Santa Clara County sales tax measure ahead in early results
Early results show Santa Clara County’s sales tax increase measure leaning toward voter approval on election night. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, 56.7% of voters cast ballots in favor of Measure A, or 210,393 votes, with 43.2% voting against it, or 160,587 votes. The general tax needs a simple majority of more than 50% to pass. There are approximately 165,800 unprocessed ballots.
Read MoreTrump’s cuts to health funding could endanger life-saving services around the Bay Area. One county is trying to save them with a sales tax.
When Chris Wilder had a massive stroke four years ago, doctors told his wife that he might not survive — and if he did, he might not ever walk or talk again. Once he was stable, Wilder was transferred to Valley Medical Center — Santa Clara County’s flagship public hospital with a nationally ranked rehabilitation center — where he spent the next six months relearning how to stand and teaching his brain to reconnect with the right side of his body.
Read MoreOpinion: Measure A would help keep Santa Clara County hospitals open
We are doctors, not politicians. We have spent our careers caring for Santa Clara County residents on their hardest days and working to protect public health. We know what happens when care is close and accessible and when it is not.
Read MoreBramson: A measure for community health
When people talk about ending homelessness, the conversation almost always starts with housing. And for good reason—without a safe, stable home, it’s nearly impossible for anyone to rebuild their life. But there’s another piece of this crisis we don’t talk about enough: health. You can’t recover from homelessness if you can’t access health care. You can’t stay housed if an unexpected medical bill wipes out your savings. And right now, that fragile balance — between health and housing — is under serious threat.
Read MorePaz-Cedillos: Measure A is a lifeline for Santa Clara County
The moment we are in is unlike any I’ve experienced as a nonprofit leader. The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” signed into law this summer, will devastate communities like ours. It strips billions of dollars from the social safety net, cutting Medicaid and other federal programs that have kept millions afloat. For Santa Clara County, the projected loss is staggering: $4.4 billion in revenue by fiscal year 2029-30.
Read MoreSan Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, DA Jeff Rosen back Measure A amid concerns about the impact of federal cuts on public safety
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, District Attorney Jeff Rosen and a coalition of local prosecutors, public defenders and law enforcement officers are backing Santa Clara County’s Measure A, raising concerns that recent federal cuts could impact funding for public safety.
Read MoreEast San Jose hospital back online for trauma patients
Commotion and stress aren’t exactly positive features of most workplaces. But for an East San Jose hospital recovering from years of devastating service cuts, they’re welcome signs that one of the region’s only two trauma centers is working as it should.
Read MoreSilicon Valley health care leaders say federal cuts ‘truly devastating’
Santa Clara County health care leaders weren’t shy about voicing what’s in store for the future of public health at a forum hosted by San José Spotlight, as they brace for billions in revenue cuts.
Read MoreTown hall explores impacts of ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ on Santa Clara County
District 3 Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee succinctly summed up his opinion of HR1—aka President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”—at a Sept. 18 town hall meeting at the Jose Esteves Milpitas Library. “It’s a big bill but not beautiful,” Lee said of HR1, which catalyzed massive federal budget cuts when Trump signed it into law July 4.
Read MoreCounty officials warn of ‘critical’ federal healthcare cuts at townhall
Santa Clara County officials and partnering nonprofits convened an emergency townhall meeting in South County Friday to warn residents about potential impacts from recently passed federal legislation that could slash healthcare funding and force difficult choices for local services.
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