When I worked at Wienerschnitzel in high school, my dream was to one day own a sports bar in my hometown of San Jose. I imagined decorating with 49ers, Giants, Warriors and Sharks memorabilia. I changed course slightly and I now own three Wienerschnitzel restaurants in Santa Clara County. My restaurants are my pride and...
Op-ed
Op-ed
Perry: Don’t rob Peter to pay Paul
As Yogi Berra famously said, this is deja vu all over again. San Jose is setting up a replay of the same budget battle it went through last year. Once again, Mayor Matt Mahan and his allies are floating a proposal to redirect Measure E funds away from permanent affordable housing and into emergency solutions...
Cloutier: Without Prop. 1, our dire housing and untreated mental health crisis will get worse
On March 5, Californians will be asked to vote on Proposition 1 — creating housing and a range of treatment options for the state’s unhoused citizens with complex mental health and substance use conditions. We know this proposition has trade-offs, as any piece of legislation does. But will this move California forward in addressing homelessness...
Waite: The right candidates for San Jose City Council
Prior to the 2022 San Jose mayoral runoff, Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility opined that “Mahan …is a vocal advocate of measuring results and holding government accountable. He recognizes the failures of more than a decade of pouring money into affordable housing complexes, now costing up to $1,000,000 per door…” We are pleased that Mayor Matt...
Andrew: The troubling inequity of education funding
Imagine two public schools within a 10-mile radius. Picture the classrooms, the technology and the students. Do you envision equality? Unfortunately, in today’s public education system, equality is nonexistent. Funding disparities perpetuate this inequality in education, and these discrepancies have real consequences. Students in underfunded schools face academic struggles, limited extracurriculars and inadequate facilities. Meanwhile,...
Sunada: Local unfunded pension liability mirrors national problem
Nationwide, the United States has $1.49 trillion in unfunded liabilities from state pension plans. Of this total, San Jose has an unfunded pension liability of $3.5 billion; that works out to $3,600 which every resident owes in future taxes or fees. I raised this issue with the four candidates running for election to the District...
Scozzola: Why Joe for Congress?
There are few things I feel are more fortunate about my life than the fact that I grew up in a time where the middle class in our country was strong. This allowed for my folks to raise me with all of the comforts one might expect from the American dream. As the years went...
Op-ed: Valley Water makes progress on reducing flood risk along Coyote Creek
We are pleased to share that Valley Water is making great progress on two projects aimed at reducing flood risk along Coyote Creek in San Jose. For the past several weeks, our agency has been installing flood walls along various sections of the creek. This is a key step in our efforts to help protect...
Op-ed: San Jose leaders hide behind city policy to avoid supporting ceasefire
The gravity of the situation in Gaza and the West Bank is undeniable. Since Oct. 7, 100,000 Palestinians have been killed, reported missing or wounded as a result of Israel’s indiscriminate bombing campaign. About half of those killed are children. A ceasefire is overdue and critical to stop the indiscriminate killing of civilians and ensuring...
Klein: Lifesaving care may not arrive in time for Sunnyvale residents
Whether it’s a robbery in progress at a local business, a home with a fire in the kitchen or a resident suffering a heart attack, seconds mean the difference between safety and harm and life and death. We care deeply about everyone we serve. The people who live, work and visit our city deserve the...