Former Santa Cruz mayor Chris Krohn argues that New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s insurgent progressive victory offers a blueprint for a new generation of political change in Santa Cruz. He urges voters to seize a “Mamdani moment” and build a movement proving that Santa Cruz is not for sale.
Opinion from Community Voices
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Community Bridges: Our commitment to our employees, mission and community
OPINION: Community Bridges CEO Ray Cancino reaffirms the agency’s commitment to supporting both its employees and the communities it serves and laments that workers who published a Lookout op-ed earlier this week feel unheard.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Gov. Newsom is a bully – let’s not celebrate his tactics
In a letter to the editor, a Santa Cruz resident writes that California Gov. Gavin Newsom, held up as an example of how to deal with bullies, is a bully himself.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Let’s learn from Gavin Newsom – it’s time to find your power and stand up to bullies
Santa Cruz therapist Lisa Herendeen believes we can all learn from the social media jabs Gavin Newsom is hurling at Donald Trump as a lesson in reclaiming power from a bully. She connects the current political dynamic to her work helping clients recognize their own power in difficult situations.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Why are Housing Matters’ vital day services for unhoused people being closed?
OPINION: Housing Matters — Santa Cruz County’s largest homelessness nonprofit — plans in March to shut down its Coral Street day services, including public showers, bathrooms and a mailroom. The closure comes with no clear transition plan, writes Marsa Greenspan, a former Housing Matters employee.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Community Bridges offers a lifeline, but workers are not being treated fairly or with dignity
OPINION: Community Bridges, Santa Cruz County’s largest nonprofit, doesn’t value or treat its front-line workers with dignity, write Community Bridges employees Lidia Montesino and Mercy Gonzales. A nonprofit built on equity shouldn’t mirror the inequities it claims to fight, they say.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz looks like paradise but we’re the most distressed county in the Bay Area – I blame housing
OPINION: Public health data show that Santa Cruz County leads the Bay Area in rates of serious psychological distress and need for mental health or substance-use services. Mental health advocate Kevin Norton believes the real culprit isn’t our lifestyle — it’s our housing costs.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Pajaro Valley teachers union is invoking scare tactics
In a letter to the editor, an Aptos resident criticizes the Pajaro Valley Unified School District teachers union for its stance on changes to the district’s policy on teaching controversial topics.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Mike Rotkin’s memorial sign keeps his memory alive
In a letter to the editor, a Santa Cruz resident lauds efforts to commemorate former mayor and longtime public servant Mike Rotkin.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz County’s land access problem has a simple fix: Just let bikers, hikers and runners in
OPINION: Santa Cruz County is overflowing with gorgeous open space — but too much of it is off-limits, writes San Lorenzo Valley resident Mickey Rush. With outdoor recreation booming, it’s time to open existing roads and let mountain bikers, hikers and runners enjoy them.