Guest View

California enters the new year with its existential issues still unresolved, and a new one—an immense budget deficit—threatens to make dealing with them even more difficult. California has made very little progress, if any, on narrowing its shortage of housing, its levels of homelessness and...

The summer of 2020 will always be remembered as the season of the largest, most destructive wildfires in the history of California. Our Golden State lost over 4 million acres that were ravaged by more than 8,200 fires. Thirty-one lives were lost, along with...

Valley Water is committed to ensuring enough safe, clean water for families, homes, farms and businesses in Santa Clara County today and for future generations.  Our agency is updating the Water Supply Master Plan, which helps identify how to maintain a reliable, clean water supply...

When federal government and state governments passed laws governing wages, working hours and other workplace conditions prior to World War II, agricultural labor was exempted. Many years later, after the 40-hour work week became standard, California’s Industrial Welfare Commission decreed that farmworkers could work up...

I am very concerned by the Gilroy Unified School District’s decision to bar parents from the elementary campuses before and after school. This decision greatly diminishes the opportunity to build relationships within the school and is detrimental to building a positive school community. Good...

On Aug. 2, joined by my daughter, I spoke at the Santa Clara County LAFCO public hearing in support of LAFCO's staff recommendation to deny an application to expand the city limits in order to build more single-family homes.  What has Gilroy been doing over...

I rise today to adjourn in the memory of Marty Cheek—a beautiful soul, the publisher of Morgan Hill and Gilroy Life, an arts and science advocate, a man who loved his community, and his community loved him.  Marty was born in Hollister and was a...

Hello Gilroy! I hope this information entices you to attend the 2023 State of the City address on April 1. There’s a lot going on and much to be proud of. I am continually honored to follow Roberta Hughan (Gilroy Mayor 1984-1992) as the...

With 2025 in the rear-view mirror and the 2025-26 legislative work plan already established, the Gilroy City Council will dive right into items that need to be completed in 2026. Once the new city council is seated after the Nov. 3, 2026 election, a...

Gov. Gavin Newson’s announcement in the spring to radically reshape California’s mental health care was compelling for several reasons. One is personal: I have an adult son with schizophrenia, a condition that’s impacted our lives for almost 30 years and counting.  My son is 44...