Guest View

You may hear there was a lot of conflict at the Sept. 20 City Council meeting, but I suggest a different perspective. The focus was on a time capsule, part of the Covid-postponed celebration of Gilroy’s 150th anniversary as an incorporated city. The committee that...

When small businesses are protected in the State of California from unjust attacks, so too is the California economy. For decades, small business owners have been embroiled in litanies of legal battles that forces them to stare down the prospect of financial ruin. Why?...

For years, I have been railing against the so-called jobs/housing imbalance, believing that the underlying construction of the logic that forms this seemingly simple premise is fundamentally flawed. While there are several flaws in the jobs/housing imbalance premise, this discussion will be limited to...

Recently, I was gazing out the window of our VRBO, two tall flights above the narrow, cobblestone path below. Florence’s early-morning street view was certainly a lot quieter than our previous one in Rome! Off to the right, I spied two colorful bicycle wheels...

City council meetings are the heart of local government. They are officially noticed by the City with a published agenda to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be aware of what’s being discussed and to witness live or recorded meetings and/or participate as...

Recently, the attorney general’s office completed paperwork for an initiative that, if qualified for the 2024 ballot and approved by voters, would require California’s nearly 6 million public school students to take a course in personal finance. The proposal, by an organization called Californians for...

At a recent city function, a guest speaker said Anderson Dam was built in 18 months but the retrofit would take 8-10 years. It was his next comment that resonated with me: “That’s just the way it is.” I sat there thinking, nothing is...

It has been just over two years since Valley Water broke ground at Anderson Dam with the promise to protect the public and secure Santa Clara County’s water supply. Since then, our agency has made tremendous progress on this vital public safety and water...

Hello Gilroy! What a rewarding experience these last seven years have been. Since elected in 2018, then again in 2020, I have been dedicated to improving Gilroy’s financial stability and building a foundation from which our city services and necessary infrastructure can excel.  Whether deteriorating...

Two weeks ago, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced that they would not be moving forward with the traditional large-scale Garlic Festival event for the foreseeable future. The news was met by all of us with sadness, disappointment and even anger. This event, a...