A lot of attention has been given to the allocation of Measure E funds for either long-term or short-term housing projects. My vote would be to do both, but an area of the city budget that I don’t believe gets enough attention is the parks deferred maintenance backlog. Per page 353 of the city’s 2024-2028...
Columns
Columns
Hsueh: Investing in the future of water
As a former Valley Water engineer and current board member, I have tremendous appreciation for people who build and maintain our infrastructure. Every day, Valley Water employees manage and operate our agency’s complex and integrated water supply system, including dams, reservoirs, pipelines, levees, pump stations, treatment plants and recycled water facilities. Much of this water...
Editorial: San Jose families—lock up your firearms to prevent tragedy
Over the last couple months, children in the San Jose Unified School District have been subjected to lockdowns and Code Red alarms triggered by potential danger. The source of this heightened fear is students bringing firearms to campus and making social media threats to kill classmates. Parents are terrified, and the lack of succinct and swift information from the...
Cloutier: The mental distress of our youth needs more attention
The amount of pediatric emergency department visits for mental health reasons has doubled from 2011 to 2020, increasing 8% each year. The number of suicide-related visits has increased five-fold among youth. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently released a report sounding the alarm on mental health, particularly for children, adolescents and young adults....
Collins: What you need to know about the electrification of your home
California was the first state in the nation to ban natural gas furnaces and water heaters—last September, the California Air Resources Board proposed banning the sale of all gas-fired water heaters and furnaces by 2030. This past March, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District moved up the timeline and locally banned the sale and...
Robinson: Competent staff protects fading Feinstein
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....
Causey: The next District 5 supervisor should prioritize survivors
“I believe you, because, well, you’re innocent looking.” Those were the words of my Palo Alto High School administrator when I reported sexual harassment at age 15. He told me that in 10 years, no one would remember the months I spent attending class fearing for my physical safety. More than 10 years later, I...
Shaw: Don’t reallocate affordable housing funds for homeless services
Like so many others, I am against San Jose’s current Measure E budget proposal to reallocate affordable housing funds for homeless services. The reasons being: 1. Tiny homes do not offer permanent housing and are not a solution to homelessness. They are tiny shelters in a communal environment, with gates and security guards. Any place...
Dewan: Creating a future free of gun violence
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies guns as the leading cause of death for children. National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 2, a day set aside to raise awareness and promote positive change. Policymakers, community members, leaders and parents have taken steps to protect children from gun violence and keep...
Silver Taube: OSHA’s limits for toxic exposure cause preventable harm to Silicon Valley workers
Standards for exposure to toxic chemicals at work, known as permissible exposure limits or PELs, have long been and still are vastly and indefensibly weaker than standards for environmental exposure to these same toxics. This disparity puts not only workers, but also their offspring at risk—especially where women of child-bearing age are a sizable part...