A Korean introduction WEEKEND | 20
JUNE 8, 2018 VOLUME 26, NO. 20
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MOVIES | 23
Grads celebrate diversity in divisive times MVHS SENIOR CLASS HAILED FOR ACTIVISM AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT By Kevin Forestieri
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PHOTO BY NATALIA NAZAROVA
Rebecca George and her fellow seniors get ready to walk to their seats at Mountain View High School’s commencement ceremony on June 1.
or Mountain View High School seniors, last Friday’s graduation ceremony meant celebrating a lasting legacy marked by toptier academic achievement and a steadfast approach to inclusiveness, diversity and political activism. The 447 graduating seniors may be one of 116 graduating classes in the school’s lengthy history, but it won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Principal Dave Grissom described the
class’s academic talent as “spectacular,” but also full of political engagement at a level unrivaled in recent memory. “We have become witness to a political awakening among our students we haven’t seen in 50 years,” Grissom said. Whether it be vocal involvement on local issues or joining a national movement to end gun violence, Grissom said the graduating class has spearheaded one political effort after another,
Stories and lists of graduates from Alta Vista, Mountain View and Los Altos high schools continue on page 12.
opening the eyes of parents and teachers in the school community. The students leaving Mountain View High this year are sure to be future leaders wherever they go, he said. “Whatever field of study See GRADUATION, page 12
Council backs employee tax that would cost Google millions
Mountain View voters lean left in primary
MAJORITY SUPPORTS $150 ANNUAL FEE ON WORKERS AT LARGE COMPANIES
LOCAL RESIDENTS BACKED ESTABLISHED DEMS, JUDGE PERSKY RECALL AND BRIDGE TOLL
By Mark Noack
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omething that might sound like free-market heresy could soon become reality in Mountain View — taxing employers for creating jobs. At a late-night meeting Tuesday, City Council members embraced the idea of taxing the city’s largest companies, saying it was a reasonable strategy to ease the city’s immense traffic burden. The proposed tax would charge companies annually for every Mountain View worker, which is expected to raise about $6.1 million a year — about half of which would come from Google. In a unanimous vote, the council supported bringing the headcount tax to voters as a November ballot measure. Although the idea generated some nervousness, council members largely
INSIDE
agreed that asking more from the city’s large tech employers was an appropriate response to the outsized traffic congestion those companies are causing.
‘We want everyone to pay their fair share.’ MEGHAN FRALEY, MOUNTAIN VIEW THRIVE
“The reason we have so many people on the freeway is because our companies are hiring, and hiring rapidly,” said Mayor Lenny Siegel. “They’re externalizing their costs by having the community pay for their transportation improvements and
suffering their impacts.” Forcing Google and other tech companies to pay more is largely supported by local voters — about two-thirds of residents indicated they would vote for it, according to city polling. Google, which has just over 23,000 employees in Mountain View, has not taken a position on the headcount tax, and its officials declined to comment for this article. Many city leaders made it clear they believed their action could kick off a new push for Silicon Valley cities to demand more from the tech sector. San Jose, Sunnyvale and Redwood City already have similar fees in place. A similar headcount tax is being considered for the November ballot in Cupertino, although See TAXES, page 8
VIEWPOINT 19 | GOINGS ON 24 | MARKETPLACE 25 | REAL ESTATE 27
By Kevin Forestieri
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ountain View voters showed their progressive colors in the June 5 primary election, showing greater support for Democratic candidates and tax measures compared to the rest of Santa Clara County and the state. Voting data also shows the city’s voters were more likely to back the recall of Judge Aaron Persky, and aligned closely with the rest of the county in backing incumbent Laurie Smith for another term as Santa Clara County Sheriff. The vote count as of Wednesday morning showed that close to 56 percent of Mountain View voters supported Democratic candidate Gavin Newsom for governor, compared to 48.7
percent support from the rest of the county and 33.3 percent among California voters as a whole. Coming in a distant second was Republican John Cox, capturing 10.32 percent of Mountain View’s votes, followed closely by Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa at 10.26 percent. In a crowded field of candidates vying for the Senate seat long held by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a majority of Mountain View voters — a little over 54 percent — supported Feinstein for another term, while 17 percent supported state Senator Kevin de Leon, also a Democrat. Although Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, enjoyed a resounding victory See ELECTION, page 10