoon and she found out after walking the footbridge over to the light rail station that there were going to be no trains this week or that day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Sheila Mirrielees \u003c/strong>[00:12:53] I saw people walking back but they didn’t tell me so yeah, I walked all the way over there, so\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:12:58] A lot of people have mixed feelings about when a public agency workforce like this goes on strike and affects so many people on a daily basis. But some of those people who were directly affected, like Sheila, still have empathy and understanding for this workforce and what they’ve chosen to do here to get a better contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Sheila Mirrielees \u003c/strong>[00:13:19] People just don’t go on strike for the fun of it. There’s something going on in their lives or they really need to for the most part.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:13:30] Joseph, you’ve talked to both the union and the VTA at this point. Any sense on how long this could last?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:13:40] That’s the million dollar question, but the short answer is no. There’s no big insight or secret here. The VTA says, hey, we’re ready for the union to come back to the table. And the union says, hey, we’re waiting for the VTA to improve its offer and call us back to the table. So there’s a little bit of finger pointing and a little bit of inaction, it seems, at this moment. It’s unclear how long that’ll last. You know, the union has not said if there’s a limit on how long they plan to strike. And the agency itself has not said, you know, if they would change their approach after a certain amount of time of the strike continuing. So it’s really unclear.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On Monday, more than 1,500 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority bus drivers, light rail operators and other employees went on strike for the first time in the agency’s history after more than six months of failed negotiations over wages and other issues.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC1945432953\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:33] It’s about nine a .m. on Tuesday, and we’re talking about the VTA strike. But first, I mean, just sort of stepping back here, how big of a role does the VTA play in getting people around the South Bay?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:02:10] Vta, the Valley Transportation Authority, runs a ton of busses and light rail all around Santa Clara County. They serve, according to the agency right now, about 100,000 people per day. They are the transit agency for this region. And so that means they serve the most heavily populated and dense areas and do all kinds of bus and light rail transfers at really popular places like Diridon Station in downtown San Jose or at these various BART stations. They also serve the outer reaches of the county, like Morgan Hill and Gilroy with bus service, and light rail extending into the eastern foothills and into different regions all around big and small cities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:04] Okay, so we’re talking about 100,000 people across Santa Clara County who rely on the VTA every day. Now I wanna talk about the strike, which is affecting all of those folks who rely on this agency. Who exactly is on strike right now and what jobs are we talking about?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:03:25] The Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 265, it’s a long name for a union, but that is the local chapter of a very large national transit union. And at VTA, Local 265 represents more than 1 ,500 currently, bus drivers and light rail train operators, as well as a series of other critical functions like maintenance workers who keep those trains and busses operating. as well as customer service agents and dispatchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Melissa Rodriguez \u003c/strong>[00:03:58] A lot of us here don’t want to, but we have to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:04:00] Melissa Rodriguez is a bus driver, and she’s been doing it for years with VTA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Melissa Rodriguez \u003c/strong>[00:04:06] It’s hard to live. A lot of people, a lot of drivers live really far away. They drive two to three hours just to get here, just to go to work, and it’s hard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:04:16] And I talked to her outside of the Cerone yard. It’s a bus depot in North San Jose. And she’s essentially one of hundreds of workers yesterday who were taking shifts on picket lines and protesting essentially what they believe is an unfair contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Melissa Rodriguez \u003c/strong>[00:04:32] People that I’ve had on my bus, they were supportive. They said they had to find other avenues to go ahead and get to where they needed to get to. I feel really bad, but if we don’t do anything about this now, we’re just gonna continue to fight like this back and forth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:04:54] Yeah, let’s talk about that a little bit more, Joseph. Why exactly is this strike happening? And I guess how did we get here?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:05:01] It’s been months and months of negotiations. ATU members were negotiating for a new contract. Their current contract expired in early March, but they’ve been negotiating with the agency to hammer out a new contract since August. Despite that, you know, more than six month negotiation period where for most weeks they were meeting twice a week, they were unable to get the contract completely figured out. And the two sides, the agency and the union, they remain really far apart on these critical issues like wages, as well as how employee grievances are handled and a couple of other issues that are important to the union right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:05:50] What exactly are these VTA workers asking for? What are their demands?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:05:57] Yeah, the biggest one right now, at least in terms of, you know, on paper, where they’re farthest apart is wages. So the VTA made its most recent offer to the union in late February, on February 28th, and they were offering a 9 % raise to these drivers, operators, and other workers over a period of three years. Meanwhile, on the other hand, you’ve got the union on that same day making their most recent ask. And for wages, they are asking for 18%. So they want a 6 % raise in each of the three years that this contract would cover. The union is asking for double what the agency is offering. So that is one of the biggest chasms, I guess, you could say. One of the bigger sticking points is the arbitration issue. So essentially, this is the way that the union and the agency work out disputes. When there is a problem with the way a worker was treated in the view of the union, they can bring a grievance to the agency. and that can sometimes go into the arbitration process. The ATU and the VTA have been meeting for months and negotiating multiple times a week up until this strike occurred. And the negotiation team for the union includes its president, Raj Singh, and he has been characterizing these negotiations in a really negative light.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Raj Singh \u003c/strong>[00:07:13] Negotiations have not been in good faith, you know, the communication was very poor. The agency has stuck to their normal routine that it’s, you know, it’s used for every single negotiations that I’ve seen in my 17 years of employment here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:07:29] He said that the agency is wasting the union’s time for the first several months of the negotiations and not addressing real issues and not making what the union considers to be real substantive offers in terms of wages. He has kind of lambasted the agency and claimed that they are the reason this strike is happening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Raj Singh \u003c/strong>[00:07:49] We’re asking for the agency to, you know, present something that they believe is fair. We want to get this done sooner rather than later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:08:01] Wow, strong words there. And also seems like there’s just a lot going on here. The union and the agency being very far apart on wages and this sort of conflict resolution process. I mean, how has VTA responded to all of this and especially these demands?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:08:24] Yeah, I mean, I think there’s been some nearly equally strong words coming from the VTA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Greg Richardson \u003c/strong>[00:08:32] Let me first start by saying how disappointed we are with the action taken last night by ATU Local 265 with their communication to our board of their intent to strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:08:45] you’ve got the deputy general manager of VTA, his name’s Greg Richardson, and he has, you know, been interviewed a million times by local media as well as held press conferences where he has decried what he calls a decision, a choice by the union to basically abandon a hundred thousand people every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Greg Richardson \u003c/strong>[00:09:05] you know these are folks who are trying to get to their job and if they’re not aware of it and they’re having a clock in clock out i mean this is going to be something that that could impact them dramatically and uh… it’s not something that we want to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:09:18] The other thing that Greg Richardson and VTA spokespeople have noted is that there simply in their view is not enough money in the piggy bank, so to speak, to meet the union where they are asking to be met.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Greg Richardson \u003c/strong>[00:09:33] ATU’s demand is for a 19 .1 % increase over three years. The reality, with a wage increase at this level, or anything close to it, would be service cuts throughout our system and the likely elimination of positions across VTA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:09:50] Richardson has said, you know, it’s going to be a little bit of a fiscal challenge for the agency to be able to meet the offer that they’ve already made at 9%, but they’re willing to do that and they are committed to doing that without having to cut, first of all, any employees or cut any service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Greg Richardson \u003c/strong>[00:10:06] You know, do we want to keep the ridership going? Of course. I mean, the momentum that VTA has gained over the last 18 to 24 months has been dramatic, but it’s more important about the impact it’s going to have on those riders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:10:21] And as we’re talking Joseph, it’s day two now of the strike. How has it gone so far?