Opinion

Once again, reports are coming in from nervous people about mountain lions (a.k.a. cougars, pumas and panthers) seen near their homes. Sightings of these large animals (6 to 9 feet long and weighing up to 275 pounds) are on the upswing during the dry season because the lions may need to leave remote habitats in search of prey and water. But with limited hunting grounds, the lions may follow prey—usually old or sick deer—into the suburbs.

At this time, we’re housing our children in school buildings where their own parents attended classes 30 or 40 years ago. The average age of schools in the Gilroy Unified School District is 30 years old and five schools are more than 50 years old. The District has taken great care of the schools but they need to be renovated and rebuilt.

Since Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first State of the State address six years ago, California has stopped pursuing a high-speed rail system that actually connects the Bay Area to Southern California, as was promised to voters in 2008. And in that void, politicians, pundits and...