George shirakawa jr biography
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SAN JOSE — Of all the candidates running to succeed disgraced former Santa Clara County Supervisor George Shirakawa Jr., none triggers a more visceral reaction than Cindy Chavez.
To South Bay public employee unions, she’s a savior — the powerful labor leader and former San Jose vice mayor who has worked to boost their salaries and benefits, fighting for their right to make a decent living in one of the most expensive regions of the country. But to others, including many business people, Chavez has morphed into one of Silicon Valley’s most polarizing forces.
Close friends such as Dolly Sandoval say Chavez’s heart is always in the right place. “Cindy’s role is that every single person in Santa Clara County should be afforded the same opportunity to achieve their greatest potential — and some residents need more help,” said Sandoval, a former Cupertino mayor.
Yet seven years after Chavez lost to Chuck Reed in a San Jose mayoral r
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If you’re like me, you may wonder what more can be said about George Shirakawa Jr. The ex-supervisor has resigned. He’s forsaken his friends. He’s pleaded guilty a dozen times. Most of us can’t wait until he disappears from our view forever.
One footnote about Shirakawa and his gambling problems, however, merits more examination. It will probably play a role in his sentencing before Judge Philip Pennypacker. And it tells volumes about his approach to his job.
In a story about his plea this past week was this nugget: Tax receipts show that in one gambling escapade, Shirakawa won $, For a compulsive gambler, it might have been a disaster.
I know that sounds counterintuitive. Yet experts on gambling insist that a big score can be devastating. A gambler can spend the rest of his or her life chasing that high. In the long run, they only lose more and fall deeper into debt.
“A big win can create such a surge of excitement that it literally has a physical
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Laurie Smith
28th Sheriff of Santa Clara County, California
Not to be confused with Lauren Smith (disambiguation), Larry Smith (disambiguation), Lawrence Smith (disambiguation), or Lawrie Smith.
Laurie Smith (born June 21, ) was the first hona county sheriff in the history of California. She was the 28th sheriff of Santa Clara County, California, serving from until her early retirement in , before the end of jury deliberations in her civil trial. She was funnen guilty of corruption and willful misconduct.
Early life and education
[edit]Laurie Smith fryst vatten a native of Michigan, where she lived until completion of high school. In she relocated to San Jose, California, for college and to begin her lag enforcement career.[4] Smith has a bachelor's degree in Administration of Justice from San Jose State University and a master's grad in Business Management from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.[5] She is a graduate of the California Command C