May 23, 2012
San Jose City Council sends minimum wage initiative to the ballot
After lengthy discussions and public comments from many people on both sides of the issue the San Jose City Council decided to put the Minimum Wage Initiative on the November 2012 General Election ballot.
The initiative’s proponents had gathered enough signatures for the measure to be placed on the ballot, but the city council could have voted to adopt initiative outright at its May 22 meeting, which would have made the ordinance effective within 90 days. The California Restaurant Association urged the council to send it to the November ballot so voters could make the ultimate decision after an in-depth economic-impact analysis and outreach to business community could be conducted
The CRA will work closely with coalition partners, including the local chamber of commerce and other industries, on a campaign to oppose the initiative and educate the voters of San Jose about the negative ramifications and unintended consequences that the proposal would have on the local economy if it is approved by the voters in November.
Javier Gonzalez can be reached at jgonzalez@calrest.org.