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With the recent passing of SB 9 and SB 10, along with continuing talks of Opportunity Housing, the fate of San Jose’s 14 conservation districts hangs in a delicate balance between protection and potential demolition. As housing becomes increasingly unaffordable throughout San Jose, the passing of bills like SB 10 may look like an end...
Shaw: South Bay homeless shelter ignores COVID mask mandates
The best ways to protect people from contracting COVID is through vaccination and mask wearing. Getting vaccinated is your personal choice and no one can make you get it, but not getting vaccinated will severely affect your life if you plan to work and live around other people. However, wearing a mask is something that...
Roemer: VTA is bungling 2016 Measure B highway funding
On Dec. 2, the VTA Board of Directors will decide how to distribute $150-200 million dollars of Measure B highway funding in the next few years. When the process started in the summer of this year, there was hope VTA would manage this process professionally and with an eye not just on congestion management, but...
Zimmerman: Taking action after a useless U.N. climate conference
It is a surprise to no one—or no one familiar with climate diplomacy—that the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) has failed to produce a significant agreement on addressing the climate crisis. As it stands, mankind will not limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In the unlikely event that countries stick to all the agreements...
Op-ed: New VMC psychiatric facility is a must for those in crisis
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to support a new behavioral health building in October 2018, on the grounds of Valley Medical Center. In addition to 77 beds, a new emergency psychiatric services center will replace the current site, which is among the busiest in the nation and provides the only secure...
Op-ed: It’s time to finally protect Coyote Valley
Coyote Valley, at the southern end of San Jose, is an open space area marked for development since the 1960s. Only in recent years have we as a city come to realize, not only that sprawling into our open space is a bad idea both from a business and an environmental perspective, but also that...
Dewan: The importance of childhood COVID-19 vaccinations
With the 2021-2022 school year well underway, it is wonderful to see students across Santa Clara County learning in-person on school campuses. Providing a safe school environment for all students and employees continues to be a top priority. The COVID-19 vaccination is one of the most effective strategies to reduce the spread of the virus...
Kalra: San Jose City Council should protect Coyote Valley
On Oct. 27, the San Jose Planning Commission struck down recommendations from city staff and the San Jose General Plan Task Force to protect Coyote Valley from future development. I cannot express how disappointing this vote was for me. I have long advocated for the conservation of Coyote Valley, before my time in the State...
Op-ed: An open letter to San Jose State University on unhoused students
The Silicon Valley Faith Leaders Collaborative, a collective of clergy representing multiple faith communities, urges the administration of San Jose State University to keep the promises they have made to address the collegiate homelessness problem. An education is one of the best ways to end the cycle of poverty, for an individual with a college...
Vargas: Public employees, private speech
The First Amendment guarantees the right of “free speech” to every American, however, that promise is often more secure for some than others. In Citizens United v. FEC, the Supreme Court (in)famously held that a corporation could not be singled out as a “disfavored speaker,” but in the same opinion, the court expressly approved a...