Columns

Columns

Dewan: Creating a future free of gun violence

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies guns as the leading cause of death for children. National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 2, a day set aside to raise awareness and promote positive change. Policymakers, community members, leaders and parents have taken steps to protect children from gun violence and keep...

Silver Taube: OSHA’s limits for toxic exposure cause preventable harm to Silicon Valley workers

Standards for exposure to toxic chemicals at work, known as permissible exposure limits or PELs, have long been and still are vastly and indefensibly weaker than standards for environmental exposure to these same toxics. This disparity puts not only workers, but also their offspring at risk—especially where women of child-bearing age are a sizable part...

Ritchie: The boom and bust cycles of Silicon Valley

I am honored to make my first contribution to San José Spotlight. My name is Mark Ritchie, I am the second-generation owner of regional commercial real estate brokerage firm Ritchie Commercial. We are the last privately owned regional commercial real estate service company in the Bay Area. I live and work in both San Jose...

Mallon: Public transit needs to get back to the basics

In recent years, there’s been a lot of discussion about free transit, fleet electrification, consolidating agencies, seamless fare integration, governance and regional network management. All of these things have been pushed in the name of helping riders, but what do riders really want? While opinions may vary—and geography certainly plays a role—surveys from across the...

Editorial: What will it take to revive downtown San Jose?

For decades, mayors, developers and business owners have claimed to know the secret for helping downtown San Jose come of age. Builders erected high-rise apartments, condominiums and office towers, and as the skyline changed city officials proclaimed the people would follow. The tech sector went on a tear, conferences sold out at the convention center and hotels...