Features

San Jose mayor calls for crackdown on litter, better child care

The Associated Press
Thursday February 07, 2002

SAN JOSE — San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales called for a crackdown on litter and touted a new initiative to improve child care in his annual state of the city address Wednesday. 

Gonzales said San Jose reduced graffiti by 92 percent in the past three years with aggressive law enforcement and teams of volunteers who quickly repaint walls. He pledged a similar approach to eliminating trash strewn on city streets, calling it “an eyesore that eats away at neighborhood pride.” 

The mayor has not yet determined whether new city laws are needed for the trash fight or whether existing ordinances need to be enforced more diligently, spokesman David Vossbrink said. 

Gonzales said the nation’s 11th-largest city suffers from a severe shortage of child care programs, and advocated spending $10 million on new centers and improved training for child care workers. 

Gonzales also asked for support of a local ballot measure that would fund a new 911 emergency hub and new police and fire stations. 

——— 

On the Net: 

City page: http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us