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:10:27] Yeah, day one was interesting. Spirits were high, a lot of strikes with labor unions often start early in the morning, and there’s no exception here. You had workers kind of in line with their shifts, right? Because bus drivers and train operators, they get up before the crack of dawn in some cases. And so you had folks picketing outside of five locations that are run by the VTA, including their headquarters in North San Jose, and you had folks out there in the dark of night, essentially around four in the morning. beginning their picketing and their chanting of slogans and, you know, basically just making a public show of force that they won’t be ignored and that their demands are serious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">There was an incident in the morning at the Cerone yard where there’s this pickup truck driven by what ATU says was a VTA supervisor that kind of made contact with a couple of the picketers. And there was a dispute about whether he collided with them on purpose or what was happening. But it was a really messy situation. A couple of people got sent to the hospital just to make sure they were okay with some minor injuries. but overall that incident really increased the tensions. VTA, for its side, is saying that the picketing workers were at fault, essentially blocking the car’s way, the pickup truck’s way, and kind of getting in the way of the car on purpose. So there seems to be a lot of disagreement, but either way, nobody is happy about this incident with the pickup truck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:11:53] I mean, what impact is this having so far on riders in the county, Joseph? I mean, because obviously no one, it seems like, is driving the busses. So are none of the trains or busses operating right now? I mean, what does this all mean for riders?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:12:14] Yeah, not a single bus or train, light rail train, from VTA is running right now and has not been running since just after midnight on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Sheila Mirrielees \u003c/strong>[00:12:23] And so there’s a strike that I didn’t listen to the news this morning. So now I have to take an Uber out to Mountain View.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:12:32] Sheila Mirrelees of Mountain View took Cal Train and BART into work in Oakland in the morning but was coming back through BART and planned to take a VTA light rail train back home in the afternoon and she found out after walking the footbridge over to the light rail station that there were going to be no trains this week or that day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Sheila Mirrielees \u003c/strong>[00:12:53] I saw people walking back but they didn’t tell me so yeah, I walked all the way over there, so\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:12:58] A lot of people have mixed feelings about when a public agency workforce like this goes on strike and affects so many people on a daily basis. But some of those people who were directly affected, like Sheila, still have empathy and understanding for this workforce and what they’ve chosen to do here to get a better contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Sheila Mirrielees \u003c/strong>[00:13:19] People just don’t go on strike for the fun of it. There’s something going on in their lives or they really need to for the most part.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:13:30] Joseph, you’ve talked to both the union and the VTA at this point. Any sense on how long this could last?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha \u003c/strong>[00:13:40] That’s the million dollar question, but the short answer is no. There’s no big insight or secret here. The VTA says, hey, we’re ready for the union to come back to the table. And the union says, hey, we’re waiting for the VTA to improve its offer and call us back to the table. So there’s a little bit of finger pointing and a little bit of inaction, it seems, at this moment. It’s unclear how long that’ll last. You know, the union has not said if there’s a limit on how long they plan to strike. And the agency itself has not said, you know, if they would change their approach after a certain amount of time of the strike continuing. So it’s really unclear.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>As South Bay transit workers continue \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030584/santa-clara-county-transit-grinds-to-a-halt-as-vta-workers-strike\">a historic strike\u003c/a> for a second day over stalled contract talks, halting bus and train service in the region, the agency that employs them is suing to force them back to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara-valley-transportation-authority\">Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority\u003c/a> filed a complaint late Monday night against the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, alleging the strike is a breach of contract and an act of bad faith.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This abrupt disruption in service has created substantial uncertainty for VTA’s tens of thousands of daily riders and other members of the public who rely on VTA to transport their employees, students, and loved ones throughout the county and beyond,” reads the complaint filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 1,500 ATU workers have walked off their jobs as bus drivers, train operators, maintenance technicians, dispatchers and customer service agents. The VTA is asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the strike, the first in the 30-year history of the transit agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This strike is having an overwhelming impact on the community, and we are working on all efforts to support our riders getting to work, school, medical appointments, and events,” VTA General Manager Carolyn Gonot said in a statement. “Getting our buses and trains rolling is imperative.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency’s complaint alleges that the collective bargaining agreement with the ATU prohibits a strike or work stoppage not only during the life of the previous contract, which expired on March 3 but also during ongoing negotiations for a new contract.[aside postID=news_12029584 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-VTAfile-02-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg']“VTA recognizes that ATU employees have the right to strike so long as they comply with the law and the collective bargaining agreement,” the agency said in a statement Tuesday. “However, ATU has failed to meet those requirements prior to initiating their strike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raj Singh, the president of ATU Local 265, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit on Tuesday afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency and the union began new contract negotiations in August and even went through a round of mediation at the start of this year, but the two sides are still far apart on the critical issue of wages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>VTA’s latest offer, made on Feb. 28, includes a 9% raise spread over three years, with 4% offered in the first year, then 3% and 2%, respectively, in the latter years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the same day, the union requested an 18% raise over the same three-year period, with 6% raises each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union officials have also said they are seeking a fairer arbitration process for workers who file grievances with the VTA and other deal points, including long-term leave due to injury and illness, which the agency is seeking to cut from two years to one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahead of the strike, VTA Deputy General Manager Greg Richardson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030160/south-bay-transit-workers-call-strike-set-to-halt-vta-bus-and-rail-service\">characterized the union’s wage demands\u003c/a> as “unreasonable” and said the agency can’t afford that level of pay increases without reducing services and possibly cutting jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a developing story, and it will be updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"headline": "VTA Sues to End Historic South Bay Transit Workers’ Strike",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As South Bay transit workers continue \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030584/santa-clara-county-transit-grinds-to-a-halt-as-vta-workers-strike\">a historic strike\u003c/a> for a second day over stalled contract talks, halting bus and train service in the region, the agency that employs them is suing to force them back to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara-valley-transportation-authority\">Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority\u003c/a> filed a complaint late Monday night against the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, alleging the strike is a breach of contract and an act of bad faith.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This abrupt disruption in service has created substantial uncertainty for VTA’s tens of thousands of daily riders and other members of the public who rely on VTA to transport their employees, students, and loved ones throughout the county and beyond,” reads the complaint filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 1,500 ATU workers have walked off their jobs as bus drivers, train operators, maintenance technicians, dispatchers and customer service agents. The VTA is asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the strike, the first in the 30-year history of the transit agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This strike is having an overwhelming impact on the community, and we are working on all efforts to support our riders getting to work, school, medical appointments, and events,” VTA General Manager Carolyn Gonot said in a statement. “Getting our buses and trains rolling is imperative.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency’s complaint alleges that the collective bargaining agreement with the ATU prohibits a strike or work stoppage not only during the life of the previous contract, which expired on March 3 but also during ongoing negotiations for a new contract.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“VTA recognizes that ATU employees have the right to strike so long as they comply with the law and the collective bargaining agreement,” the agency said in a statement Tuesday. “However, ATU has failed to meet those requirements prior to initiating their strike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raj Singh, the president of ATU Local 265, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit on Tuesday afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency and the union began new contract negotiations in August and even went through a round of mediation at the start of this year, but the two sides are still far apart on the critical issue of wages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>VTA’s latest offer, made on Feb. 28, includes a 9% raise spread over three years, with 4% offered in the first year, then 3% and 2%, respectively, in the latter years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the same day, the union requested an 18% raise over the same three-year period, with 6% raises each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union officials have also said they are seeking a fairer arbitration process for workers who file grievances with the VTA and other deal points, including long-term leave due to injury and illness, which the agency is seeking to cut from two years to one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahead of the strike, VTA Deputy General Manager Greg Richardson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030160/south-bay-transit-workers-call-strike-set-to-halt-vta-bus-and-rail-service\">characterized the union’s wage demands\u003c/a> as “unreasonable” and said the agency can’t afford that level of pay increases without reducing services and possibly cutting jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a developing story, and it will be updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Santa Clara County Social Workers Demand More Staffing, Support in Troubled Agency",
