Former Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino is pictured in this file photo.
Two weeks before San Jose passed a landmark ban on natural gas for new commercial buildings, city officials introduced an exemption that benefited a local energy company, Bloom Energy, whose vice president is a personal friend to the mayor.
And the way they did it shows the stark difference in access granted to political insiders as well as the extent to which city policy is swayed by special interests.
“It’s politics… We want everybody to have an opportunity to chime in, especially if you’re going to be directly impacted,” said San Jose Councilmember Raul Peralez, who voted against the exemption. “In theory, it makes sense… in real practice, it’s not very fair.”