Eric Nelson’s concern for Willow Glen merchants is legitimate. Broken glass, repeated theft and fear deserve a serious response. But his proposed solution does not fit his opening example. A person riding a bicycle and throwing rocks through storefronts would not ordinarily be identified by automated license plate readers. At least, that is what communities...

Last August, someone rode a bicycle down Lincoln Avenue and threw rocks through six shop windows and doors, mine included. It cost me $750 to replace the glass. The person responsible was never caught. Since June, downtown Willow Glen has logged roughly 30 reports of vandalism and theft, and while most haven’t resulted in major...

We recently ran an experiment to see whether our City Council would respond to questions from the public and explain its decisions. The result should concern anyone who cares about accountability in San Jose as they consider their choices in the upcoming election. Our group, No Digital Billboards in San Jose, is a coalition of...

The San Jose City Council is planning an Aug. 18 vote on high-density, by-right “missing middle” housing city-wide. The San Jose Planning Commission, which is updating the general plan, based its recommendation to do so on input from city staff. Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility believes approval of the proposal will negatively affect our quality of...

For more than a decade, Santa Clara has been consumed by one major controversy after another. Whether it’s been Levi’s Stadium, the convention center, the PAL BMX track, downtown redevelopment or the proposed City Hall move to Agnews, our community has spent years divided instead of united. Each issue has its own history and each...

Like many people, I grew up watching television shows about the law. For a long time, courtroom dramas were my first introduction to the justice system. Even now, I still find myself drawn to legal shows, podcasts, social media clips and YouTube videos that try to explain the law in simple ways. But after graduate...

Dropping off clothes and other items at a nearby donation bin feels like a convenient way to make a difference. But you may not realize that deceptive donation bins have become a big problem in Santa Clara County — just as they have in many communities across the United States. Sadly, it’s not a new problem. The...

Election systems should be judged by one simple standard: Do they make it easier for voters to participate and have confidence that every vote counts equally? Ranked choice voting fails that test. Supporters describe ranked choice voting as a cure for many of our political problems. They argue it produces majority winners, encourages more civil...

In an era obsessed with artificial intelligence startups and tech giants, one of the most stable, rewarding and interesting career paths is hiding in plain sight. Technology has long been at the center of the workforce universe here in Silicon Valley. It certainly was for me back in the days of the dot-com bubble. I...