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"content": "\u003cp>Unionized South Bay social workers are amplifying their calls for the Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS) to increase hiring and accountability just weeks after the beleaguered agency’s director announced plans to resign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chronic understaffing, unsustainable caseloads and burnout are jeopardizing the safety of children and families, workers said Tuesday morning at a rally outside the Santa Clara County administration building in San José.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In a county where we have the greatest minds and resources, we are now failing families in our community,” Pa Chang, a social work supervisor, said during the rally. “No family should have to fear that when a social worker knocks on their door, they may have concerns that are not going to be met and that their agency and community is going to provide inconsistent treatment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department — which is charged with protecting children from abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment — has been under a harsh spotlight since May 2023, when a 3-month-old girl, named Phoenix, died from fentanyl poisoning in a San José home with addicted parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reporting from \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/11/12/failing-phoenix-santa-clara-county-knew-of-parents-drug-use-previous-neglect-and-very-high-risks-leading-up-to-babys-fentanyl-death/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> revealed the county allowed her to stay in the home despite a department assessment showing she was at high risk for abuse and neglect and warnings from a social worker that the child should be removed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12022252\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12022252\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children’s shoes are on display at a rally to represent the risk of harm to children due to understaffing outside the Santa Clara County Administration Building in San José on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. The event was organized by SEIU Local 521, representing workers in the Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children’s Services. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Phoenix’s death, followed by the death of her mother four months later, brought a maelstrom on the department, spurring two different state investigations lambasting it for safety failures that have endangered children under its watch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County leaders in late 2023 \u003ca href=\"https://www.ktvu.com/news/santa-clara-county-supe-wants-child-services-overhaul-after-babys-fentanyl-death\">called for an overhaul of the department\u003c/a>, and while some changes are being put into place, workers said the agency needs to first stabilize its workforce and fill gaps before trying to reorganize the entire operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Karlie Eacock, an emergency response social worker, said her team has a 50% vacancy right now, similar to some other teams in the department, and she is worried about the compounding harm on workers, families and communities the longer the issues persist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But every day, we have the opportunity to rewrite that history, to change that history. Baby Phoenix just called attention to some of the failures of our system,” Eacock said. “It gave us an opportunity to really highlight where our failures are and to repair the broken parts of our system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12022250\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12022250\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Clara County Social Worker Karlie Eacock speaks at a rally outside the Santa Clara County Administration Building in San José, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. She said that her team at the Department of Family and Children’s Services is severely understaffed. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>County Supervisor Betty Duong said the problems with staffing in the Family and Children’s Services are, unfortunately, not unique.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Staffing and hiring are challenges that’s being felt across the county organization. So they are right to put pressure on us. That’s what we’re here for. And this is how we push forward change,” Duong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Duong said she’d soon be joining the Board of Supervisors’ Children, Seniors and Families Committee and said she looks forward to “digging in deep” into the agency’s issues that workers and other advocates are highlighting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they’re coming here in their time off or taking time out of their work day to come here, these are concerns that have to be heard, and we have to be working together on that,” Duong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For its part, DFCS said in a statement on Tuesday that it has recently hired 20 new social workers and placed them in two teams with the biggest staffing needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hiring additional social workers and supporting staff to best serve children and families continue to be top priorities for DFCS leadership, as we and other child welfare agencies throughout the state are facing a critical shortage of qualified applicants for open social worker positions,” the agency said.[aside label=\"More Santa Clara News\" postID=\"news_12017754,news_12015944,news_12021981\"]“DFCS is committed to recruiting additional qualified staff as quickly as possible and to partnering with staff on the development of solutions to meet the community’s need.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among other issues, the agency is also being sued by the grandfather of a 6-year-old boy named Jordan Walker, who was stabbed to death in a home in San José in August 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Morian Walker Sr. is alleging the county agency left his grandson in a dangerous home, even after he pleaded with the county to let him take custody of the child due to concerns about his safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency’s director, Damion Wright, submitted his resignation letter in late December and plans to step down on Friday. In his letter, Wright said his father’s death “has prompted me to reevaluate my priorities” and that he wanted to be closer to his family in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The letter did not mention Phoenix’s death — which happened while he was interim co-director of the agency — or any other controversies surrounding the DFCS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wendy Kinnear-Rausch, the current assistant director of the agency, will take over as acting director on Jan. 18, the county announced on Tuesday, adding that it will subsequently hire a recruiting firm and start a national search for a new director for the agency in the coming weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Agency staff and their unions “will be included on interview panels and provide input to help select the right leader to guide the department in protecting the safety and well-being of children in Santa Clara County,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jennifer Celaya, who runs the nonprofit New Beginnings Family Services, which supports families dealing with the legal and child welfare systems, said the next director should be someone who is intimately familiar with the way the system works on the ground level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s going to take someone with integrity, morals and commitment to really show their compassion for the kids and the families,” she said, “because these kids are dying, and you’re not seeing it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Chronic understaffing, unsustainable caseloads and burnout are jeopardizing the safety of children and families, say social workers with Santa Clara County’s embattled Department of Family and Children’s Services.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Unionized South Bay social workers are amplifying their calls for the Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS) to increase hiring and accountability just weeks after the beleaguered agency’s director announced plans to resign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chronic understaffing, unsustainable caseloads and burnout are jeopardizing the safety of children and families, workers said Tuesday morning at a rally outside the Santa Clara County administration building in San José.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In a county where we have the greatest minds and resources, we are now failing families in our community,” Pa Chang, a social work supervisor, said during the rally. “No family should have to fear that when a social worker knocks on their door, they may have concerns that are not going to be met and that their agency and community is going to provide inconsistent treatment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department — which is charged with protecting children from abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment — has been under a harsh spotlight since May 2023, when a 3-month-old girl, named Phoenix, died from fentanyl poisoning in a San José home with addicted parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reporting from \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/11/12/failing-phoenix-santa-clara-county-knew-of-parents-drug-use-previous-neglect-and-very-high-risks-leading-up-to-babys-fentanyl-death/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> revealed the county allowed her to stay in the home despite a department assessment showing she was at high risk for abuse and neglect and warnings from a social worker that the child should be removed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12022252\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12022252\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children’s shoes are on display at a rally to represent the risk of harm to children due to understaffing outside the Santa Clara County Administration Building in San José on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. The event was organized by SEIU Local 521, representing workers in the Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children’s Services. