"An Honorable Profession" is a podcast and YouTube channel that introduces listeners and viewers to public officials including mayors, school-board members, and former secretaries of transportation.
When we started building California Local five-ish years ago, we were alert to the fact that a lot of Americans, including many Californians, had grown cynical about politics—in particular, about politicians. We understood that this cynicism was somewhat justified, but felt it was also largely based on a lack of knowledge or understanding about what really takes place in the halls and chambers of government.
Speaking for myself: Having covered local elected officials for years, I had long ago learned that most of them, regardless of their political affiliations, were decent people trying to do what they believed was the right thing. While it has been my job to hold these people accountable, and while I may or may not have agreed with their policy agendas or politics, the fact that I was professionally bound to give them a fair hearing caused me to develop a pretty deep level of respect for almost every one of them.
Ryan Coonerty, former mayor of Santa Cruz and former county supervisor, is on a mission to spread the news that the people we refer to here as “public servants” are worthy of that kind of respect. Since 2018, he has hosted a podcast called “An Honorable Profession,” where he interviews electeds from all over the country. (He took the name from something once said by Robert F. Kennedy.) (Senior. ;-)
Chris Neklason turned the tables on Coonerty a couple of years ago in an interview that does a first-rate job of explaining what it means to be an elected official. You’ll find that Q&A attached to the story below.
And this week, we return to Ryan and his podcast to tell a story about another Santa Cruz elected official whom we believe you should meet.
The Los Altos City Council approved $2.3 million towards development of a combined downtown park and underground parking. Read on for details.
(02/18/2025) Los Altos Town Crier
More than 100 homes could displace a longstanding, landmark hotel in Los Gatos. The Los Gatos Planning Commission unanimously recommended a proposed 155-townhome development Wednesday that would replace the Los Gatos Lodge.
(02/17/2025) Local News Matters
Three prominent Cupertino government buildings are set to switch to green energy as the city warms up to the idea of solar power.
(02/16/2025) Local News Matters
Read on to learn more about Irene Smith, pro tem judge, entrepreneur, and former IBM employee now candidate for the open San Jose City Council District 3 seat.
(02/15/2025) The Mercury News
Sunnyvale residents have been waiting for the city to implement its grand plan for a bicycle safety network, but a lack of action has led to mounting frustration.
(02/15/2025) Local News Matters
Read on to learn more about the recently released Palo Alto Palo Alto Unified School District Ethnic Studies curriculum and its goal to fill gaps in the teaching of history.
(02/14/2025) Palo Alto Online
Read on to learn more about the South Bay School of Music Arts in Milpitas, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
(02/13/2025) Milpitas Beat
Read on to learn more about planned zoning changes in Mountain View to advance housing growth goals, and the concerns about possible adverse effects on small businesses.
(02/12/2025) Mountain View Voice
The Palo Alto City Council appointed three new commissioners to the influential Planning and Transportation Commission. Read on to learn more about the new commissioners.
(02/12/2025) Palo Alto Online
The Palo Alto City Council is considering the expansion of the Geng Road "safe parking" site for folks living in RVs. Read on to learn more.
(02/11/2025) Palo Alto Online
On February 11, San Jose Museum of Art Executive Director S. Sayre Batton announced her departure scheduled for May. Read on for a look back at her tenure, and next steps going forward.
(02/11/2025) The Mercury News
Learn more about approval of the planned development of an 8,265-square-foot courtyard project at the Los Altos main library, and why some community members object to the design and concerned about the impact of an adjacent orchard.
(02/11/2025) Los Altos Town Crier
In their February 10 meeting, the Palo Alto City Council unanimously approved a teacher housing development on El Camino Real. Read on for more information about the project and why its so controversial.
(02/10/2025) Palo Alto Online
In the days and weeks following the January Los Angeles County wildfires, Gov. Gavin Newsom and his office moved quickly to manage the response and begin recovery efforts after the blazes were contained. Since then, the governor has been singularly focused on the region, describing his approach as “an extended period of engagement” with L.A. during a press conference in Altadena last week.
(02/18/2025) CalMatters
California has known for years that it must pay extra attention to people with disabilities and limited mobility during natural disasters. Will it put the lessones of the L.A. fires to use for the next emergency?
(02/18/2025) CalMatters
California schools are grappling with the U.S. Department of Education's letter requiring them to scrap their DEI programs.
(02/18/2025) EdSource
Against the recommendation of his staff experts, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara denied a request from State Farm to green light “emergency” rate increases for insurance policy holders.
(02/17/2025) CalMatters
A spate of new bills in California and other states would protect consumers from electricity rate hikes that subsidize data centers.
(02/17/2025) CalMatters
AS HOST TO the largest battery storage facility in the world, on a site that just had its fourth fire in four years, the people of Monterey County have grown to realize that Moss Landing is a learning laboratory for California’s green energy transition.
(02/15/2025) Local News Matters
The audit by the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission followed CalMatters’ revelations that a law requiring trip organizers to annually disclose their major donors had been used only twice in seven years — even as interest groups continued paying millions for lawmakers’ travel.
(02/14/2025) CalMatters
In the wake of the Los Angeles fires, State Farm asked for an “emergency” premium increase of 22% on average for California homeowners. Lara today denied the request pending more information.
(02/14/2025) CalMatters
Despite Trump’s plans, federal funding is a small part of California’s education budget and the state oversees curriculum.
(02/13/2025) CalMatters
Californians rejected the anti-slavery ballot measure Proposition 6, which would have forbid forced prison labor. Reparations advocates want to try again in 2026.
(02/12/2025) CalMatters
After a 2022 CalMatters series documenting long waits and low payouts for workers who claim their employers have shorted them on wages, California lawmakers have now proposed bills to try to ease the backlogs.
(02/12/2025) CalMatters
As academic researchers continue to explore what happened to public education during and after the COVID19 pandemic, they are confirming the harsh reality of decline in such basic skills as reading and mathematics.
(02/12/2025) CalMatters
A California appeals court rules a baker can’t refuse to sell a generic cake to a lesbian couple. It’s part of a series of cases shaping the debate over free speech and anti-discrimination laws.
(02/12/2025) CalMatters
Outreach workers in the Bay Area city of Fremont worry the new ordinance could target them, despite assurances from the city.
(02/12/2025) CalMatters
Sen. Kelly Seyarto is the only former career firefighter currently serving in the Legislature. But as a Republican in a Democratic supermajority, he says it can be challenging to make progress on wildfire policy.
(02/11/2025) CalMatters
Interviews suggest some people swept up in Trump’s immigration crackdown are dedicated to their families and communities — not hardened criminals.
(02/10/2025) CalMatters