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I am honored to make my first contribution to San José Spotlight. My name is Mark Ritchie, I am the second-generation owner of regional commercial real estate brokerage firm Ritchie Commercial. We are the last privately owned regional commercial real estate service company in the Bay Area. I live and work in both San Jose...
Bramson: Breaking voter promises might destroy San Jose’s affordable future
When San Jose voters approved the Measure E real estate transfer tax increase in 2020, the mandate was clear. The revenue generated by the new ballot measure from the sale or purchase of property worth more than $2 million would go directly to addressing the lack of affordable housing in our community. It was a...
Op-ed: Addressing gun violence and mental health in the AAPI community
America is afraid, and so are we. In the United States, some of our most vulnerable minority groups are being targeted by politicians and public figures who crave power. This power struggle has created an environment where harmful narratives and hateful rhetoric are becoming more common. As two Asian American lawmakers, we cannot stand by...
Mallon: Public transit needs to get back to the basics
In recent years, there’s been a lot of discussion about free transit, fleet electrification, consolidating agencies, seamless fare integration, governance and regional network management. All of these things have been pushed in the name of helping riders, but what do riders really want? While opinions may vary—and geography certainly plays a role—surveys from across the...
Rodríguez: California needs to meet the demand for skilled workers
Our state is facing a shortage of more than 1 million workers with bachelor’s degrees by 2030, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Failure to meet this need for skilled workers could have dire consequences for the state’s economy, so it’s imperative that all of California’s higher education sectors work together to ensure...
Staedler: Losing a leader should inspire us to do more in higher education workforce housing
My plan for this month’s column was to talk about the importance of workforce housing in the higher education sector. I was going to discuss the lack of options available and the need for cooperation across all of Silicon Valley’s exceptional institutions. San Jose State has been making big strides in this endeavor and progress...
Editorial: What will it take to revive downtown San Jose?
For decades, mayors, developers and business owners have claimed to know the secret for helping downtown San Jose come of age. Builders erected high-rise apartments, condominiums and office towers, and as the skyline changed city officials proclaimed the people would follow. The tech sector went on a tear, conferences sold out at the convention center and hotels...
Collins: A housing market report from the trenches
The local housing market has been on a wild ride this year. Earlier in the year, the market seemed to be closely following the ups and downs of mortgage rates as the Fed tried to slow the economy and get a handle on inflation with a series of interest rate hikes. Now, as we enter the...
Robinson: Not everyone should vote
“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...
Perry: San Jose’s homeless solution is just smoke and mirrors
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan put out a statement on April 16 claiming the emergency interim housing he’s promoting is “a real solution to the human suffering we see on our streets.” However, a closer examination of the figures shows he’s grossly exaggerating the impact. In his recent budget message, Mahan pushed for completion of...