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...
Staedler: Don’t overthink Opportunity Zones
Opportunity Zones are a hot topic in real estate development these days. I often get asked my opinion is on the program and whether it’s a safe place to put capital. Per the California Opportunity Zone Portal website, Opportunity Zones are a new tool for community development. Established in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Opportunity...
Estremera: Valley Water making progress on important projects
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...
Roberts: H is for Holiday, Hair, Health… and now Homeless
Her name is Lily. She has strawberry-red hair and pink cheeks. She is a muppet on Sesame Street. A few years ago, Lily was introduced as a child in a family struggling to put food on their table. Today, she is portrayed as a child with no home. Traditional media and social media around the...
Ahi: Living and working in the same city is harder than it seems
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...
Funk: The digital divide still haunts East San Jose students
In today’s world, it is critical that our children learn to use and master modern technology, think critically, communicate across a variety of platforms, work collaboratively and be creative with the ability to quickly adapt. In the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) we call this our Graduate Profile. Other districts may call it...
Hanleigh: Khamis’ affordable housing study is on the money
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...
Greenlee: Decision on height limits will impact SJC for decades
I am an airline transport pilot with over 37 years of military and commercial experience and I want to make sure that all stakeholders of Mineta San Jose International Airport, including airlines, local businesses, citizens of San Jose and passengers who travel through the airport are aware of upcoming decisions that will impact operations at...
Bramson: Evans Lane homeless housing is a model for others
On a Tuesday evening in January, San Jose City Council sat in chambers considering a rezoning application and planned development permit for a piece of property on Evans Lane. The site, a city-owned parcel purchased for the purpose of affordable housing over a decade ago, had sat vacant for years, with the grass growing high...
Gutiérrez: Immigrants hold the power with our vote
SIREN started the 2019 year in the immigrant and refugees rights movement with the federal government in a partial shutdown, where more than 800,000 federal workers were working without pay due to a failure between President Donald Trump and Congress to compromise over a useless and unnecessary border wall. And on January 25, after 35...