Author: Rich Robinson (Rich Robinson)

Silicon Valley Congresswoman Anna Eshoo is resigning, San José Spotlight first reported. Eshoo who along with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Rep. Jackie Speier and Rep. Zoe Lofgren dominated federal representation in the Bay Area. Her resignation will set off a sprint to the March primary. State Sen. Josh Becker, 54, is best positioned...

While Republican leaders dither on a new Speaker of the House, at least one Democratic congressmember is building bipartisan support to reform our politics. Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna has brought together a bipartisan group of lawmakers. This includes Rep. Ilhan Omar on the far left to extreme MAGA supporter and Speaker slayer Matt Gaetz...

State government spent $20 billion over five years on homelessness yet the population continues to increase. The war on drugs costs $100 billion nationally, but drugs permeate our society. The U.S. government spent $25 billion on immigration enforcement last year, yet folks keep coming. Why? It is estimated that we have 171,500 homeless residents in...

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s negative response to the city’s new labor agreement is misguided and will ultimately cost him politically. Leading the city isn’t easy, and offending and diminishing your workforce leads to toxic results. The mayor complains that “service cuts” will have to take place as a result of paying city workers compensation...

The San Francisco Giants have a taxable possessory interest over San Jose and Santa Clara County. It’s exclusive and valuable. They’ve never paid the tax that is due. County Assessor Larry Stone should step up to the plate and send them a property tax bill as required by the state tax laws. Recently, four San...

Webb Hubbell, former assistant attorney general under President Bill Clinton, tells an interesting story about meeting with then Sen. Joe Biden, who chaired the Judiciary Committee, before his confirmation. Hubbell served prison time for the Rose Law billing scandal. He said Biden had warned him before he took the job that he would be investigated...

In 2017, I called on Sen. Dianne Feinstein to retire. Specifically, I opined, “The idea of her being wheeled into the chamber and having aides make decisions on her behalf—a la Strom Thurmond—is not the best way to end an otherwise distinguished career in public service.” Unfortunately—and a reminder to my most devoted critics—sometimes I’m right....

“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with a constituent,” said Winston Churchill. While no one should prohibit voting by legislation or fiat, it should be incumbent upon voters to determine whether they are informed enough to exercise their franchise or whether their vote will hurt our government or democracy. Here is a...

Over 129 mass shootings so far this year. Three nine-year olds died yesterday. The usual hand wringing in the media was in full force. Parents are outraged that no new gun safety laws are forthcoming. As Yogi Berra once said, “It’s de ja vu all over again.” Yet national polls show about 45% of the...

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan addressed over 200 people at the Villages on Feb. 15 in an event sponsored by the Senior Academy. His presentation was professional and polished. His analysis was cogent and his recommended solutions for homelessness, affordable housing and public safety were well-received. But his overall message was pessimistic: “It’s not going...