Opinion

The California Supreme Court last week put a sock in the argument that it’s OK for elected officials and government employees to keep citizens out of the loop by using private email and texting accounts to conduct the public’s business.

Over the past decades, illegal immigration has been a political talking point, but just that. Little has been done one way or the other to address what one side sees as an economic crisis and the other as keeping the promise of the Statue of Liberty, to protect the tired and poor and let them share the American dream.

With all the money that’s spent in our county on flood prevention and control, it’s reasonable to expect that there would be some good plans to prevent a Katrina-style urban flood. Judging by what occurred to residents in neighborhoods to the north—in a modern city of a million people—it’s safe to conclude that local communities are not well prepared for large-scale natural disasters.

Water and life down the drain

I finally made it to Coyote Reservoir this past October, completing the circuit of Santa Clara County’s major water storage facilities. It’s a circuit I began many years ago.

Six years ago, my wife and I decided to move to Gilroy from Morgan Hill, to raise our family.  Gilroy attracted our young family because of its small town charm, open spaces, the strong park and recreation program, and most importantly, a great public school system for our children.

This past Saturday I had the privilege to march alongside 25,000 women and men in San Jose. Since then, people have asked—why did I go, what did I expect, what actually happened, and was it worthwhile?

There she was—my tiny kid—face to face with a bird of prey. She was over the moon happy about it too—she’s crazy about raptors. So I knew I had made the right choice when faced with planning with her January birthday.

Gavilan College is a gem for Gilroy and the surrounding counties and after hearing a report from new President Kathleen Rose we are encouraged with the way the school is growing in new courses, new buildings and a strong spirit of social justice.