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Phoenix’s death, followed by the death of her mother four months later, brought a maelstrom on the department, spurring two different state investigations lambasting it for safety failures that have endangered children under its watch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County leaders in late 2023 \u003ca href=\"https://www.ktvu.com/news/santa-clara-county-supe-wants-child-services-overhaul-after-babys-fentanyl-death\">called for an overhaul of the department\u003c/a>, and while some changes are being put into place, workers said the agency needs to first stabilize its workforce and fill gaps before trying to reorganize the entire operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Karlie Eacock, an emergency response social worker, said her team has a 50% vacancy right now, similar to some other teams in the department, and she is worried about the compounding harm on workers, families and communities the longer the issues persist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But every day, we have the opportunity to rewrite that history, to change that history. Baby Phoenix just called attention to some of the failures of our system,” Eacock said. “It gave us an opportunity to really highlight where our failures are and to repair the broken parts of our system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12022250\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12022250\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240114-SCCDCFS-JG-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Clara County Social Worker Karlie Eacock speaks at a rally outside the Santa Clara County Administration Building in San José, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. She said that her team at the Department of Family and Children’s Services is severely understaffed. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>County Supervisor Betty Duong said the problems with staffing in the Family and Children’s Services are, unfortunately, not unique.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Staffing and hiring are challenges that’s being felt across the county organization. So they are right to put pressure on us. That’s what we’re here for. And this is how we push forward change,” Duong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Duong said she’d soon be joining the Board of Supervisors’ Children, Seniors and Families Committee and said she looks forward to “digging in deep” into the agency’s issues that workers and other advocates are highlighting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they’re coming here in their time off or taking time out of their work day to come here, these are concerns that have to be heard, and we have to be working together on that,” Duong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For its part, DFCS said in a statement on Tuesday that it has recently hired 20 new social workers and placed them in two teams with the biggest staffing needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hiring additional social workers and supporting staff to best serve children and families continue to be top priorities for DFCS leadership, as we and other child welfare agencies throughout the state are facing a critical shortage of qualified applicants for open social worker positions,” the agency said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“DFCS is committed to recruiting additional qualified staff as quickly as possible and to partnering with staff on the development of solutions to meet the community’s need.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among other issues, the agency is also being sued by the grandfather of a 6-year-old boy named Jordan Walker, who was stabbed to death in a home in San José in August 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Morian Walker Sr. is alleging the county agency left his grandson in a dangerous home, even after he pleaded with the county to let him take custody of the child due to concerns about his safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency’s director, Damion Wright, submitted his resignation letter in late December and plans to step down on Friday. In his letter, Wright said his father’s death “has prompted me to reevaluate my priorities” and that he wanted to be closer to his family in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The letter did not mention Phoenix’s death — which happened while he was interim co-director of the agency — or any other controversies surrounding the DFCS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wendy Kinnear-Rausch, the current assistant director of the agency, will take over as acting director on Jan. 18, the county announced on Tuesday, adding that it will subsequently hire a recruiting firm and start a national search for a new director for the agency in the coming weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Agency staff and their unions “will be included on interview panels and provide input to help select the right leader to guide the department in protecting the safety and well-being of children in Santa Clara County,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jennifer Celaya, who runs the nonprofit New Beginnings Family Services, which supports families dealing with the legal and child welfare systems, said the next director should be someone who is intimately familiar with the way the system works on the ground level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s going to take someone with integrity, morals and commitment to really show their compassion for the kids and the families,” she said, “because these kids are dying, and you’re not seeing it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 1:50 p.m., Saturday:\u003c/strong> Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker has resigned after being convicted Thursday of lying under oath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city of Santa Clara made the announcement in a press release late Friday, including Becker’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.santaclaraca.gov/home/showdocument?id=85656&t=638691133869363572\">letter of resignation\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker’s conviction stems from a 2022 civil grand jury report which criticized the influence the San Francisco 49ers have on city politics. Becker has received financial support from the 49ers in recent elections and allegedly leaked that report to a team official.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was the greatest honor, joy and privilege to serve as your representative,” Becker said in his resignation letter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker was first elected to represent District 6 on theSanta Clara City Council in 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker lost his race for re-election in November. The District 6 seat will remain vacant until December 17, when Kelly Cox, a Santa Clara University official who won Becker’s seat, will be sworn in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story, 3 p.m., Thursday: \u003c/strong>Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker is guilty of felony perjury, a jury has decided, closing out a two-week trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 12-person panel in the trial of the South Bay official returned the verdict early Thursday afternoon at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse, after deliberating for only roughly three hours between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We the jury, in the above entitled case, find the defendant Anthony Becker guilty of perjury under oath,” the court clerk said as she read the verdict.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The verdict vindicates the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, whose lead prosecutor on the case Jason Malinsky emphasized to the jury how clear the choice for guilt should be, and significantly mars Becker’s reputation as a public official.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala set sentencing for Jan. 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker, who has consistently denied wrongdoing throughout his indictment and trial, stayed seated and mostly still while the verdict was read out by the court clerk, closing his eyes at times for a few seconds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After Alcala ended the day’s proceedings, Becker walked quickly out of the courtroom sighing and looking visibly frustrated. He and his legal team declined to comment on the verdict after leaving court, but one of Becker’s attorneys, Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya, told KQED he plans to file an appeal in the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trial — which began just one day after Becker lost his bid for reelection on Nov. 6 — hinged on whether he leaked a confidential version of a civil grand jury report in 2022, and then lied about it to the grand jury as it investigated the leak.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We take very seriously in the DA’s office the fundamental idea that when you raise your hand and you walk into court and you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, that’s what’s going to happen,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “And defendant Becker did not do that, and he lied. And that’s perjury.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 2022 civil grand jury report, titled \u003ca href=\"https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/system/files/unsportsmanlike-conduct-santa-clara-city-council_0.pdf\">\u003cem>Unsportsmanlike Conduct\u003c/em> (PDF)\u003c/a>, accused Becker and four other council members of having unethical and inappropriately close relationships with top lobbyists and officials from the San Francisco 49ers, who play in the publicly owned Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker was elected to the council in 2020 as part of a raft of city council candidates backed by millions of dollars of campaign support from the football team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12016971\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12016971\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky gives his closing arguments to the jury in the perjury trial of Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Dec. 4, 2024. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged Becker in April 2023 with a misdemeanor for violating his duty as an elected official to keep the document confidential until its public release and with a felony perjury charge for lying to a grand jury about his actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors alleged that on Oct. 6, 2022 — four days before the report was set to be released to the public — Becker leaked a copy to Rahul Chandhok, who was then the top lobbyist for the 49ers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rosen said this case should serve as a reminder that the public expects a higher standard for elected officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s also a reminder of the admonition that sometimes the cover up is even worse than the crime,” Rosen said. “So the thing to do when you have done something wrong is to admit what you’ve done and move on, not lie about it under oath.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chandhok, the prosecution’s lead witness, testified that Becker sent the report via the secure messaging app Signal. The leak allowed Chandhok and his public affairs team to craft an early response to the harshly critical report and get in front of its assertions, which the team called a “hatchet job” at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker also is alleged to have leaked the report to a reporter at \u003ca href=\"https://www.svvoice.com/\">Silicon Valley Voice\u003c/a>, a local online publication considered friendly to the 49ers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors also relied on the testimony of Becker’s fellow Councilmember Suds Jain, who testified at a criminal grand jury and during the trial that Becker told Jain in a phone call that he had leaked a copy to the reporter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was also a host of digital forensic evidence, such as remnants on Becker’s phone that show he deleted the Signal app minutes before speaking with investigators in late 2022 about the leak. Prosecutors said Becker lied to them as well about when he deleted the app and how frequently he used it to communicate with Chandhok and others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12016970\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12016970\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya presents his closing arguments to the jury in the perjury trial of Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Dec. 4, 2024. