When San Jose approved its $5.5 billion budget for this fiscal year, one department digging around for revenue streams tried to pull a fast one on downtown businesses and residents by doubling the hourly rate for parking meters. It almost worked because the item was buried on the City Council’s consent calendar in a pile with...
Editorial: Why is San Jose ignoring unhoused, mentally ill people in downtown?
San Jose’s commitment to housing unsheltered people hit a milestone when hundreds of shelter beds came online and temporary housing sites were expanded. Yet a portion of the city’s homeless population — those with a serious mental illness — were left out, and the problem is glaring. The number of mentally ill people in the...
Editorial: South Bay school district boards should move to term limits
As school districts in Santa Clara County transition from at-large elections to specific trustee areas, it may also be time to consider shifting to term limits. The county has 31 school districts that serve about 265,000 students. Only one district, Palo Alto Unified School District, established board term limits in 2018, capping it at two,...
Editorial: San Jose mayor should not run for governor
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is making the rounds. He’s all over national and statewide TV news stations, splashed across the pages of California’s top news websites and flooding our social media feeds. The media circus is centered around Mahan’s not-so-subtle hints that he might run for governor. After about six years in local politics,...
Editorial: Finding purpose in 2026
Purpose — often defined as the reason for doing something — is a powerful word that can determine one’s direction in life. Most people need purpose. It’s the mojo to start a business, raise a family, elevate a career, tilt a person toward political aspirations or public service. In government an individual’s purpose can be...
Editorial: What a long strange trip it’s been for San Jose
San Jose City Hall encountered a blast from the past at its doorstep Dec. 4. The moment was a reminder of how pivotal San Jose was to the nation’s music scene in the 1960s and 70s. That evening, with a brilliant full moon above, community members unveiled a plaque in the spot where 60 years...
Editorial: Tech leaders need to give back in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County might be home to some of the largest tech companies and richest moguls in the world, but it’s not immune from hunger. Like the other 57 counties in the state, Santa Clara County’s social safety net has been shredded, as food benefits hang by a thread. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)...
Editorial: San Jose mayor should support county general tax
Santa Clara County is on the edge of a financial cliff due to devastating federal and state cuts to its health care and safety net services. If the county falters, San Jose won’t be left unscathed. All 15 municipalities in the county will feel the impact of $1.4 billion in federal cuts to Medi-Cal through...
Editorial: Immigrants are the backbone of Santa Clara County
Nearly 40 years ago, two parents clutched their frightened daughters’ hands to make a treacherous overnight escape from war-torn Iran in the 1980s. The family couldn’t carry more than a suitcase of family photos and mementos. They narrowly fled air bombs dropped by Saddam Hussein’s regime on their country, fleeing buildings and hospitals where tarps...
Editorial: Silicon Valley college board should look elsewhere for student housing
The Foothill-De Anza Community College District wants to help house its students struggling to find affordable rent. The district’s solution displaces Cupertino residents. The board of trustees had five years to come up with a plan after district voters passed Measure G in 2020 — a $898 million general obligation bond to help upgrade college...