Bay Area civil rights hero Clarence B. Jones died last month at 95 in an assisted living facility in Cupertino. Most coverage rightly focused on how he helped draft Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. But reducing Jones to that single moment misses what his life represented. Yes, he was a witness...
Collins: Presentation is essential in today’s housing market
The little things can make a big difference. This year’s housing market has been a mixed bag. Some weeks’ sales are red hot, and others are ice cold. Even with all the challenges our market has had this year, it is remarkably resilient compared to other parts of the country. We are truly fortunate in...
Khamis: Bay Area air district’s gas appliance ban is wrong
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is charging ahead with a natural gas appliance ban that is as impractical as it is punitive. Despite legitimate concerns over implementation, costs and confusing exemptions, the board’s recent meeting on May 13 proved that the voices of 7.7 million residents are falling on deaf ears. This looming...
May: The dangerous reality behind San Jose’s ‘safest big city’ narrative
San Jose residents were promised stronger public safety. Instead, they are being asked to accept fewer firefighters, fewer emergency resources and longer response times during emergencies. Today, San Jose has only about 650 sworn firefighters protecting nearly 1 million residents — far below national standards for a major city. According to the San Jose Fire...
Duong: Improving health while reducing costs in a federal funding desert
Community health in Santa Clara County is facing its gravest challenge since the depths of the COVID pandemic. The full scale of the devastating cuts in federal health care spending contained in H.R. 1 will be felt this year in Santa Clara County and throughout the nation, and for several years after. That is why...
Estremera: Investing in the future of water
From the water we drink to the flood protection projects in our neighborhoods, infrastructure quietly supports our daily lives. In Santa Clara County, many of our water systems are nearly 50 to 60 years old, making this a critical time to modernize and strengthen them. As we take time to acknowledge the upcoming National Public...
Bramson: Preventing homelessness is more effective than criminalizing it
This year, two bills moving through the state reveal the competing visions shaping California’s response to one of its greatest humanitarian failures. One asks how we stop people from losing housing in the first place. The other focuses on managing the consequences after people have already fallen into crisis. Assembly Bill 1924 would require California...
Mallon: Best way to honor Santa Clara County transit icon — keep building
For generations, the late Rod Dirdon has been synonymous with transit in Santa Clara County. He’s had a greater impact on transit in the area than anyone else and has touched so many of us. I first met Rod in 2019, when I was just starting to get involved in transit advocacy. I met him...
Rosen: Santa Clara County’s invisible police squad saves lives
Santa Clara County is one of the safest counties in the United States, served with dedication by a dozen traditional law enforcement agencies. We know them well. San Jose Police Department with its 100% homicide clearance rate. The heroic Gilroy police officers who took on the mass shooter at the Garlic Festival. The Sunnyvale ‘Badass...
Norwood: Santa Clara County school board trustees get no respect
Experienced and effective school board members don’t get the respect they’ve earned. The problems they govern don’t even bother to introduce themselves, they just show up on the agenda, the grocery store, nail salon or during public comment. Folks pushing school board term limits do so like it’s the miracle cure for everything wrong in...