In the midst of an unprecedented budget crisis which has caused devastating cuts in healthcare, housing, education and employment needs, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is considering investing billions of public dollars into the worst possible response to a community in need — incarceration. The proposal from the County Executive’s Office to be...
Op-ed: Public transit is a public health solution
For anyone navigating Silicon Valley, traffic can seem like just a backdrop to daily life. It’s easy to accept long lines of cars on Highway 101 during rush hours, idling buses at crowded stops and students waiting beside busy intersections as part of the price we pay for living here. But that normalization masks a...
Herman: A layoff shouldn’t uproot a Silicon Valley family
For a Silicon Valley worker on an H-1B visa, losing a job can threaten far more than a paycheck. It can place a family’s ability to remain in the United States at risk, even when that family has spent years building a life here. That is why a newly proposed federal rule deserves the Bay...
Aguilar: Flock asks agencies to own the narrative, San Jose should own the analysis
Eric Nelson’s concern for Willow Glen merchants is legitimate. Broken glass, repeated theft and fear deserve a serious response. But his proposed solution does not fit his opening example. A person riding a bicycle and throwing rocks through storefronts would not ordinarily be identified by automated license plate readers. At least, that is what communities...
Bramson: What Hollywood can teach us about California’s housing crisis
Summer blockbusters are built around a pretty straightforward idea: spend a lot of money to make something people will pay to see. Movies like “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” involve enormous investments because studios believe there is an audience large enough to generate an even larger return. When that calculation works,...
Editorial: San Jose tried to sneak more money out of locals and got caught
When San Jose approved its $5.5 billion budget for this fiscal year, one department digging around for revenue streams tried to pull a fast one on downtown businesses and residents by doubling the hourly rate for parking meters. It almost worked because the item was buried on the City Council’s consent calendar in a pile with...
Philbrick: What is the value of investing in transit?
When you’re swerving around a pothole, waiting for a late bus or walking across a busy intersection, you’re seeing transportation funding in action whether you realize it or not. But California’s challenge isn’t simply finding enough money to maintain the roads, bridges and transit systems we rely on — it’s earning the public’s trust that...
Nelson: License plate readers are another tool for a safer, more vibrant Willow Glen
Last August, someone rode a bicycle down Lincoln Avenue and threw rocks through six shop windows and doors, mine included. It cost me $750 to replace the glass. The person responsible was never caught. Since June, downtown Willow Glen has logged roughly 30 reports of vandalism and theft, and while most haven’t resulted in major...
Op-ed: How can we trust a City Council that won’t explain its votes?
We recently ran an experiment to see whether our City Council would respond to questions from the public and explain its decisions. The result should concern anyone who cares about accountability in San Jose as they consider their choices in the upcoming election. Our group, No Digital Billboards in San Jose, is a coalition of...
Collins: Take steps to protect your home from wildfires
In California, the threat of wildfire is a constant reality. Yet most homes lost in wildfires are not destroyed by the advancing wall of flames. Instead, they are ignited by wind-driven embers that can travel miles ahead of the fire front. These fiery particles seek out the smallest vulnerabilities, lodging in gutters, slipping through attic...