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During the trial, Becker’s defense team attempted to raise doubts about the trustworthiness of Chandhok — who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12014279/ex-49ers-lobbyist-admits-he-lied-about-leak-to-protect-santa-clara-council-member\">testified that he lied\u003c/a> to reporters and some of his team members about the source of the leak — as well as about the quality of the DA’s investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya, one of Becker’s attorneys, said the prosecution wore “blinders” during their investigation and wanted the jury to wear them, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The defense also tried on Tuesday to get Becker acquitted due to what they called “insufficient evidence” to convict, but Alcala quickly denied it. Late Tuesday afternoon, the defense handed Alcala a motion asking for a mistrial, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016679/closing-arguments-made-in-perjury-trial-of-santa-clara-councilmember-anthony-becker\">Alcala denied\u003c/a> the following afternoon, shortly after the jury was sent to deliberate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In support of its request for a mistrial, the defense cited several issues in the case, including that the prosecution lost an audio recording the lead investigator made on an iPhone when searching Chandhok’s home for evidence, and said Alcala’s questions to some witnesses during the trial were improper.[aside postID=news_12016679 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-1020x680.jpg']Attorneys for Becker also claimed the prosecution turned over other evidence late, and that the defense was barred from bringing in some witnesses, including Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor, to question her about whether she leaked a copy of the report to others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This prejudiced Mr. Becker because he was actively prevented from mounting a defense as to the core question of whether he leaked the report as charged and as to the perjury charge,” the defense wrote in its motion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alcala, however, consistently barred that approach throughout the case, saying that whether anyone else leaked the report doesn’t change the case against Becker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rosen agreed after the trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fact that others may have done what Mr. Becker did does not excuse Mr. Becker from what he did. And we investigated everyone. And we only bring charges when we can prove them beyond a reasonable doubt to a unanimous jury,” Rosen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rosen said the maximum penalty in state prison for perjury under oath is four years, but said he doesn’t expect Becker’s case to involve a prison term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think there does need to be some accountability, whether that’s a combination of jail time and fines,” Rosen said, “because this is very serious, what the defendant did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Juan Carlos Lara contributed reporting to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 1:50 p.m., Saturday:\u003c/strong> Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker has resigned after being convicted Thursday of lying under oath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city of Santa Clara made the announcement in a press release late Friday, including Becker’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.santaclaraca.gov/home/showdocument?id=85656&t=638691133869363572\">letter of resignation\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker’s conviction stems from a 2022 civil grand jury report which criticized the influence the San Francisco 49ers have on city politics. Becker has received financial support from the 49ers in recent elections and allegedly leaked that report to a team official.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was the greatest honor, joy and privilege to serve as your representative,” Becker said in his resignation letter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker was first elected to represent District 6 on theSanta Clara City Council in 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker lost his race for re-election in November. The District 6 seat will remain vacant until December 17, when Kelly Cox, a Santa Clara University official who won Becker’s seat, will be sworn in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story, 3 p.m., Thursday: \u003c/strong>Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker is guilty of felony perjury, a jury has decided, closing out a two-week trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 12-person panel in the trial of the South Bay official returned the verdict early Thursday afternoon at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse, after deliberating for only roughly three hours between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We the jury, in the above entitled case, find the defendant Anthony Becker guilty of perjury under oath,” the court clerk said as she read the verdict.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The verdict vindicates the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, whose lead prosecutor on the case Jason Malinsky emphasized to the jury how clear the choice for guilt should be, and significantly mars Becker’s reputation as a public official.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala set sentencing for Jan. 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker, who has consistently denied wrongdoing throughout his indictment and trial, stayed seated and mostly still while the verdict was read out by the court clerk, closing his eyes at times for a few seconds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After Alcala ended the day’s proceedings, Becker walked quickly out of the courtroom sighing and looking visibly frustrated. He and his legal team declined to comment on the verdict after leaving court, but one of Becker’s attorneys, Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya, told KQED he plans to file an appeal in the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trial — which began just one day after Becker lost his bid for reelection on Nov. 6 — hinged on whether he leaked a confidential version of a civil grand jury report in 2022, and then lied about it to the grand jury as it investigated the leak.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We take very seriously in the DA’s office the fundamental idea that when you raise your hand and you walk into court and you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, that’s what’s going to happen,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “And defendant Becker did not do that, and he lied. And that’s perjury.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 2022 civil grand jury report, titled \u003ca href=\"https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/system/files/unsportsmanlike-conduct-santa-clara-city-council_0.pdf\">\u003cem>Unsportsmanlike Conduct\u003c/em> (PDF)\u003c/a>, accused Becker and four other council members of having unethical and inappropriately close relationships with top lobbyists and officials from the San Francisco 49ers, who play in the publicly owned Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker was elected to the council in 2020 as part of a raft of city council candidates backed by millions of dollars of campaign support from the football team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12016971\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12016971\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-4-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky gives his closing arguments to the jury in the perjury trial of Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Dec. 4, 2024. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged Becker in April 2023 with a misdemeanor for violating his duty as an elected official to keep the document confidential until its public release and with a felony perjury charge for lying to a grand jury about his actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors alleged that on Oct. 6, 2022 — four days before the report was set to be released to the public — Becker leaked a copy to Rahul Chandhok, who was then the top lobbyist for the 49ers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rosen said this case should serve as a reminder that the public expects a higher standard for elected officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s also a reminder of the admonition that sometimes the cover up is even worse than the crime,” Rosen said. “So the thing to do when you have done something wrong is to admit what you’ve done and move on, not lie about it under oath.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chandhok, the prosecution’s lead witness, testified that Becker sent the report via the secure messaging app Signal. The leak allowed Chandhok and his public affairs team to craft an early response to the harshly critical report and get in front of its assertions, which the team called a “hatchet job” at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker also is alleged to have leaked the report to a reporter at \u003ca href=\"https://www.svvoice.com/\">Silicon Valley Voice\u003c/a>, a local online publication considered friendly to the 49ers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors also relied on the testimony of Becker’s fellow Councilmember Suds Jain, who testified at a criminal grand jury and during the trial that Becker told Jain in a phone call that he had leaked a copy to the reporter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was also a host of digital forensic evidence, such as remnants on Becker’s phone that show he deleted the Signal app minutes before speaking with investigators in late 2022 about the leak. Prosecutors said Becker lied to them as well about when he deleted the app and how frequently he used it to communicate with Chandhok and others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12016970\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12016970\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/241203-BECKERTRIAL-JG-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya presents his closing arguments to the jury in the perjury trial of Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Dec. 4, 2024. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During the trial, Becker’s defense team attempted to raise doubts about the trustworthiness of Chandhok — who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12014279/ex-49ers-lobbyist-admits-he-lied-about-leak-to-protect-santa-clara-council-member\">testified that he lied\u003c/a> to reporters and some of his team members about the source of the leak — as well as about the quality of the DA’s investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya, one of Becker’s attorneys, said the prosecution wore “blinders” during their investigation and wanted the jury to wear them, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The defense also tried on Tuesday to get Becker acquitted due to what they called “insufficient evidence” to convict, but Alcala quickly denied it. Late Tuesday afternoon, the defense handed Alcala a motion asking for a mistrial, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016679/closing-arguments-made-in-perjury-trial-of-santa-clara-councilmember-anthony-becker\">Alcala denied\u003c/a> the following afternoon, shortly after the jury was sent to deliberate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In support of its request for a mistrial, the defense cited several issues in the case, including that the prosecution lost an audio recording the lead investigator made on an iPhone when searching Chandhok’s home for evidence, and said Alcala’s questions to some witnesses during the trial were improper.