d4sanjose.com • (408) 535-4904 • district4@sanjoseca.gov

Tax Payers Must Not Be Deceived • Why I Oppose New Measure

Photo: Brandon Pho, San José Spotlight

This week I joined labor, community members, and city leaders from Mountain View, Los Altos, and San Jose to oppose the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act. This proposed law, if passed, would significantly hinder state lawmakers and local voters from weighing in on whether to raise funds for local projects through new taxes. It would also reclassify fees for public services and programs as taxes, necessitating voter approval for any adjustments. This is anti-democratic.

The measure has already qualified for the ballot and is set to apply retroactively from January 2022, which would effectively nullify any special taxes approved in Santa Clara County in recent years. This includes possible changes to Santa Clara’s business tax Measure H, a “headcount” tax that imposes higher rates on larger companies, and the $85 parcel tax renewal across the Campbell Union High School District known as Measure O, which funds mental health services and staff hiring.

I referred to it as the “Taxpayer Deception Act” during the rally because of its misleading nature. According to Working Partnerships, if this bill is passed, it could impact up to eight recently passed ballot measures in Silicon Valley, resulting in an annual loss of $64.3 million for cities such as Los Gatos and Palo Alto.

Coffee with a Cop • Friday, May 24th!

Join me and my colleague Councilmember Peter Ortiz for a special Coffee with a Cop event at Target on N Capitol Ave, Friday, May 24th at 9:00 am. This is a wonderful opportunity for residents to meet and connect with members of our local law enforcement in a relaxed and friendly setting. Enjoy a cup of coffee while engaging in meaningful conversations, asking questions, and getting to know the officers who serve our community. This event fosters open dialogue and strengthens relationships between law enforcement and the public, promoting a safer and more connected neighborhood. We look forward to seeing you there!

CalCities Meeting • Housing Affordability

This week I met with my CalCities colleagues from all around the region at the Cisco campus in North San Jose where we discussed upcoming ballot measures and how we can build more than 70,000 units of affordable housing in cities along the Peninsula

D4YAC AIM • June 8th!

No idea what to pursue after high school? Want to learn more about different careers, resume-building, and the college process? The “AIM (Advise, Inspire, Motivate): Pathways to Our Future” Conference, run by District 4 Youth Advisory Council, is open to ALL YOUTH and their families! On June 8th, 9:30AM to 1:30PMat Martin Luther King Library, we will be holding workshops centered around resume-building, college, and activism, alongside a career panel featuring speakers from five different sectors (Law, Medicine, Business, CS, Education). Additionally, we’re excited to host Assemblymember Alex Lee as our keynote speaker.

Attendees will enjoy networking opportunities, advice from seasoned leaders, and a chance to win Airpods if they attend! The best part is that organizations, families, and schools are invited. Students, teams, and families will have the experience to be immersed into the greatness of our San José community. Attendees must RSVP at tinyurl.com/D4YACAIM. 

Celebrating 80 Years of Fairgrounds Fun!

Santa Clara County Fair is celebrating their 80th Anniversary. The theme this year is, “Celebrating 80 years of Innovation: From the Fields to the Future.” The fair will take place from July 25th to 28th and August 1st to 4th.

• On Thursday, July 25th, a special ribbon-cutting ceremony will open the fair, followed by an honor for military veterans.
• Support the Jr Livestock Auction in the morning on August 3rd, followed by the Firefighters Chili Cook-Off, which benefits the Firefighter's burn unit.
• Special appearances by the Ninja Turtles on July 26 & Aug. 3 and Peppa the Pig on Aug. 4. 
• Día De Feria! Experience the best of Latino culture on July 28 and August 4 at the Santa Clara County Fair.
• Special Days:

1. Children 5 & Under are free throughout the events
2. Thurs.7/25: 12 and Under Free All Day
3. Fri. 7/26: Veterans Free All Day with ID 
4. Thurs. 8/1: Senior Day 62+ Free All Day with ID
5. Sat. 8/3: First Responders Free All Day

• For the run of The Fair, enjoy the Hop ‘N Vine Garden, featuring local wineries and breweries
• Music lovers can look forward to great music throughout the fair’s run.

Get Tickets HERE

Below are the complete event details:

Poster Contest: Attention Artists of all Abilities! For the first time, the fair’s commemorative poster contest is open to people with special needs and school-age youth. All participants will receive two tickets to the fair's opening day on July 25. The deadline to submit is May 15. For contest rules, visit http://bit.ly/3wit6nc. For more details and to enter, contact Shea DeArman at (408) 494-3103 or SDearman@thefair.org.

