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Commenting on game theory op-eds
The Game We’re All Losing
Ah, game theory in urban planning—a concept so elusive and mysterious that it might as well come with a decoder ring and a secret handshake. Mr. Suzuki’s editorial raises a valid point: if you’re going to criticize something, you should...
Here’s how we can improve mental health and substance abuse services
The Community Health and Senior Services Commission (CHSSC) recently reported to the Town Council, detailing deficiencies in the delivery of mental health and substance abuse services in Los Gatos. CHSSC’s possible next step, subject to council approval, will be to develop a roadmap to...
Doug Brent: Self-driving ‘hype’ becoming reality
Back in 2015, Elon Musk made this pronouncement about the future of self-driving cars, “We’re going to end up with complete autonomy, and I think we’ll have complete autonomy in about two years.” At that time, I was a technology leader at Trimble, a...
LETTERS: Did Blum’s column fill a pothole?; readers decry discontinuation of Dinah’s Event Log
Did Blum’s comedic Los Gatan article fill a pothole?
My recent Los Gatan piece, a brief foray into levity after a series of my more usual serious columns, featured a few lines about the “Grand Canyon-sized pothole” on the Highway 17 north on-ramp.
I even mused,...
Letter: Resident not happy about ‘NO KINGS’ graffiti
On Saturday, vandals participating in the “No Kings” protests graffitied the Loma Brewing alleyway.
As a community, we shouldn’t stand for our town to be treated this way by outsiders. I value the beauty and safety of this town, and will do everything I can...
Help us craft a community center that rocks
Ever feel like Los Gatos is missing a certain...spark? Do you observe, as I and many others have, that our town revolves around adorable boutiques, great restaurants, and cozy coffee houses but lacks a central hub for community gatherings and connections? Fret no more....
Red tape and senior services
The Community Health and Senior Services Commission (CHSSC) has spent years building programs and resources to help residents thrive. As someone who serves on the commission, I’ve witnessed the positive impact of this work. Yet this year, new rules have made progress harder to...
Banks of Lexington Reservoir scoured by volunteers on National River Cleanup Day
As avid rowers of the Los Gatos Rowing Club, we frequently encounter trash floating in the Lexington Reservoir during our practices. The scope of this problem is alarming. Every year, the San Francisco Bay is overwhelmed by a staggering 7 trillion pieces of microplastics,...
The paradox of progress
News cycles spin with relentless negativity, bombarding us with stories of conflict, division and environmental woes. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the volume of problems the world faces. Sometimes, the most tempting response is to bury our heads in the sand, hoping the...
Community, not theory, should be at the heart of Town’s planning
Urban planning thrives on informed decision-making. However, the increasing influence of game theory—a branch of mathematics that studies strategic interactions—can be a recipe for disaster in the messy world of governance. While game theory offers insights in some areas, relying largely on its models...
