Columns

Columns

Ritchie: Orchards of the mind

I got a very cordial outreach from my friends at the San Jose Office of Economic Development recently to take a look at some marketing materials they send out to the world promoting San Jose as a location for starting and expanding a business. That office is helpful to us in the commercial real estate...

Silver Taube: We must remove barriers for workers with disabilities

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for individuals with a disability was 7.6% in 2022, about twice as high as the rate for those without a disability. People with a disability were more likely to work in service occupations, production, transportation, material moving and sales than people without a disability. They...

Op-ed: San Jose leaders hide behind city policy to avoid supporting ceasefire

The gravity of the situation in Gaza and the West Bank is undeniable. Since Oct. 7, 100,000 Palestinians have been killed, reported missing or wounded as a result of Israel’s indiscriminate bombing campaign. About half of those killed are children. A ceasefire is overdue and critical to stop the indiscriminate killing of civilians and ensuring...

Philbrick: How can we stop harassment on public transit?

The train car is empty, but the man sits in the seat right beside you. When you avoid eye contact, he stares too long at you. Brushes his hand against your leg. There is nowhere to go and no one to tell, and suddenly an easy ride home feels increasingly uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. Many...

Collins: New housing laws you need to know about

With the new year comes a new set of laws in the housing space that we all need to be aware of as renters, housing providers or homeowners. Several new laws affect both renters and housing providers. Assembly Bill 12 prohibits housing providers from collecting a security deposit that is more than one month’s rent....