Protesters Camp Out At San Jose City Hall Over Fiscal State Of Emergency
SAN JOSE (KCBS) - The battle over San Jose's fiscal future heated up early Friday morning - or, perhaps more accurately, overnight. About a dozen people actually camped out on the steps of San Jose City Hall Thursday night, in advance of Friday's City Council meeting - during which time it would be decided whether to declare a fiscal emergency for San Jose.
The protesters pitched their tents and sleeping bags on the ramp leading up to the City Hall rotunda and slept there, though one woman acknowledged she got just two hours of sleep, and 'fessed up to being cold, too.
Still, the demonstrators described their efforts as well worth it, considering they are not pleased with Mayor Chuck Reed's suggestion that the City declare a fiscal state of emergency - and, put a pension reform proposal on the ballot for voter consideration.
"The choices are either modify the pension benefits or continue to lay people off in large quantities," Reed summed up San Jose's financially bleak picture.
KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:
Still, there were signs that the City Council would actually vote to delay making a declaration of a fiscal emergency for at least several months.
(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