Exhibitors: Calling People of all Ages, Cultures, Interests, and Abilities! Artists, craftspeople, inventors, collectors, hobbyists, and everyone in between are invited to participate in the fair's Home Arts exhibit. The exhibit welcomes entries in various categories. The deadline to submit your entries is June 26, 2024. For more information and to enter, please visit https://thefair.org/exhibitors/.

July 27^th Parade: The fair is looking for entertaining, creative, and exciting entries to participate in the July 27th parade at 6 p.m. Equestrians, bands, floats, drill teams, dance teams, comical groups, military groups, and other unique, fun, and entertaining entries are invited to apply. Think outside the box! Click HERE to read the guidelines and apply to participate. 

About the Santa Clara County Fair: The Santa Clara County Fair is an annual event celebrating the county's culture, heritage, and traditions. It features agricultural exhibits, live entertainment, carnival rides, and more. The fair is produced by the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Management Corporation, a nonprofit organization that supports the Fair and other community events. The Fair will be held at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Road, San Jose, CA 95111. For more information, visit the fair’s website at thefair.org.

San Jose Police Foundation Raising Funds for Recently Injured Officers

This week I joined my colleagues, Mayor Mahan and council members Ortiz and Candelas at an event hosted by San Jose Police Foundation to benefit injured SJPD officers Jaime Arrendondo and Joseph Desroches.

On May 3rd, these brave officers were injured responding to a call for help at a San Jose motel, where a mother and three children were hiding from a violent suspect. While in conversation with police, the suspect produced a weapon and opened fire on the officers. Officers returned fire, injuring the suspect, resulting in his capture.

San Jose Police Foundation has raised over $17,000 to assist recently injured officers and continues to invest in projects, programs, equipment, and initiatives that are not covered in the city’s annual budget. For more information, and to get involved, visit sanjosepolicefoundation.org

VTA and San Jose Want To Hear From You

The City of San José Department of Transportation is conducting a survey to get your thoughts on traveling in and around North San José. What we learn will help us decide how to improve roads and paths for people who walk, bike, drive, and take transit. Participate in the survey to shape future travel in North San José! Submit your answers by Friday, May 31. Respond to the survey in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, or Chinese at bit.ly/connect-nsj.

Remembering Fallen Heroes

Wednesday morning we honored the thirteen San Jose Police Officers who have given their lives in service of our community over the years. May they never be forgotten. I’d like to thank the brave men and women who are currently risking their lives every day, with the difficult mission of keeping us safe.

BioBlitz • Become a Community Scientist

Along our creeks and in our parks live a huge variety of wildlife, from water bugs to birds, snakes to elk. We look for all of them at a BioBlitz. Essentially, we play Pokemon, but we seek out nature. iNaturalist, a mobile phone app, is the tool that we use to record our observations and share them with scientists. Also, on the iNaturalist website, you can search for and learn more about nature around the world.

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See what we've found in the South Bay, along with other events conducted by our partner BioBlitz.club.

San Jose Electric Homes

If you are a residential building owner in San José, you could be eligible for thousands of dollars in incentives. The City of San José is offering incentives to single-family and multifamily households in San José to electrify their homes. Incentives are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Electric Homes San José, a City of San José program utilizing BlocPower services, supports single-family and multifamily building-owners throughout San José seeking to complete all-electric upgrades on their building and supports electrification workforce development for local contractors. The program is currently funded to support 250 building electrification measures in San José, however, additional funding for future measures is anticipated. 

San José and BlocPower established a Community Advisory Board (CAB) comprised of roughly 15 representatives from Community-Based Organizations serving San José’s diverse communities. The CAB promotes community engagement and participation on the design and implementation of the program, including community outreach. 

This comprehensive electrification upgrade program is expected to include the following services:

• Identify and acquire existing resources and incentives to reduce or eliminate electrification upgrade costs,
• Help assess your specific upgrade needs and costs,
• Provide contractor resources to complete approved electrification upgrade projects, and
• Coordinate workforce development training for 50 local contractors
• 
  

Resources

• Electric Homes San José Overview
• Electric Homes San José Incentives
• English
• Spanish
• Vietnamese

"If Yan Can Cook, So Can You!"

San Jose Public Library Foundation is thrilled to announce their upcoming Signature Author Event featuring celebrity Chef Martin Yan. Together, we aim to raise crucial funds and awareness for the Library. Join us Saturday, September 21st from 11am – 1pm for our first Signature Author Event featuring Chef Martin Yan!

