A bill introduced in February and currently making its way through the California Legislature would make permanent a pilot program allowing community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees. The bill would expand the program beyond the 15 schools included in the pilot to all community colleges in the state. Bipartisan Assembly Bill 927, introduced by Assemblymembers...
Staedler: Affordable housing funding for all
As Silicon Valley makes a continuous effort to build affordable housing, a new roadblock seemingly came out of nowhere. California changed its allocation scoring system for deciding who gets California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) funding allocation. It was supposed to create a more streamlined process, instead it reduced the amount the Bay Area receives....
Waite: Opportunity Housing—an unproven concept
A new phrase has entered the public vernacular: Opportunity Housing. This innocuous-sounding phrase refers to allowing, by right, the construction of multi-unit residences on properties zoned as single-family residential. It would allow property owners to skip what is today a rather lengthy process, requiring public hearings and input from concerned neighbors, when desiring to raze...
Collins: A deep dive into the San Jose condo market
What a wild ride it’s been in the San Jose condo and townhouse market. For this month’s column, I wanted to go all the way back to March 2020 when the shelter in place order was first issued and compare the market trends to today. There was much made of “urban flight” when we first...
Sandoval: As Evans Lane opens, families struggling with homelessness find hope
This past year, Americans have learned to lead very different lives in the era of COVID. While these adjustments range from annoying to upending, I recognize that, for me personally, these changes have not jeopardized my future security or happiness. Yet during my nine months at People Assisting The Homeless (PATH), I have heard the...
Mason and Tuttle: Building back better—a San Jose for all
Libraries, community centers, beautiful parks, traffic lights, safe and clean drinking water… These are some of the public services that make the foundation of a community. It’s many of these essential services that have helped us get through the COVID-19 pandemic, but now they’re at risk. We need a new approach to San Jose’s budget...
Zimmerman: Earth Day started in San Jose
Tomorrow is Earth Day, so today is a great opportunity to introduce myself and this new environmentally-focused column to the readers of the San Jose Spotlight. This column and Earth Day share the same goal (albeit on very different scales): to educate, inform, and empower change. My goal is to introduce you to the big...
Funk: Sacramento needs to lead on reopening schools
For the past week or so, Gov. Gavin Newsom has been making the rounds to school districts across California touting that two-thirds of the approximately 11,000 schools have reopened under the AB/SB 86 incentive plan. At every stop, Newsom states that he expects schools to fully reopen in the fall. That means “full, in-person instruction,...
Márquez: Thanks but no thanks to the ‘gift’ of light pollution
The “gift” of a 20-stories tall light pollution generator offered to San Jose by the Light Tower Corporation reeks of saviorism. Light Tower Corporation’s mission is to “provide a major enhancement,” be a “catalyst for Silicon Valley culture,” and bring “prestigious allure” to downtown San Jose. At this post-pandemic time, this mission and the selected...
EGD: Privacy is a human right. San Jose should treat it as such.
In my career as a cyber security professional, I have found that the interests of security and privacy can often collide. But I have also learned that that doesn’t have to be the case. For example, protecting customer data from hackers often includes monitoring employee behavior and activity for potential data theft, a precaution that...