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Attorneys for Becker also claimed the prosecution turned over other evidence late, and that the defense was barred from bringing in some witnesses, including Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor, to question her about whether she leaked a copy of the report to others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This prejudiced Mr. Becker because he was actively prevented from mounting a defense as to the core question of whether he leaked the report as charged and as to the perjury charge,” the defense wrote in its motion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alcala, however, consistently barred that approach throughout the case, saying that whether anyone else leaked the report doesn’t change the case against Becker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rosen agreed after the trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fact that others may have done what Mr. Becker did does not excuse Mr. Becker from what he did. And we investigated everyone. And we only bring charges when we can prove them beyond a reasonable doubt to a unanimous jury,” Rosen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rosen said the maximum penalty in state prison for perjury under oath is four years, but said he doesn’t expect Becker’s case to involve a prison term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think there does need to be some accountability, whether that’s a combination of jail time and fines,” Rosen said, “because this is very serious, what the defendant did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Juan Carlos Lara contributed reporting to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 5:30 p.m. Wednesday \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The perjury trial of Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker is now in the hands of a jury after attorneys gave their closing arguments on Wednesday, and the judge shot down last-minute efforts by Becker’s defense team to get the case thrown out altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trial has centered on whether Becker leaked a \u003ca href=\"https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/system/files/unsportsmanlike-conduct-santa-clara-city-council_0.pdf\">confidential version of a civil grand jury report\u003c/a> in 2022 that criticized him and other council members for maintaining unethically close relationships with top officials from the San Francisco 49ers football team, which plays in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged Becker in April 2023 with a misdemeanor for violating his duty, as an elected official, to keep the document confidential until its public release and with a felony count of perjury for allegedly lying to a civil grand jury about his actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors claim Becker leaked the report to Rahul Chandhok, who was then the team’s top lobbyist, and to the Silicon Valley Voice, a local news outlet considered friendly to the 49ers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elected to the City Council in 2020, Becker was among a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11844213/why-are-the-49ers-spending-millions-on-a-city-council-race-ask-jed-york\">slate of candidates\u003c/a> backed by millions of dollars of campaign support from the 49ers. Becker also unsuccessfully challenged Mayor Lisa Gillmor in 2022, despite the team spending big to oppose Gillmor, who has been heavily critical of the team and its management of Levi’s Stadium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker’s trial commenced on Nov. 6, just one day after losing his council reelection bid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky, the lead prosecutor on the case, told the jury that the direct and circumstantial evidence all points to Becker’s guilt.[aside label=\"More on the trial\" postID=\"news_12014279\"]“When you look at all the pieces together, all of the evidence as a whole, the only reasonable conclusion that you’ll be able to reach is that the defendant, Anthony Becker, is guilty of perjury and failing to uphold his duty,” Malinsky said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malinsky highlighted the testimony given by Chandhok, who was the prosecution’s key witness and the first called at the start of the trial last month. Chandhok testified that he had received the confidential report from Becker in a secure text message via the Signal app on Oct. 6, 2022, about four days before it was set to be released publicly. That allowed the team to get ahead of the criticisms in the document, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malinsky also pointed to other pieces of evidence, such as digital remnants on Becker’s phone that show he deleted the Signal app minutes before speaking with investigators in late 2022 about the leak. Malinsky said it shows Becker knew he was guilty, and that he lied to a civil grand jury and authorities to try and cover his tracks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Becker’s attorneys, Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya, in his closing arguments, raised a series of doubts about the quality of the DA’s investigation and questioned whether authorities actually left “no stone unturned.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Montoya said the prosecution was trying to avoid admitting to their mistakes, including losing an audio recording the lead investigator made on an iPhone when searching Chandhok’s home for evidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Montoya also tried to chip away at the Chandhoks’ trustworthiness, noting that Chandhok admitted during his testimony that he had lied to reporters about where he got the report and didn’t disclose that information to his public affairs team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Montoya said the prosecution wore “blinders” during their investigation of Becker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The jury was sent to deliberate Wednesday afternoon but did not reach a verdict in the roughly 20 minutes before court closed for the day, and are scheduled to resume deliberations on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Becker’s five-member defense team filed a motion asking Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala to acquit him of the charges, claiming the prosecution’s evidence of the crimes was “insufficient.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It remains highly unclear whether Mr. Becker leaked the report given a lack of documentary evidence and witness credibility,” the motion stated. “And there is even less evidence that Mr. Becker knew his testimony was false or that he intended to testify falsely when he denied leaking the report.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alcala, however, quickly denied that motion, saying he had read and considered it but offered no further explanation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just before court wrapped on Tuesday, Montoya handed Alcala another motion, asking him to declare a mistrial in the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alcala took that up on Wednesday after the jury was sent to deliberate. Alcala again didn’t explain his decision in detail but told the defense attorneys, “I’ve read and considered your motion, and it’s denied.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trial has been marked by frequent disruptions, with attorneys regularly calling for sidebar and bench discussions with the judge and having disagreements over a host of procedural issues, including late disclosures of evidence and what kind of arguments are relevant to the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The level of contentiousness led Alcala on Wednesday to sigh and say, “We can’t seem to agree on anything here.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 5:30 p.m. Wednesday \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The perjury trial of Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker is now in the hands of a jury after attorneys gave their closing arguments on Wednesday, and the judge shot down last-minute efforts by Becker’s defense team to get the case thrown out altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trial has centered on whether Becker leaked a \u003ca href=\"https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/system/files/unsportsmanlike-conduct-santa-clara-city-council_0.pdf\">confidential version of a civil grand jury report\u003c/a> in 2022 that criticized him and other council members for maintaining unethically close relationships with top officials from the San Francisco 49ers football team, which plays in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged Becker in April 2023 with a misdemeanor for violating his duty, as an elected official, to keep the document confidential until its public release and with a felony count of perjury for allegedly lying to a civil grand jury about his actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors claim Becker leaked the report to Rahul Chandhok, who was then the team’s top lobbyist, and to the Silicon Valley Voice, a local news outlet considered friendly to the 49ers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elected to the City Council in 2020, Becker was among a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11844213/why-are-the-49ers-spending-millions-on-a-city-council-race-ask-jed-york\">slate of candidates\u003c/a> backed by millions of dollars of campaign support from the 49ers. Becker also unsuccessfully challenged Mayor Lisa Gillmor in 2022, despite the team spending big to oppose Gillmor, who has been heavily critical of the team and its management of Levi’s Stadium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becker’s trial commenced on Nov. 6, just one day after losing his council reelection bid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky, the lead prosecutor on the case, told the jury that the direct and circumstantial evidence all points to Becker’s guilt.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“When you look at all the pieces together, all of the evidence as a whole, the only reasonable conclusion that you’ll be able to reach is that the defendant, Anthony Becker, is guilty of perjury and failing to uphold his duty,” Malinsky said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malinsky highlighted the testimony given by Chandhok, who was the prosecution’s key witness and the first called at the start of the trial last month. Chandhok testified that he had received the confidential report from Becker in a secure text message via the Signal app on Oct. 6, 2022, about four days before it was set to be released publicly. That allowed the team to get ahead of the criticisms in the document, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malinsky also pointed to other pieces of evidence, such as digital remnants on Becker’s phone that show he deleted the Signal app minutes before speaking with investigators in late 2022 about the leak. Malinsky said it shows Becker knew he was guilty, and that he lied to a civil grand jury and authorities to try and cover his tracks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Becker’s attorneys, Deputy Public Defender Christopher Montoya, in his closing arguments, raised a series of doubts about the quality of the DA’s investigation and questioned whether authorities actually left “no stone unturned.