Columns

Columns

Shaw: Santa Clara County needs sober shelters

This summer, I was fortunate to be chosen to be on the Unhoused Task Force, whose purpose is to formulate emergency solutions to aid with the homeless crisis Santa Clara County is facing. Improving the quality of life for individuals who are living unsheltered — those in encampments, on the street, in parks, under freeways,...

Ackemann: Caltrain finally asks for its fair share

Vote yes on Measure RR today, and I promise I’ll never ask you to #SaveCaltrain again. In the past 20 years, I’ve probably turned — hat in hand — to the public asking for help rescuing Caltrain a half dozen times in my various roles. At the heart of each request was the same ongoing...

Bramson: When ballots open doors

With the election season now crashing down upon us, it’s a good time to think about how your vote might open – or close – some doors for your fellow residents in the days ahead. Oddly, despite a housing crisis of epic proportions, a tsunami of anticipated evictions and hundreds of thousands of people seeking...

Gonzales: COVID-19 has made the digital divide a canyon for Latino students

I used to worry about the well-documented “summer learning loss” for Latino students who lost ground over the summer months between school years. With COVID-19 forcing the schools to conduct classes remotely to protect the health of students, school staff and families, they’re now relying on technology to teach and reach their students. As result,...

Staedler: A yearly tradition of California housing legislation disappointment

A yearly California tradition that we have become accustomed to over the past several years is the hysteria and disappointment of potential housing legislation. It generally ranges from a hopeful slogan to wild and unsubstantiated levels of optimism. An example of the overstated optimism is the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s CASA — the Committee to House...