The second Tuesday in November has all the makings of becoming one of the most significant midterm elections in San Jose history. Still, that history making moment could be a washout if voter participation is low. We won’t know how San Jose fares until the final results, but surprises can happen when voter engagement is...
Khamis: Can we elevate our campaigns?
Now that the dust has settled on the primary election, I would like to implore all interested parties to elevate our campaigns and practice tolerance for immigrants in their campaign mailers. Frankly, I am still unsettled by labor hit mailers the Mercury News called shameful and unwarranted. While many think I need thicker skin and...
Gianocaro: Respect, protect and pay education workers
The Santa Clara County Office of Education laid off over 60 special education paraeducators, a position primarily held by women, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Management’s decision leaves classrooms short-staffed nearly a year and a half after we returned to in-person instruction. Students—deprived of employees desperately needed to conduct instruction—yell, punch, kick and bite their peers or...
Collins: Where do San Jose mayoral candidates stand on housing and homelessness?
Last December, I surveyed all San Jose mayoral candidates and asked, “As the future mayor of San Jose, what would be your plan to reduce homelessness on our streets?” With the primaries behind us and the November election just a few months away, I revisited the responses of frontrunners Cindy Chavez and Matt Mahan and...
Robinson: Mayor Sam Liccardo and Matt Mahan—the odd couple
Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez has picked up the endorsements of two former mayoral candidates, San Jose Councilmembers Dev Davis and Raul Peralez, in her run for mayor. In fact, the majority of the San Jose City Council and those elected in June are endorsing Chavez. But Mayor Sam Liccardo, after pouring money into...
Sandoval: Homes end homelessness and it takes a village to build them
The underlying causes of homelessness are complex, but they can be narrowed down to structural inequities and, ultimately, the lack of housing. We see trends of homelessness increasing when the cost of housing increases. Despite a lot of progress being made in the homelessness and housing sectors, we are still seeing more people fall into...
Zimmerman: What’s in a name? Methane vs. ‘natural’ gas
I remember back in the early 90s my father replaced our electric stove with a gas version. It was a big investment for our family, and I remember being proud when my father explained we were doing it because natural gas was better for the environment. At the time, my grasp of environmentalism meant turning...
Dewan: California launches the CalKIDS higher education savings program
The typical college costs including tuition, fees, room and board, transportation and supplies have increased over time. A recent report found the average cost of an undergraduate degree increased 169% between 1980 and 2020. Securing the necessary resources to pay for college and career training programs for children is a barrier for many families. It is...
Op-ed: Behavioral health model thrives with integrated services
Our country has a long history of fragmented health care. People with more than one medical condition often have to get care in different places, with providers who use different recordkeeping systems and who don’t always talk to each other to coordinate care. In California, this has been especially true within the behavioral health care...
Ramirez: Men need to talk about abortion
Men, let’s talk about abortion. For some of us, this may be a difficult and uncomfortable subject, but we do not have the luxury to remain silent. The Supreme Court’s cruel decision to overturn Roe v. Wade affects every woman, girl and person capable of becoming pregnant in this country. Millions will suffer medical and...