Letters

In my previous letters, I documented the public’s concern regarding mountain lion activity. Since then, on Feb. 12 the California Department of Fish and Wildlife voted in favor of listing mountain lions as an endangered species.  This gives mountain lions the highest protection level. Critically...

Public trust in our schools matters. So do facts. Chris Robell’s Feb. 27 letter, “MHUSD needs transparency, fiscal discipline and public engagement,” relies on insinuation and selective framing rather than evidence of wrongdoing by the Morgan Hill Unified School District. Debate is healthy. But...

I am writing to note a meaningful moment of transition at Gavilan College. As the campus prepares for major construction, one of its longstanding landmarks—the library—is scheduled to be demolished, closing a chapter that has served generations of students and community members as a...

Public schools are among the most important institutions in any community. They shape the future workforce, connect neighborhoods and represent one of the largest recipients of local tax dollars. For these reasons, the governance and financial stewardship of Morgan Hill Unified School District (MHUSD)...

The separation of church and state is not an abstract ideal or a modern invention—it is a foundational safeguard embedded in the fabric of American democracy. Its purpose is not to diminish faith, but to protect both religious freedom and civic equality. The Founders, many...

The California Fish and Game Commission will make their final decision to list mountain lions as a threatened species in the Santa Cruz mountains on Feb. 11-12. If approved, it will deploy a recovery plan to increase mountain lion populations that have already reached...

In an effort to address California’s housing crisis, the State Legislature passed laws like Senate Bill 35 (SB 35), which streamline approval for high-density housing developments. While the intent may be noble, reducing costs and increasing affordability, the reality on the ground is far...

The past few weeks have been among the darkest in modern Iranian history—for Iranians inside the country and throughout the diaspora. The pain is profound, relentless and almost impossible to put into words.  An entire nation is in mourning, suspended between grief and fragile hope...

Morgan Hill’s budget deficit must be addressed, but that shouldn’t result in any significantly reduced services.  Due to a widespread aversion among residents to any increase in tax levels, sometimes rightly so, we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. There is a...

Morgan Hill’s budget challenge is real, but it is not unusual—and it is not unsolvable. The familiar responses are to cut services or raise taxes.  While both remain options, there is a third path that deserves careful, open-minded consideration: selective service consolidation, particularly with the...