After years of property taxes being imposed by well-intentioned but misleading ballot measures, the State Legislature passed – and then-Governor Brown signed – AB195 in February 2017. This law requires that municipalities inform voters of the potential tax implications of all bond measures – basically, how much taxpayers will pay, the cost-per-unit of taxable value,...

As cost of living in San Jose continues to escalate, employers are finding it more and more difficult to attract and retain qualified and highly skilled employees. The primary driver of the increased cost of living is housing, which has seen unprecedented cost increases in recent years. In order to ensure that San Jose City...

Suzanne St. John-Crane’s call for civil discourse is either remarkably naïve or else deliberately deceptive. The idea that “we all want a thriving San Jose for all” is simply not supported by the facts. Silicon Valley is torn apart every day by cruel economic predators and competing special interests. Large tech companies lobby daily for the...

In her CNN Town Hall in Jackson, Mississippi, Senator and Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren proposed the elimination of the electoral college. She was not the first candidate to suggest this. In fact, many candidates, including Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, and Beto O’Rourke, all support or are considering supporting this proposal. While it has started a...

Having been on the periphery of countless conversations about Diridon Station developments, the “Google village” coming to San Jose and fears of gentrification and a growing class divide in Silicon Valley, I felt compelled to share some observations on the discourse thus far and reflections on how our community might take a turn towards a...

The San José Unified School District is presently looking to rename Burnett Middle School after a local historical figure more relevant to our present age. Last Friday, I submitted a proposal to rename the middle school “Major José Ramón Pico International Baccalaureate Academy,” honoring our local-born, multi-lingual, multi-racial, Hispanic American Civil War hero and community...

Today, the San Jose City Council will decide their priorities for the year. It is critical that Councilmember Raul Peralez’s suicide prevention policy be among them. Between 2011 and 2016, nearly 400 San Jose residents died by suicide. This was more than any other city in Santa Clara County. More people died by suicide each...

For decades, Valley Water has been committed to helping keep communities safe by reducing flood risks in Santa Clara County. Our flood protection projects and programs balance environmental stewardship and urban demands with the needs of the community. This year, we’re enthusiastic about the progress of two important projects that will help protect the communities...

Many cities aspire to create a thriving community in which residents will not only choose to live, but to work within as well. However, current statistics may reveal how and why some cities are thriving in this aspect, while others face a steeper challenge. The current national average of individuals residing and working within the...

We commend Johnny Khamis, and the supportive council members, for the challenging and sensible question as to the true cost of affordable housing when developed by public vs. private means. What no one, to my knowledge, has ever asked is to take into account the huge costs of salaries, overhead, grants and other infrastructure needs...