The No. 1 reason people experience homelessness in our county and nation is the lack of affordable housing. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, “The solution to homelessness is straightforward: housing. By connecting people experiencing homelessness to housing and services, they have a platform from which they can address other areas that may...

Student enrollment has declined sharply at community colleges. Why then, are community college districts ignoring student preferences in course offerings? We are faculty union leaders from three Bay Area community-funded college districts, also known as “basic aid.” Rather than being funded by enrollment, our colleges receive local property tax money to offer classes and services and run...

Throughout Santa Clara County, we have all seen the growing number of people living on our streets and waterways. The number of people struggling with homelessness continues to rise, even though we have passed new taxes like 2016’s Measure A which promised to build 5,000 units over 10 years. Another tax, 2020’s Measure E, promised...

Proving yet again that government spending is “sticky downward” and all new programs should be reviewed skeptically, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo opens his March budget message by lamenting, “If we wished merely to maintain the level of services we currently provide San Jose residents into the next year, we would commence our budget decision-making...

All too often our Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities are seen and described as a monolith. However, our AAPI neighbors, who comprise more than one-third of Santa Clara County’s population, embody a vast array of nationalities and languages that span roughly half the globe. Their diversity in history, culture and lifestyle means AAPI communities...

So far this winter, we’ve had an incredibly wet December followed by the driest January on record in San Jose. Although Santa Clara County is currently in a drought emergency, we can’t predict how much rain we’ll receive in the future. Valley Water is continuing our work on projects to reduce the risk of flooding...

I am the caregiver for my mom who has resided in a variety of institutional settings. It’s emotional to share this very personal, six-year long-term care journey we have been on.  Having to revisit these traumatic experiences triggers unhealed wounds. But it’s critical to bring visibility to another segment of long-term care that is focused...

Throughout the past year, consumers and businesses have had to adjust to scarcity in ways that our area and our nation have not experienced in quite some time. Signs reading “due to supply shortages, some items are temporarily unavailable,” or a variation thereof, are common sights in our community. We have heard from coffee shops...

In Washington, D.C., many policymakers are taking a “ready, fire, aim” approach to tech policy. In a misguided attempt to cross “regulate Big Tech” off their agenda before the midterm elections, they’ve decided to overlook how new laws would hurt consumers and what voters want. It’s become a badge of honor to see who can...

The Sierra Club was forced to file a lawsuit against San Jose. By approving a plan from Boston Properties, Inc. to build a massive glass facade office building—16 stories, 283 feet high, 800 feet long and with three levels of underground parking that egregiously provides no setback buffer between the building and the steep banks...