“Doesn’t San Jose want to be San Francisco?” That’s the question I’ve been asked repeatedly over the last 20 years from people outside of the Bay Area. This is usually asked in a well meaning and earnest manner. Most people have little knowledge of the area and think of San Francisco as the shining example...
Breland and Lease: SJECCD to explore employee housing
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...
Perry: No justice, no peace! A response to ALF Silicon Valley
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...
Roberts: Solving housing with a new kind of company town?
The king of chocolate, Milton Hershey and his famous chocolate company, tried to build one, as did the founders of Pullman railroad sleeping cars and Steinway pianos. All these visionaries and very successful entrepreneurs not only created world-renowned companies, they also tried to create utopian villages for their employees. We call them “company towns.” Some...
Ellenberg: Why Californians should embrace eliminating the electoral college
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...
Funk: Why Social Emotional Learning is needed in schools
In my twenty-nine years in education, there is one steadfast factor that has never changed, but is more apparent than ever: All social issues impact educators. Teaching is a profoundly enriching profession. The fact that parents entrust the school system to educate, protect, embrace, love, support and prepare their child for life in a democratic,...
St. John-Crane: Restoring civil discourse in a time of division
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...
Crockett: Rename Burnett Middle School after Major Pico
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...
Bramson: Ending homelessness isn’t an overnight fix
A crisis demands immediate action, but lasting change takes time. In some ways, this sentiment has managed to become the main battleground in the question of how to address the issue of modern homelessness in our communities. With roughly 114,000 people homeless in California – and about 70 percent of that population unsheltered – the...
Fearer: Car culture has created a Silicon Valley public health crisis
Let’s get one thing clear from the start: I don’t hate cars, and I’m not a soldier in the supposed “war on cars.” Yes, I support building wider sidewalks and protected bike lanes, even if it takes space away from cars. Yes, I’m a proponent of public transportation and believe that in the long run...