We love San Jose. We also recognize and clearly see that San Jose is one of the many communities connected to America’s struggle with equality and justice. As so much of America seeks to heal and reckon with this, we have a chance to address that here in San Jose. The Reid-Hillview Airport is our...
Gurin: In support of SB 9
Housing policy is back on the political agenda this year. After two years of inaction, the state Legislature has taken up a slew of housing bills. Among the best known is Senate Bill 9. This important, though limited and incremental bill has unfortunately been subjected to a coordinated smear campaign. I urge Santa Clara County residents...
Op-ed: An open letter to the San Jose Unified School District
Dear middle school principals, high school principals and the superintendent of the San Jose Unified School District: We are writing to you on behalf of the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, the W. Haywood Burns Institute and the San Jose Unified Equity Coalition to invite you to build upon the courageous vote recently taken by the...
Vargas: The misguided movement to categorize queer people
In 2021, the newest fad in mainstream queer politics was the raising of the “progress” rainbow flag, which incorporates black and brown lines for people of color and pink, light blue and white lines for transgender people. San Francisco had a bit of a harder time with this change, being the birthplace of the original...
Poeschel: Correcting South Bay YIMBY
Recently, advocates for South Bay YIMBY wrote an op-ed titled, “Correcting Councilmember Matt Mahan” without correcting any errors in his statements. About citywide upzoning of single-family housing, they wrote, “There have been countless arguments levied against the idea: the city’s tree canopy is at risk; local control is under attack; urban villages need to be...
Op-ed: Correcting Councilmember Mahan
Recently, San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan posted an article where he stated his opposition to “Opportunity Housing,” a plan to legalize fourplexes throughout the city. We feel that Mahan’s argument against the plan is misguided, and we urge him and other councilmembers to reconsider their opposition. Since summer 2020, when San Jose’s General Plan Task...
Bramson: The legality of sleep
The term “draconian” – a word showing up more and more in popular culture these days – actually has its roots in ancient Greece. Coming from a set of punitive laws with severe punishments created by an Athenian legislator named Draco, draconian has become associated over the centuries with measures that seem cruel or harsh....
Philbrick: Keeping train tracks separate keeps people safe
Last year, 1,889 highway-rail grade crossing collisions occurred in the United States. In California, 40 individuals lost their lives in these collisions, and 55 more were injured. And while rail collisions are declining—there were more than 3,500 collisions in 2010 for comparison—there are still nearly 2,000 preventable deaths occurring each year. Public awareness campaigns and...
Breland: Preparing a strong workforce
Economic insecurity is a major burden for millions of Californians, including hundreds of thousands in our own community. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, more than one-third of state residents live in or near poverty. In fact, as a nation, when it comes to social mobility, the United States is stuck in first...
Staedler: We must stand up against blighted properties
The H.G. Wade Warehouse caught fire in the Alviso district of San Jose on June 25. This made me think about another structure that is vulnerable to fire, the historic Church of Christ Scientist building. It’s located just north of St. James Park and looks like a background building in a dystopian movie. Calling it...