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Every day we have the privilege of serving our region’s children, families and communities, whether they are in our schools, seeking care in our community health clinics, learning in public libraries or marching for civil rights. And it is based on our dedication to serving our community that we urge you to join us in...
Vargas: The last giant of the Supreme Court
Of the 102 men and women to sit on the United States Supreme Court, only a few can truly be called giants of that most venerated body. Those who stand above the others are recognized not only for their towering intellect, but also for prophetic visions of social and political change. Among the greatest of...
Funk: Career technical education should be a requirement
In East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD), we are committed to building capacity amongst all staff members to ensure equity and inclusion are essential principles of our school system. Specifically, we are building capacity to attain equitable ESUHSD communities where: All students are welcomed as they are; Strengths and areas of growth for all...
Garst: Time has come for California’s biggest corporations to pay their fair share in taxes
Chief Justice John Roberts, in the now infamous Citizens United v FEC, asserted corporations are people. Many have made clear and convincing arguments for why Roberts got it wrong. Perhaps one of the more persuasive if less frequented arguments against the idea is that many corporations— including some of the largest, such as Amazon, Netflix and...
Ganesh: Making the case for high-density suburbs
California is burning. California is choking. And it’s largely due to climate change. The human consequences of this catastrophe could not be more acute as roughly one in four Californians live in fire-risk zones. This, coupled with the fact that 40% of the state’s emissions come from transportation, can only lead us to one conclusion: It’s time...
Betts: Art and commentary from life on the street
Through my art, I hope to make people aware of the extreme inequality in our region and their inability to put themselves in the shoes of struggling people. Our society is very judgmental and cruel to poor people. Upper-class people are so dismissive of poor and uneducated people. When they want to help, they often...
Bramson: The failed state of the status quo
Make no bones about it: 2020 has been rough. From the horrible spread of coronavirus to wildfires blackening the sky and scorching the earth, we have all felt the impacts of this year in some tragic and personal way. If you woke up tomorrow to a meteor crashing, a plague of locusts swarming above or...
Irving: Caregiving in the age of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County
At the beginning of the shelter-in-place orders, I saw an acquaintance post online about how they’ve found themselves suddenly navigating caregiving for an elderly neighbor. They began to calendar in grocery store runs, picking up medications and making daily calls to check in on their neighbor’s physical and mental well-being. As the tasks mounted and...
Vargas: The politics and policing of gay sexuality
Alex Morse was just 22 when he was elected the first gay mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts. Last year, Morse decided to run for Congress against the moderate Democrat Richard Neal in the 1st District. Morse was a serious contender for the seat, until the UM Amherst chapter of the College Democrats, possibly in coordination with...
Robertson: Saratoga’s proposed Palm Villas project misses the mark
As a former Saratoga Planning Commissioner and a building design professional involved in construction for more than 35 years, I feel strongly the proposed Palm Villas project in Saratoga does not meet code and zoning requirements and does not pass the litmus test of being a well-conceived and thoughtful property development. Candidly, I am surprised,...