Most of us likely never think about kindergarten unless we have a child or grandchild of our own or work in a school. It is time that we all talk about what it takes for a child to be ready for kindergarten and the long-term impact when children enter school without the benefit of an...

Moving in was as happy a time as I can remember after what seemed like a lifetime of struggle and pain. Almost four months later, every day I think about how much this has changed my life and feel thankful. Being a Permanent Supportive Housing community, Second Street Studios is a home to me but...

This has been something of a surreal summer for me. Late this June, I saw some comments from Cupertino Commission Chair R. “Ray” Wang about the Vallco redevelopment, calling on his readers to “Save the suburbs from an onslaught of anarchists and YIMBY Neo Liberal fascists.” Now I’m a resident of Sunnyvale, not Cupertino. But...

Between toxic politics and partisan dysfunction, we now have something I believe is important to all Americans: safety and freedom. Guns have become an evil topic in just about any public setting. Many think if you talk to a “Democrat,” you might hear the only way to protect our children and communities is to implement...

More. Bigger. Higher. These are the words crammed into the press releases of Silicon Valley’s largest employers. The pace of development is startling. It all sounds so exciting, but we should temper that excitement and realistically examine the impacts of development. There’s an old adage, “failing to plan, is planning to fail.” It’s sage advice...

My office has fielded numerous complaints of vehicles stored or abandoned on city streets, plus occupied motor homes settling into neighborhoods for stays that exceed the 72-hour limit. It’s not just an issue in District 10, but throughout the City of San Jose. Our Department of Transportation personnel responded to 55,000 vehicle abatement requests in...

For most of us, the purchase of O’Connor Hospital and St. Louise Hospital is a fabulous benefit for Santa Clara County. The $235 million package has already proven its worth, given the quick response and treatment of 13 victims from Gilroy’s July 28 mass shooting. Moreover, the county is investing heavily in bringing the hospitals...

I read Dean Hotop’s op-ed (“Where is the accountability over Silicon Valley’s housing crisis?”) with great interest. There are few issues of more significance in our region than housing. Unfortunately, the piece included factual inaccuracies that may misinform rather inform your readers. Mr. Hotop misinterpreted the City’s budget book. The Housing Department’s FY 2018-19 personnel...

“Rents at all time highs!” “Homeless population growing” “Incomes not keeping up with rents” We’ve all seen these headlines the last few years and understand there’s a problem. However, there’s a bigger underlying problem that hasn’t been adequately addressed. These headlines go all the way back to the 1970’s. In 2003, San Jose’s Housing Department...

For the community that the School of Arts and Culture at MHP (SOAC) serves, it is no surprise that the 2019 Santa Clara County Homeless Count shows a significant increase in homelessness. Over the years, many of our Arts Education Program families have expressed to us the difficulty of remaining in this community.  A year...