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Montoya said the prosecution was trying to avoid admitting to their mistakes, including losing an audio recording the lead investigator made on an iPhone when searching Chandhok’s home for evidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Montoya also tried to chip away at the Chandhoks’ trustworthiness, noting that Chandhok admitted during his testimony that he had lied to reporters about where he got the report and didn’t disclose that information to his public affairs team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Montoya said the prosecution wore “blinders” during their investigation of Becker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The jury was sent to deliberate Wednesday afternoon but did not reach a verdict in the roughly 20 minutes before court closed for the day, and are scheduled to resume deliberations on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Becker’s five-member defense team filed a motion asking Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala to acquit him of the charges, claiming the prosecution’s evidence of the crimes was “insufficient.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It remains highly unclear whether Mr. Becker leaked the report given a lack of documentary evidence and witness credibility,” the motion stated. “And there is even less evidence that Mr. Becker knew his testimony was false or that he intended to testify falsely when he denied leaking the report.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alcala, however, quickly denied that motion, saying he had read and considered it but offered no further explanation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just before court wrapped on Tuesday, Montoya handed Alcala another motion, asking him to declare a mistrial in the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alcala took that up on Wednesday after the jury was sent to deliberate. Alcala again didn’t explain his decision in detail but told the defense attorneys, “I’ve read and considered your motion, and it’s denied.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trial has been marked by frequent disruptions, with attorneys regularly calling for sidebar and bench discussions with the judge and having disagreements over a host of procedural issues, including late disclosures of evidence and what kind of arguments are relevant to the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The level of contentiousness led Alcala on Wednesday to sigh and say, “We can’t seem to agree on anything here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Santa Clara Approves Major Housing and Office Development; Could Take 25 Years to Build",
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"content": "\u003cp>Santa Clara officials are betting on another major development plan to help drastically revamp the northern edge of the city near Levi’s Stadium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The area has long been home to low-slung office parks, light industrial uses and the city’s convention center, along with California’s Great America and Mission College. However, a series of long-range city planning efforts and a slew of ambitious development proposals envision the area reshaped into a haven of housing, entertainment, offices, shopping and dining.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Demand for office space and hotels has been sluggish in the wide wake of the pandemic, and large-scale developments have faced financing challenges, in part causing some sites to languish for years, while one recently approved project might not take shape for a decade or up to a quarter century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a lot of potential, but we’ve been talking about potential for the last 20 years,” Councilmember Kevin Park told KQED News. “What I want to see now is execution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, the city council unanimously approved a developer’s plan for 3 million square feet of office or R&D space, along with anywhere from 1,800 to 2,600 apartments, with 15% of them required to be below market rates. The development is also expected to have about 100,000 square feet of retail space, up to 7.6 acres of parks and 10,000 square feet of child care facilities, \u003ca href=\"https://santaclara.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7025923&GUID=ECE63577-0311-4348-818F-F5E2117CFCB6\">city reports\u003c/a> said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The plan from Kylli, a Bay Area-based subsidiary of Chinese investment firm Genzon Group, is set to be built on a 48.6-acre site near the corner of Tasman and Old Ironsides drives, which Kylli owns and is largely made up of a parking lot currently used by Levi’s Stadium during events, along with four office buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Lisa Gillmor called the project a “valuable lynchpin” toward the success of the northside during the Nov. 19 meeting where the plan was greenlit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is going to bring a different dynamic to that area. Once you have residential development and the mixed-use, there’s a vibrancy that comes along with it,” Gillmor said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the project was supported widely by business advocates, residents and pro-housing coalitions, all the excitement may be on hold for a while.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city and Kylli agreed to a contract that allows the developer 10 years to complete the project, with options for extending the development timeline to a total of 25 years if certain milestones are achieved or if the developer pays fees for unbuilt portions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara could be waiting for up to 10 years and receive nothing in return if the developer were to walk away from the project altogether, but officials are hoping the developer will follow through on its aims and say the agreement is necessary for such a large development in a rocky financing cycle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can’t force it. Some people don’t understand that,” Gillmor told KQED. “When the market becomes available to finance these types of projects, believe me, they’re going to build. They will.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reena Brilliot, the city’s director of economic development and sustainability, said when crafting the agreement, the city had to consider that the large project would likely need to be built across multiple market cycles and that it includes a significant portion of new office space, for which there is little to no demand currently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are aware that the office market is quite soft, and there isn’t a clear trajectory on when that’s going to change with remote work being still in flux,” Brilliot said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The approval allows the developer to shrink some of its office space plans in exchange for more housing units to help boost the viability of the project and meet market demands if needed. The contract also asks the developer to build valuable community benefits first, such as 90 of the affordable apartments by 2031, and either the child care facilities or a grocery store by the 10-year mark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the developer meets those goals or chooses to pay a fee of $1 per square foot of unbuilt project square footage if it doesn’t, then it can request the first of three five-year extension options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re tying (the extensions) to the things that matter to us from a community benefit standpoint with the realization that they’re likely not going to build those in a standalone fashion,” Brilliot said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara is not new to big plans and indeed has laid out major growth blueprints all around the stadium. Just last week, the council approved the first 284 apartments of a potential 12,000 planned for a 74-acre area filled with offices that run along Patrick Henry Drive, sandwiched between Mission College and the Kylli development site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city’s major plans also include the Tasman East area, where some successes have already been notched. On the 45-acre plot just northeast of Levi’s, several developers are working on roughly 4,500 residential units, some of which are complete, some which are largely constructed and some are still in the pipeline, all following a 2018 plan approved by city leaders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the Tasman East work has moved along relatively smoothly, the city has also seen its share of unexpected delays throwing a wrench into much-ballyhooed plans for major developments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Related Companies, a massive New York City-based development firm, has long planned to build a landmark $8 billion project in Santa Clara directly across from Levi’s and Tasman East, known as Related Santa Clara, that was originally set to include a total of 9 million square feet of homes, offices, hotels and restaurants, all on 240-acres of city-owned land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, since its 2016 approval, some site work has been completed, but nothing has been built. The project faced lawsuits out of the gate from San José and later faced challenges about Related’s plan to pay workers less than prevailing wages, and requires careful environmental planning because much of it is being built on a former landfill site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It has also contended with the same market forces shifting other projects. Related was able to secure nearly $700 million in financing to build two projects in the Tasman East area in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Challenges aside, some leaders have grown frustrated with the lack of construction over eight years for the large project, especially because of the developer’s size.[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_12012008,news_12014393,news_12014710\"]“They’re Related,” Park said. At some point, if they can’t make a plan to build this, then who?