San Jose mayor addresses homeless crisis, touts public safety in State of the City speech
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan lays out his vision of city in State of City address
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan lays out his vision of city in State of City address
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan lays out his vision of city in State of City address
In his annual State of the City address, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan laid out his vision for the future by comparing today to the late 1990s in Silicon Valley.
"There was never a better time to be a San Josean. Until today," he said.
Mahan looked towards major opportunities and firsts ahead for San Jose.
"In 2026, San Jose will become the first metro area in history to host both the Super Bowl and the World Cup matches in the same year," Mahan said.
He touted a public safety accomplishment as well.
"Over the past three years, our [SJPD] detectives have solved every single homicide in the City of San Jose," Mahan said.
Mahan doubled down on his tougher stance on addressing the city's homeless crisis and ending what he called 'the era of encampments."
"Over the course of this year, we will open over 1,000 new safe, dignified places that will be an immediate alternative to encampments and help people turn their lives around. This is more than any other city on the West Coast and likely the nation," he said.
This comes on the heels of his recent proposal to arrest homeless people who refuse multiple offers of shelter, which has sparked a war of words between Mahan and some Santa Clara County leaders, as well as pushback from homeless advocates.
"It's a really disturbing trend because we simply cannot arrest our way out of our homelessness crisis," David Low, the senior director of public policy for Destination Home, told CBS News Bay Area after the proposal was announced.
During his address, Mahan said more shelter and mental health resources are needed, and that will take a regional effort.
"Without the support of our state and counties for practical and scalable alternatives to the streets, our most vulnerable neighbors will continue to suffer and die on our watch," he said.
Mahan also addressed the need for more affordable housing, arguing it is critical for the region's future.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
36 minutes ago
- New York Times
Deportation flights accelerate, reaching a high under Trump.
President Trump's mass deportation plans appear to have accelerated in May, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement flying more removal flights than in any other month since he took office, according to public flight data collected by Tom Cartwright, an immigration advocate who tracks ICE flights. The latest government data shows the number of daily deportees averaged about 850 per day in the first two weeks of May, following a gradual climb since early March. The increasing pace of ICE removal flights through the month suggests deportation numbers could continue to trend upward in June.
Fox News
36 minutes ago
- Fox News
Trump criticizes Rand Paul over tax bill opposition: 'Votes no on everything'
President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., for opposing his "big, beautiful bill." "Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting 'NO' on everything, he thinks it's good politics, but it's not. The BBB is a big WINNER!!!" Trump wrote on TRUTH Social. The president added, "Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can't stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!" Paul is among a group of at least four Republican senators who have expressed apprehension over Trump's "big, beautiful bill" due to the budget package's projected increase in the national debt. The White House has framed the bill as a solution to four years of failures under former President Joe Biden. Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rick Scott of Florida, and Mike Lee of Utah, three other Republicans in the upper chamber, have also shared concerns about the bill's fiscal implications. Paul told Breitbart News on Monday that while he believes the left is "adrift," most Republicans are shying away from intra-party debates on certain issues, similarly to how Democrats acted after former President Barack Obama's re-election win. Paul reportedly said he supports "a lot" of Trump's budget package but disagrees with "the additional $5 trillion in debt" the senator claims is attached to the bill. "That's a hard place for me as I support much of what's in the bill, tax cuts, spending cuts, plus more spending cuts if we can get them. But I can't reconcile myself to adding $5 trillion in debt, raising the debt ceiling," Paul said. The senator told Breitbart the debt is going to be $2.2 trillion this year and Republicans have largely continued Biden-era spending levels. "They're anticipating $5 trillion in two years, and that means next year's deficit that some people are saying it's going to grow to over $3 trillion a year again," Paul said. The senator separately expressed to the Associated Press that he told Trump this would be the first time in recent history that Republicans would "own" the debt ceiling if an increase of the nation's debt limit was included in the GOP's sweeping tax and spending package. Paul reportedly added in the Breitbart interview that his opposition to portions of the "big, beautiful bill" are meant to preserve the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)'s progress down the road. "My fear is that when this bill passes that the ramifications a year out, two years out, will be, 'My goodness, what happened to DOGE? What happened to the spending cuts? Why is the deficit so big still?'" he said. "So I am working very hard to make sure there is still at least a part of the party — and it doesn't have to be anti-Donald Trump because I'm for him in so many ways — but it also means people still have to stand up and present their own ideas of what they're for." "I do support President Trump and I support most of the bill," Rand also wrote on X, explaining his position. "I'm his biggest defender on foreign policy. But at the same time I want conservative government so I have to fight for what I believe in." Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, met at the White House at a critical moment Monday as senators returned to begin negotiations over the president's big tax breaks and spending cuts package. Thune said that GOP senators are "on track" to have the package approved by their July 4 deadline. But Thune also acknowledged the long road ahead as senators grind through private talks over changes to put their own stamp on the House-passed bill. Thune told the Senate floor on Monday that Republicans' priority is "extending tax relief for hardworking Americans and strengthening our border, energy, and national security." Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., meanwhile, says Trump told him in a call he "wants to make sure" the Senate doesn't cut Medicaid benefits, according to the AP. The Missouri Republican has been working to strip steep healthcare cuts from the House bill, beyond work requirements for some aid recipients. Hawley said Trump told him the senators could instead raise revenue by closing the so-called carried interest tax loophole used by wealthy filers.
CBS News
36 minutes ago
- CBS News
Former Hialeah Police Chief Sergio Velazquez pleads not guilty to fraud, grand theft charges
One day after being arrested for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds, former Hialeah Police Chief Sergio Velazquez appeared in court where he entered a plea of not guilty. Velazquez, 62, is charged with structuring, grand theft and an organized scheme to defraud. During a hearing Tuesday morning, Velazquez's attorney entered the plea on his client's behalf and requested a trial by jury. Miami-Dade County Judge Mindy Glazer, who found probable cause for the charges, set bond at $30 thousand. An official arraignment will take place in 21 days. Velazquez served as police chief from 2012 until his suspension in 2021. Police chief's alleged spending spree His arrest followed a complaint from the current police chief, who discovered discrepancies involving seized funds and petty cash stored in the department's safe, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement which conducted an investigation. FDLE agents allege that between 2015 and 2021, Velazquez made more than 900 cash deposits across multiple personal bank accounts, all under $10,000, amounts structured to avoid federal reporting requirements. The funds allegedly came from sources intended for confidential police operations and court-ordered forfeitures. The FDLE's probe revealed that during the final five months of Velazquez's tenure—from May to October 2021—about $560,000 in department funds were unaccounted for. Financial records reviewed in the investigation show Velazquez made over $300,000 in purchases from Rolex, along with additional luxury expenditures including $11,000 at Cartier, $6,700 at Louis Vuitton and $5,000 at Versace.