At this event, Chef Martin Yan will perform an entertaining cooking demonstration while sharing the inspiration behind his 30+ cookbooks. Guests will enjoy a lunch featuring Chef Yan’s award-winning menu, complete with wine pairings.

Autographed copies of his newest releases “Best of Yan Can Cook” (2023) and “My Asian Kitchen” (2024) will be available. Chef Martin Yan is one of the most recognizable chefs in the culinary world and we anticipate a large turnout.

About Chef Yan

“If Yan Can Cook, So Can You!” has always been the motto of Chef Martin Yan! With his extraordinaire, popular television host of more than 3,500 culinary and travel TV shows and author of 34 cookbooks including his brand-new cookbooks – “Martin Yan’s Best of Yan Can Cook” and “MY Asian Kitchen”. He is one of the most recognizable Chinese Chef in the culinary world, from Shanghai to San Francisco, with a career spanning over four decades. Promoting Chinese and Asian cuisines, making the food easy for the cook has been his life-long mission. 

His award-winning public television series, Yan Can Cook, airing since 1978, has introduced generations of audiences to Chinese and Asian cuisines. Chef Yan has received numerous awards and recognitions including the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, and the lifetime achievement award from the International Association of Cooking Professionals. He was also honored with the 2023 Culinary Excellence Award at the Sonoma International Film Festival. 

Never the one to rest on his laurels, Chef Yan has remained an active international food and cultural ambassador. He roams the world working with home chefs and top chefs to entertain and educate the public, sharing his unique humor and strong passion for cooking. 

Free Legal Services Local Businesses

Replay City Council Meeting May 21, 2024

Ask VTA: Active Transportation Public Q&A

Mass transit and human-powered transport like cycling, skating, etc, are very important elements of our sustainable future. Join VTA officials and partners for a public discussion on Active Transportation May 29th 6-7pm. See Vta.org/ask-vta for more info.

Join Valley Water Youth Commission

A Message from Dick Santos, Vice Chair, Valley Water Board of Directors:

I am excited to announce a free leadership opportunity for high school students in Santa Clara County. Valley Water is now accepting applications for the Youth Commission, an official board advisory committee made up of 21 high school students from all seven Valley Water districts.

The Youth Commission gives teens the chance to engage in local government and be the voice of youth in Santa Clara County.

I represent District 3, and I invite any high schoolers from my district interested in building leadership skills and serving their community to apply for this wonderful opportunity.

You can find more information about the Youth Commission, including the application and eligibility requirements at valleywater.org/youthcommission 

The application period closes Friday, May 24, at midnight. 

Please help us spread the word and share this opportunity with high schoolers who may be interested.

Stay safe and healthy.

Richard P. Santos 

Vice Chair, District 3 

Valley Water Board of Directors

(408) 234-7707

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities in D4

Saturday, May 31^st – Multi-cultural Festival

• Date and time: Saturday, May 31^st 5 – 8 p.m.
• Location: Berryessa Youth Center, 1970 Morrill Ave, San Jose
• Shifts available: 
• 5-6pm: Set-Up
• 6-8pm: Booth support
• Description: Join us at the multi-cultural festival where we will have booths celebrating different cultures! 
• To sign up: Email Afia Laiq at afshaq@gmail.com

Litter Pick Up • Alviso

Alviso Park Community Day - May 25

May 25th! Community Day at Alviso Park is a wonderful opportunity to give back to your community and contribute to the well-being of our local environment. By signing up to volunteer, you can actively participate in the upkeep and maintenance of the park, ensuring that it remains a clean, safe, and enjoyable space for all visitors. Your dedication and support will not only make a positive impact on the park itself but also foster a sense of unity and pride within the community. Join us in this meaningful initiative and together, let's create a greener, more sustainable future for generations to come.

June Creek Clean Up

Free Junk Pick Up!

We could all use a little extra space around the house this time of year, if you've got junk and clutter in your garage or yard, take advantage of this great FREE service from the City of San José! Make an appointment to get rid of old appliances and furniture, mattresses, and more. It's easy, just fill out a short form online, move your stuff to the curb, and a truck will come and take it all away!

Nominate a District 4 Star!

Our annual District 4 Stars Gala is our way of honoring members of our community who've worked hard to make a positive impact in District 4. Small businesses, public servants, local leaders, and more. If you know someone you think is a Star in District 4, nominate them by clicking the button below.