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Related has, in the last year, submitted an alternate plan to replace millions of square feet of office space with industrial manufacturing uses on the site and consolidate some of the office space into other portions of the land, but the city is still reviewing that plan. The developer has continued to pay rent to the city annually during the delays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Related Santa Clara did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The long holdup for Related Santa Clara gives Park concern about the extended timeline options for Kylli and other potential similar agreements that might undergird developments aimed at renewing the city’s north end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t like long timelines. With every long timeline you give, you hope it’s because it gives you a higher percentage of completion or possibility of completion,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Representatives for Kylli say the developer has every intention of building the project, though the company has paid attention to the bevy of challenges other developers are facing, informing how the development agreement was structured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every developer and every project has its own story,” said Wendi Baker, the chief operating officer of Los Gatos-based Harmonie Park Development, who is working as a consultant on the Kylli project. “We saw all of those stories unfolding before us, and we really tried to create the best opportunity for success for all of us here, the developer, the city, the community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite concerns council members and others may have, Park and Gillmor said the city and its leaders need to keep pressing forward in planning for hubs that attract and benefit residents and visitors. The city is leaning on trust that developers will come through, like with past successes at Rivermark and Santa Clara Square, two major mixed-use developments in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we can’t look at a developer and take them at face value and take them in good faith, if we try to be too clever, I just don’t think that’s a good thing,” Park said. “We can’t look at the possible downsides and not approve projects. We have to look at the possible upsides.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Santa Clara officials are betting on another major development plan to help drastically revamp the northern edge of the city near Levi’s Stadium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The area has long been home to low-slung office parks, light industrial uses and the city’s convention center, along with California’s Great America and Mission College. However, a series of long-range city planning efforts and a slew of ambitious development proposals envision the area reshaped into a haven of housing, entertainment, offices, shopping and dining.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Demand for office space and hotels has been sluggish in the wide wake of the pandemic, and large-scale developments have faced financing challenges, in part causing some sites to languish for years, while one recently approved project might not take shape for a decade or up to a quarter century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a lot of potential, but we’ve been talking about potential for the last 20 years,” Councilmember Kevin Park told KQED News. “What I want to see now is execution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, the city council unanimously approved a developer’s plan for 3 million square feet of office or R&D space, along with anywhere from 1,800 to 2,600 apartments, with 15% of them required to be below market rates. The development is also expected to have about 100,000 square feet of retail space, up to 7.6 acres of parks and 10,000 square feet of child care facilities, \u003ca href=\"https://santaclara.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7025923&GUID=ECE63577-0311-4348-818F-F5E2117CFCB6\">city reports\u003c/a> said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The plan from Kylli, a Bay Area-based subsidiary of Chinese investment firm Genzon Group, is set to be built on a 48.6-acre site near the corner of Tasman and Old Ironsides drives, which Kylli owns and is largely made up of a parking lot currently used by Levi’s Stadium during events, along with four office buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mayor Lisa Gillmor called the project a “valuable lynchpin” toward the success of the northside during the Nov. 19 meeting where the plan was greenlit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is going to bring a different dynamic to that area. Once you have residential development and the mixed-use, there’s a vibrancy that comes along with it,” Gillmor said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the project was supported widely by business advocates, residents and pro-housing coalitions, all the excitement may be on hold for a while.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city and Kylli agreed to a contract that allows the developer 10 years to complete the project, with options for extending the development timeline to a total of 25 years if certain milestones are achieved or if the developer pays fees for unbuilt portions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara could be waiting for up to 10 years and receive nothing in return if the developer were to walk away from the project altogether, but officials are hoping the developer will follow through on its aims and say the agreement is necessary for such a large development in a rocky financing cycle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can’t force it. Some people don’t understand that,” Gillmor told KQED. “When the market becomes available to finance these types of projects, believe me, they’re going to build. They will.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reena Brilliot, the city’s director of economic development and sustainability, said when crafting the agreement, the city had to consider that the large project would likely need to be built across multiple market cycles and that it includes a significant portion of new office space, for which there is little to no demand currently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are aware that the office market is quite soft, and there isn’t a clear trajectory on when that’s going to change with remote work being still in flux,” Brilliot said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The approval allows the developer to shrink some of its office space plans in exchange for more housing units to help boost the viability of the project and meet market demands if needed. The contract also asks the developer to build valuable community benefits first, such as 90 of the affordable apartments by 2031, and either the child care facilities or a grocery store by the 10-year mark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the developer meets those goals or chooses to pay a fee of $1 per square foot of unbuilt project square footage if it doesn’t, then it can request the first of three five-year extension options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re tying (the extensions) to the things that matter to us from a community benefit standpoint with the realization that they’re likely not going to build those in a standalone fashion,” Brilliot said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara is not new to big plans and indeed has laid out major growth blueprints all around the stadium. Just last week, the council approved the first 284 apartments of a potential 12,000 planned for a 74-acre area filled with offices that run along Patrick Henry Drive, sandwiched between Mission College and the Kylli development site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city’s major plans also include the Tasman East area, where some successes have already been notched. On the 45-acre plot just northeast of Levi’s, several developers are working on roughly 4,500 residential units, some of which are complete, some which are largely constructed and some are still in the pipeline, all following a 2018 plan approved by city leaders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the Tasman East work has moved along relatively smoothly, the city has also seen its share of unexpected delays throwing a wrench into much-ballyhooed plans for major developments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Related Companies, a massive New York City-based development firm, has long planned to build a landmark $8 billion project in Santa Clara directly across from Levi’s and Tasman East, known as Related Santa Clara, that was originally set to include a total of 9 million square feet of homes, offices, hotels and restaurants, all on 240-acres of city-owned land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, since its 2016 approval, some site work has been completed, but nothing has been built. The project faced lawsuits out of the gate from San José and later faced challenges about Related’s plan to pay workers less than prevailing wages, and requires careful environmental planning because much of it is being built on a former landfill site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It has also contended with the same market forces shifting other projects. Related was able to secure nearly $700 million in financing to build two projects in the Tasman East area in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Challenges aside, some leaders have grown frustrated with the lack of construction over eight years for the large project, especially because of the developer’s size.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“They’re Related,” Park said. At some point, if they can’t make a plan to build this, then who?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Related has, in the last year, submitted an alternate plan to replace millions of square feet of office space with industrial manufacturing uses on the site and consolidate some of the office space into other portions of the land, but the city is still reviewing that plan. The developer has continued to pay rent to the city annually during the delays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Related Santa Clara did not respond to a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The long holdup for Related Santa Clara gives Park concern about the extended timeline options for Kylli and other potential similar agreements that might undergird developments aimed at renewing the city’s north end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t like long timelines. With every long timeline you give, you hope it’s because it gives you a higher percentage of completion or possibility of completion,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Representatives for Kylli say the developer has every intention of building the project, though the company has paid attention to the bevy of challenges other developers are facing, informing how the development agreement was structured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every developer and every project has its own story,” said Wendi Baker, the chief operating officer of Los Gatos-based Harmonie Park Development, who is working as a consultant on the Kylli project. “We saw all of those stories unfolding before us, and we really tried to create the best opportunity for success for all of us here, the developer, the city, the community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite concerns council members and others may have, Park and Gillmor said the city and its leaders need to keep pressing forward in planning for hubs that attract and benefit residents and visitors. The city is leaning on trust that developers will come through, like with past successes at Rivermark and Santa Clara Square, two major mixed-use developments in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we can’t look at a developer and take them at face value and take them in good faith, if we try to be too clever, I just don’t think that’s a good thing,” Park said. “We can’t look at the possible downsides and not approve projects. We have to look at the possible upsides.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
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"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"meta": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
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