Since August, local judges have been nullifying murderers’ death sentences one by one. But there’s a problem: The law the judges have been relying on to reduce those death sentences doesn’t apply to death sentences. And that’s not the only problem. It’s easy for judges to make mistakes when they’re hearing only one side of...
Dewan: Civic education in schools and our community
As the results of the 2024 elections are certified, analysts will look at voter participation rates among all age groups and evaluate voter turnout. Likely, low overall voter turnout will be a topic of conversation as we all wrestle with how to engage more people in our democratic elections. Already, election results have caused community...
Silver Taube: San Jose janitor sues Molecular Devices and subcontractors
On Aug. 8, I wrote a Spotlight column entitled “Project 2025 will gut worker protections.” In the coming months, I will discuss the roll out of the labor and employment provisions of Project 2025, the impact of immigration enforcement on the workplace and important developments at the local government level to protect worker rights. Today,...
Diridon: The future is sidetracked, but still possible
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, with numerous Nobel laureates and other internationally renowned climate scientists, reported in 2018 that global warming was occurring because of humans — and rapidly advancing. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared, in 2018 and more firmly in 2023, that climate change was advancing more rapidly than projected. By...
Op-ed: Billboard environmental impact reports are a sham
If ever there was a case where there would be serious environmental impact, it’s San Jose’s plan to install enormous digital billboards on buildings downtown and at sites along freeways. These publicly-owned locations include The Tech Interactive, San Jose Center for Performing Arts, San Jose McEnery Convention Center and several city-owned garages. The proposed billboards...
Bramson: Losing the path home
Last year, the U.S. government spent $67 billion on housing assistance for low-income residents. That’s approximately 1% of the total federal budget. This disproportionately small slice of the pie is nothing new. In fact, with the exception of a spike during COVID, the trend of drastic underinvestment actually continues a long-standing practice of little to...
Wald: Sports fields need to be ‘safe’ for professionals and everyone else
All Santa Clara County residents should be proud that one of our own, Edwyn Mendoza, will be playing for the Earthquakes and using this opportunity to advocate for other youth to have “safe fields to play on” in a San José Spotlight opinion piece. Sadly, the “deal” the Earthquakes are forging with the county and...
Mallon: Silicon Valley bus ridership has recovered
Four and a half years ago when the pandemic started, I was a transit-dependent college student, unsure of how the pandemic would impact my future. At the time, transit was my connection to everything: school, work and everywhere I needed to go. But when COVID hit and changed the world overnight, I was forced to...
Urbanowski: What’s up in Morgan Hill? Art, that’s what!
In October, I had the pleasure of attending a truly remarkable public art conversation organized by Morgan Hill in collaboration with a rich cross section of partners from sectors across the community. The gathering highlighted the vital role art is playing in the dynamic development of this jewel of a city in the southern part...
Paz-Cedillos: A defining moment for our nation and our daughters
Tomorrow’s election is a pivotal moment, a tipping point with consequences that will echo for generations. This isn’t just about choosing a leader. It’s about shaping the future of civil rights, women’s rights and justice. Regardless of the outcome, this election demands that we show up and show out today, tomorrow and in the days...