Anti-Cisco Folks Want Ballot Referendum

SAN JOSE, CA-Software titan Cisco Systems’ hotly debated campus here now faces a possible ballot referendum asking voters to strike down the 688-acre complex in North Coyote Valley. The group, known as People for Livable and Affordable Neighborhoods, says it will collect 27,732 signatures in the next month–an effort that begins today and runs through Dec. 12. That figure would comprise 10% of San Jose’s registered voters, which is necessary in order for the proposed referendum to make it on the ballot.

If they are successful, Cisco will need to halt construction until the referendum hits the ballot, which would probably happen in the spring. PLAN includes the Community Homeless Alliance Ministry and several well-known local activists. The proposed 20,000-worker facility has been the source of local strife ever since the idea was first made public. Neighbors and environmentalists say it will pollute the air, worsen traffic and drive up area rents. But the San Jose City Council recently gave the project the go-ahead–hardly a surprise since Cisco is the city’s largest employer.