When I was little, I loved to sit on my mom’s lap and ride the bus all through Campbell and the West Valley. We only had one car, and since my dad used it to work multiple jobs, days and nights, our main connection to the community was the VTA bus line. One time, we...
Vargas: Expect the unexpected from the Supreme Court this year
On Oct. 1, the U.S. Supreme Court will return from its summer recess to a term already packed with potential blockbuster cases. In the spring, the court agreed to hear major cases on race, sex, age, and sexual orientation discrimination, the administration’s decision to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the...
Bonilla: I challenge my Planning Commission rivals to a public discussion
In anticipation of next week’s Planning Commission appointment, SOMOS Mayfair this week released an op-ed seeking an opportunity “to hear directly from the candidates and learn about their qualifications to represent us.” I completely agree with this request and find it to be reasonable for candidates seeking to fill a position of public service. Since...
Portillo: San Jose has a chance to truly promote diversity
As the daughter of two Mexican immigrants who has lived on the East Side of San Jose my entire life, I grew up with great pride and love for my home. Surrounded by neighbors, classmates and local businesses rich in culture, I’ve always felt privileged to have been raised in such a vibrant and welcoming community. But despite this rich identity and connection to my neighborhood, places...
Bramson: The high price of growing up
The construction of new high-rise buildings has long been a key indicator of progress and promise for the modern city. Architectural marvels that rise to the heavens and offer to meet the rapidly growing demands of a prospering metropolis. With each new tower, the skyline forever changes, heralding the arrival of the density which is...
Carrasco: We must fight back against gun violence and hate speech
We can’t allow ourselves to become numb to the pain. It’s not just another shooting, whether it happens in El Paso, Odessa, Midland, Dayton — or right here in Gilroy. These slaughters of innocent people are part of an all-out assault on our society that has been stoked by President Donald Trump and his reckless...
Carter: The East Side fights back
It was a profound statement about the importance of public art when white supremacists marched on Charlottesville, North Carolina last year in the now-infamous Unite the Right rally. White nationalist groups overran the city of Charlottesville in response to the removal of a statue valorizing the confederate general Robert. E. Lee. Although they were guided...
Philbrick: Put the phone away and stop distracted driving in Silicon Valley
You are safely driving along when that incoming text notification demands your immediate attention. There doesn’t seem to be anything in the way ahead — why not take a quick look? It might be something important from work or maybe it’s a family member — surely something worth the quick diversion. This thought process is,...
Gilman: Mayor Liccardo, hold your fire
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo is proposing a city ordinance that would require gun owners to purchase liability insurance or a pay a fee to mitigate the societal costs associated with gun-related violence and accidents. He presented his case in an opinion piece published in The Washington Post last week. The mayor’s proposal is based...
Gerston: Census participation is more important than ever
Beginning next January, the Census Bureau will begin counting the estimated 330 million people living in the United States. More than just an exercise undertaken by thousands of temporary bean counters, the census is critical to every state for two important reasons. First, the census determines each state’s number of U.S. House of Representatives members....
