The stock market’s recent volatility and the looming threat of a recession aren’t just numbers on a screen — they’re harbingers of a deeper crisis unfolding in Santa Clara County. As economic uncertainty intensifies, the fragile balance keeping thousands of families housed is tipping dangerously toward disaster. In 2024, more than 4,000 Santa Clara County...
Op-ed: Santa Clara County residents favor ranked choice voting
It was 1998, the year of the Ask Jeeves search engine, Titanic and the Spice Girls. California elected Gray Davis to succeed Pete Wilson as governor, and Santa Clara County voters adopted ranked choice voting (RCV) for local elections. More than 25 years later, the Spice Girls have had a reunion tour and no one...
Op-ed: A future worth investing in
Across California, school districts are grappling with an uncomfortable truth: fewer students, shrinking budgets, and tough decisions about school closures. The Alum Rock Union School District (ARUSD) is no exception. But within this crisis lies an opportunity — one that could transform East San Jose’s future. The closures, while painful, have created a rare opening:...
Silver Taube: We need AB 694 to address severe understaffing at CalOSHA
Worker Memorial Day is April 28. On that day, we remember workers who were killed or injured on the job. In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 363,900 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in California with 2.6 million nationwide and 439 fatalities in California with 5,283 nationwide. CalOSHA plays a significant role in ensuring...
Ellenberg: More work needed to achieve parity in Black maternal health
Efforts to improve Black maternal health outcomes have been doggedly pursued for decades. While there has been some encouraging data, there is still much to do to reduce instances of mortality and morbidity for Black infants and mothers (to include all pregnant and birthing people). Black mothers and infants have the highest rates for preterm...
Stroll: Bay Area electric mandates — a vast expense with minimal benefit
Will you or your landlord need to replace your gas-fired furnace or water heater? Starting in less than two years, it may cost tens of thousands of dollars if the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has its way. And it’s unlikely to make much difference to air quality. A district report notes that some...
Editorial: Will San Jose’s next District 3 leader fit the bill?
Accountability. Honesty. Reliability. The next District 3 San Jose councilmember is going to need all three in spades. Residents will be watching and expecting their newly-elected representative to uplift the downtown and help wash away the stain laid upon their neighborhood by disgraced former Councilman Omar Torres. A special election on April 8 will determine...
Philbrick: Is the convenience of turning right on red worth the risk?
At a busy intersection downtown, a pedestrian steps into the crosswalk just as a car, eager to make a right turn on red, inches forward. The driver glances left for oncoming traffic, but doesn’t see the person crossing until the last second. Moments like this frequently play out across California and the nation, and recent...
Urbanowski: April is Arts, Culture & Creativity Month in California
Arts, Culture & Creativity Month is a statewide celebration organized by arts advocates, civic leaders and artists across the state to uplift the intrinsic value of arts, culture and creativity. In 2019, Arts, Culture & Creativity Month was declared by the California Senate to be held every April to recognize the arts in California and...
Ballard: Protecting our communities from future floods
As the newest Valley Water board director for a district that includes neighborhoods in downtown San Jose — a community that remembers the devastating floods from eight years ago — I deeply appreciate Valley Water’s dedicated efforts in nearly completing the first phase of the Coyote Creek Flood Protection Project. The Feb. 21, 2017, events...