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“Run it like a business.” It is true in a sense that localities need to be run like a business in multiple ways. Balanced budgets. Quality customer service. Good products. And a full staff to ensure everything runs smoothly. When asked, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s office replied, “The city has some business-like functions, he...
Crockett: Saving civic community in Silicon Valley
Can we have democracy without empty platitudes and hypocrisy? Two years ago I set out on an epic quest to see if such a thing was possible. The culmination of this journey arrived June 7, 2022, when I was on the ballot as a candidate for Santa Clara County assessor after running an innovative, grassroots campaign...
Bramson: You can’t make a budget in San Jose without breaking a few eggs
E pluribus unum. Out of many, one. Though most widely recognized from our currency and as the motto of the United States, this Latin expression has its roots in the writings of Virgil, a Roman poet best known for classics such as the Aeneid. This particular phrase, however, carries no such epic ties. It was...
Philbrick: Automated traffic cameras could save lives
Last September, 8-year-old Jacob Villanueva was struck and killed while walking to school. At the site of the crash at Castlemont Avenue and Driftwood Drive in San Jose, his family, neighbors and classmates created a memorial. One sign read, “Please drive slow.” The pain and anguish his family and friends feel will last a lifetime,...
Rodríguez: Community college nursing programs need to be expanded
I recently had the honor and pleasure of attending the pinning ceremony for this year’s graduating class of nursing students from Evergreen Valley College. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the pinning ceremony dates back to the 1860s when Florence Nightingale was awarded for her service during the Crimean War. The ceremony...
Staedler: San Jose bond measure needed for parks maintenance backlog
A lot of attention has been given to the allocation of Measure E funds for either long-term or short-term housing projects. My vote would be to do both, but an area of the city budget that I don’t believe gets enough attention is the parks deferred maintenance backlog. Per page 353 of the city’s 2024-2028...
Hsueh: Investing in the future of water
As a former Valley Water engineer and current board member, I have tremendous appreciation for people who build and maintain our infrastructure. Every day, Valley Water employees manage and operate our agency’s complex and integrated water supply system, including dams, reservoirs, pipelines, levees, pump stations, treatment plants and recycled water facilities. Much of this water...
Editorial: San Jose families—lock up your firearms to prevent tragedy
Over the last couple months, children in the San Jose Unified School District have been subjected to lockdowns and Code Red alarms triggered by potential danger. The source of this heightened fear is students bringing firearms to campus and making social media threats to kill classmates. Parents are terrified, and the lack of succinct and swift information from the...
Cloutier: The mental distress of our youth needs more attention
The amount of pediatric emergency department visits for mental health reasons has doubled from 2011 to 2020, increasing 8% each year. The number of suicide-related visits has increased five-fold among youth. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently released a report sounding the alarm on mental health, particularly for children, adolescents and young adults....
Collins: What you need to know about the electrification of your home
California was the first state in the nation to ban natural gas furnaces and water heaters—last September, the California Air Resources Board proposed banning the sale of all gas-fired water heaters and furnaces by 2030. This past March, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District moved up the timeline and locally banned the sale and...