I drive to work each day traveling through immense wealth, my work place being in the middle of one of the wealthiest zip codes in the nation. I work at a place of tranquility and beauty, a place with a water fall, koi pond, Zen Garden, a place that has a view of Silicon Valley.
When I visit my nephew I travel to the other end of Silicon Valley, a place where poverty is king and tranquility is hard to find. Asphalt, box stores, and little else to satisfy the soul.
And there, next to my nephew, are those in this valley of hearts delight who have set up an encampment as the economy, the wealth in this valley, has passed them by and left them with no choice but to live next to a stream.
The Nations largest homeless encampment is here, a place where my husband grew up, he and his friends used to play in the stream, their neighborhood made up do working class people who were not rich but they could afford shelter, food and a few extras every so often. Why, in one of the richest places on earth can we not help people? Why?
And Silicon Valley is filled with democrats, we hold a majority of all offices here, local, state and federal. And still we see this suffering, we see the current mayor of San Jose ignoring the problem.
In November San Jose will elect a new mayor, both candidates are democrats, but only one has the heart, the compassion and desire to see the homeless.
The legacy of our current mayor is this homeless encampment, the voters of San Jose can elect a good man and change this legacy by electing Dave Cortese.
Yes, I am upset, I am furious and I pray that change will come to San Jose. I know change, in the right direction, can happen, and I am going to do everything I can to make sure the right change happens.