Top Stories: Oct. 5, 2009

Housing Costs Out of Balance; Vaccine on its Way; PA Election Results

By Danny Wool (Nov 05, 2009 )

Where Does All the Money Go?
It used to be conventional wisdom that no one should spend more than 25 percent of their income on rent or get a mortgage worth more than two years gross salary. A new study by the Urban Land Institute shows that Bay Area residents are thinking outside the box—or throwing conventional wisdom out the window.

They found that people here spend over half their income on their homes, and when coupled with transportation costs, the percentage soars to 59 percent. Of this, an average of $28,000 is used for housing and $13,400 on transportation. Though the problem is more severe in the North Bay, even South Bay people are paying some 54 percent of their household income just to cover these basic costs.

Is it a problem? It is according to the report: "The high combined costs of housing and transportation leave many bay area households with insufficient remaining income to comfortably meet their basic needs." Such basic needs include health care, with its ever-rising costs, but also childcare. In some cases, the report even claims, housing and transportation costs trump food.

But the report isn't all doom and gloom: it also offers some suggestions for the future. For instance, in the South Bay, 20-22 percent of household income is spent on transportation, largely attributed to urban sprawl and the infrequent use of public transportation among local workers (9.65 percent, compared to 26.5 percent in New York). With the local population expected to grow by 1.6 million over the next 25 years, proper planning could integrate land use, housing and transportation policies.

And there is advice for new homebuyers too. "Housing that appears affordable based solely on housing costs may not be truly affordable when it is located far from transit, jobs and/or services." In other words, it's not enough to have a good job and a good home. People also need a good way to get from one to the other.
Read More at NBC Bay Area.


Vaccine Is Coming to the SJ Unified School District
Despite the shortages in swine flu vaccine, the Board of Trustees of the San Jose Unified School District have decided to adopt an aggressive to combating the disease. Starting on November 16, every one of its 32,000 students will be offered the vaccine free of charge.

Parents, however, aren't all excited. Many are hesitant about vaccinating their children because of potential side effects. "It's been such a rush that they've put this into production, that I just want to make sure something wasn't missed when they were producing it," said one concerned parent. Board members and doctors attempted to respond at a meeting with parents at Willow Glen High School. "There are very few people who have immunity to this new type of virus," said one doctor, explaining the importance of having children immunized. They pointed out that children and young people under 24 are among the populations most susceptible to the disease, and that classrooms are the perfect breeding grounds for the H1N1 flu.

Despite the concerns, starting today, students will be given consent forms to take home to their parents. It is left up to them to decide if they will take advantage of what the district is offering.
Read More at ABC 7.


Palo Alto Election Results
The votes are all tallied, and it's not looking great for Palo Alto mayor Larry Klein. Not only did he lose the referendum to impose a new business tax on the city by a margin of almost 13 percent. His own position faced a hearty challenge from former School Board Trustee Gail Price. Though Klein won, when the results were announced, only 42 votes separated him from his rival. With the vote out of the way, Price summed up the order of business that the new City Council will have to deal with over the next few months: "We have a lot work to do here as far as maintaining relationships with the city employees." She may find it more challenging than she thinks. Apart from Klein, none of the people elected to City Council (Price, Nancy Shepherd, Karen Holman, and Greg Scharff) have served on City Council before.
Read More at Watchdog Silicon Valley.
Read More at Palo Alto Online.


New Principal for Wilcox High School
There are some serious problems at Santa Clara's Wilcox High School, and the local school board has decided to act. Special ed teacher Edward Slate, custodian Joe Miller, and even principal Tab Taber have all been in the news recently, either because of inappropriate conduct with students or failing to report this conduct.

Now the school board has decided to replace Taber, and named former Vice Principal Ben Gonzales as the school's new Interim Principal. Gonzales served in the school until 2007, when he took over as the school district's Coordinator of Student Services. A letter by School Superintendent Stev Stavis said that, "Mr. Gonzales’ interim appointment allows district personnel and other outside agencies to continue with thorough and impartial inquiries into allegations against employees."
Read More at Santa Clara Weekly.


Fourth Suspect Arrested in Halloween Shooting
Police arrested Eduardo Cristobal, 18, of Milpitas, in connection with the Halloween shooting of a 12-year-old boy on Story Road and the stabbing of his friend. The shooting victim remains in critical condition. Three juveniles, one aged 15 and two aged 16, were also arrested in connection with the incident, which police are saying was gang-related. The victims, police point out, had no connection with any gang, but may have inadvertently worn gang colors while trick-or-treating.
Read More at CBS5.