In the last 16 years, I have been privileged to serve as an elected trustee on the Santa Clara County Board of Education. My last board meeting was Nov. 20. Some voters in my trustee area will cheer that declaration, particularly those who were opposed to my charter school approval votes. As a core value...

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...

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...

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...

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...

There are just days left in another historic national election defined by hostility, division, and violent rhetoric. Against this backdrop, many people in our local community have long hoped that we can be better than what we see on the national stage. Unfortunately, this has not proven to be true. While there are candidates and...

In the heart of Silicon Valley, where progress and innovation are watchwords, San Jose’s democracy faces a crisis of representation. The 2022 election, the most expensive in our city’s history, revealed a troubling truth: the voices of everyday San Jose residents are being drowned out by big money in politics, a trend that continues in...

Growing up in East San Jose, it filled me with pride last year to sign my first professional soccer contract at the age of 17 with my hometown San Jose Earthquakes. That said, I’ve been able to witness firsthand the importance of having access to quality fields in our community, which are critical for our...

The Assembly District 26 race is seeing the highest level of outside candidate spending by utility giant PG&E, which is pouring unprecedented funds into backing Patrick Ahrens. Far more than in any other state legislative race in California. Our environment, health and pocketbooks are all on the line, and we need leaders who will prioritize...

With Election Day around the corner, we face a vital decision for our community’s future. I urge residents to vote for Patrick Ahrens for Assembly District 26, a dedicated public servant, champion for working families and leader who has proven time and again that he understands the challenges we face. He has the vision and...