California, New York, and 15 other progressive states asked auto makers to help fight rapidly worsening climate change by meeting cleaner Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Last year the federal government inexplicably cut that requirement. Four auto makers agreed with those 17 states to voluntarily continue to meet the more healthy CAFE standards. To...

In 2007, my family owned our own business, a local restaurant. It was supposed to provide the funds to fulfill my family’s dream of allowing me to be the first to graduate college. Instead, in the wake of the ensuing recession and financial crisis, it became our ruin. As business dried up, we struggled to...

Today we celebrate the birthday of the visionary labor leader and community activist, Cesar Chavez. His contribution to the fight for economic and social justice for California’s farmworkers underscores the fact that we still have much to accomplish to ensure fair and safe working conditions for these workers. As our state addresses the overwhelming task...

In times of great crisis, it becomes necessary to set aside bureaucratic burdens and do what is necessary to solve problems. America, and indeed the world, has set aside their differences and declared war on SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus). As the world works to limit the spread of the pandemic and flatten the future curve of potential...

This week Apple announced it is donating 9 million protective masks to the US COVID-19 relief efforts. Facebook offered 720,000 masks and Tesla another 250,000.  A March 25 headline read, “This weekend saw a flurry in Silicon Valley CEOs promising heir companies would donate masks to health care workers.” This is wonderful news; we applaud...

Take a moment to think back on your childhood. Did you ever have to worry about moving from place to place? Was there ever a moment when you did not have a room with a bed to sleep in every night? Could you count on breakfast, lunch and dinner at the table every day? For...

So far, 2020 has been a rough year for the creative sector. From the ongoing repercussions of a well-intentioned, but poorly informed policy meant to protect workers (AB 5) to the cancellations of events that support hundreds of local artists due to COVID-19, our community life is reeling. At the School of Arts & Culture...

On Tuesday, San Jose took a large step toward environmental sustainability when my colleagues on the City Council voted to include my recent proposal for attracting a Polypropylene Plastic Purification & Recycling Plant (PRP) to San Jose on the list of approved city priorities for the coming six months. I am especially grateful to my...

I hope Evergreen voters will re-elect Sylvia Arenas. I’ve found that District 8 residents and families can count on her at City Hall. Your choice will help shape the direction of our city. She is focused on the needs of families and neighborhoods. I’ve been impressed by Sylvia. She provides a strongly needed moral voice...

With the March elections on the horizon, City Council candidates are working hard to solicit votes by appealing to the chronic issues facing the residents of San Jose. Appropriately, a key talking point across the various districts is homelessness, which intensifies with each passing year. However, candidates continue to whitewash the root causes of homelessness....