2007 FBI Crime Rates - Santa Clara County Cities

Congratultations to Sunnyvale for having one of the lowest crime rates in the county. In calendar year 2007 their violent crime rate dropped 16.3% and their property crime rate dropped 10.2%. However, for my hometown, Mountain View, it is alarming to see we have the 2nd highest violent crime rate only to San Jose :(

HFSV 2008 La Familia Award

If I had to pick only one word to describe the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley's 19th Annual Charity Ball, it would be surreal. My family was honored with the 2008 La Familia Award. We were treated first class from the moment we met Teresa Alvarado, HFSV Executive Director, and Jim Gonzales, Charity Ball Committee Chair, in our living when they both personally notified us of our award, to the last song played at the Ball. Thank you HFSV!

It was blessing to have our children at the celebration because they too have participated in many community events and they also have made many sacrifices. We are also grateful to our extended family, our Mesa family, and friends for joining us.

Don't be fooled by the smiles because we were nervous throughout the evening, well at least until after I gave the acceptance speech, then it was time to party like a rock star. Nearly 700 people attended the ball. It was a Who's Who of Latinos in Silicon Valley. Jessica Aguire was the MC and like always she added her Latina spice to the evening. Our friend, Damian Trujillo, was also supposed to be co-MC, but he was unable to attend due to his father passing away - our prayers and condolences go to him and his family. The HFSV recognized several nonprofits that it awarded grants too. They also recognized three Latina scholarship recipients. The evening recognition ended with our friend Laura Macias introducing our La Familia Award and with a brief video of Mesa and our family, narrated by Damian. Well, there was one last thing, and that was our acceptance speech, which my family asked me to give. Below is the text of the speech.

Good evening everyone. We would like to express our deep gratitude to the HFSV for creating this prestigious award and honoring our family. A special thank you to our amiga, Laura Casas-Frier for nominating us. Bruce Barsi and Gay Krause, thank you for your support and unwavering belief in our family. To our Mesa family, your commitment and compassion for serving our community energizes us. To our daughter Angelica, our son David, our niece Yvette, my father-in-law Fred and my sister-in-law Marisa, who always join in the fun, thank you for being on our team.

The number one question we have been asked is “How does it feel to receive the La Familia award?” After the initial feeling of shock and surprise, we are humbled because we view our community work as a labor of love, and a responsibility to give back to others, as others have given to us. In February 2005, Lisa and I sat in a school board meeting passively listening to school closure proceedings. Rosemary was carrying the torch of community involvement as a trustee. Although Lisa and I were active in community work during college and early in our marriage, we fell victims to the attitude that we were “too busy” to help others. At the time we were running two businesses and helping care for my sick parents with Marco and Elena, I was working fulltime, Lisa part-time and we had two young children. In our minds we were busy. Our children were in private school so we didn’t see how the closing of a public school would impact our lives. We had forgotten what we were taught as children that family isn’t only your blood relatives. Our community is our family. As Frank Carbajal would say “Es Tiempo”, it was time for us to change our attitude, stop making excuses and take our eyes off our self and place them on the needs of others. As we enjoy this evening, I challenge you to reflect upon your own life. Have you forgotten some of the values you were raised with? What excuses are holding you back from giving more?

Today our country is experiencing an economic calamity unseen in our generation. Quoting my friend, Richard Hobbs we are facing a crisis of compassion and serving others. The need is great. In this room tonight we have people that have triumphed against high odds and achieved success in their respective field. However, let us not be lulled into an illusion of success, of having arrived or that we can’t give more. Instead ask not for a lighter load, but for a stronger back to help carry the load of those who are unable too. If you have money, give of your time. If you have time, give of your money. If you have neither, give of your heart. Whether you sit behind a mahogany desk or you clean a mahogany desk, you have within you the power to influence others. We are indebted to past Latino generations and it is our responsibility that we continue to fund the social and moral accounts their sacrifices opened for you and me. We must continue their legacy of progress, unity and familia so that current and future generations can stand on our shoulders as we have stood on the shoulders of those before us.

In closing, I leave you with some words from the boycott marches of 2006.

When you return to your work, school and your daily life and perhaps feel like your voice doesn't count, please remember the energy, the passion and the fervor of this day. Look into the eyes of the person next to you. See into their soul and remember that we all have a spirit of overcoming, and our cause is just, and we will be victorious. Brothers and sisters, America heard our actions, but I ask you, let our actions echo for generations to come.

To those that say, "We are illegal," I say, "We are people with dignity."

To those that say, "We take jobs away," I say, "Jobs go to those willing to work."

To those that say, "We cost the government money," I say, "We helped build the world's No. 1 economy."

To those that say, "Let's build a wall," I say, "Let's build a stronger America."

To those that say, "We should only speak English," I say, "Let's speak multiple languages."

To those in Washington who say, "Let's criminalize immigrants," I say, "Remember your heritage."

To those that say, "Go home," I say, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

May God bless all of you and may God bless America.

Thank you everyone from the bottom of our heart for sharing this special evening with us.

Silicon Valley’s Disappearing Middle Class

Silicon Valley Index warns of impact as mid-wage jobs decline

MIDDLE-WAGE JOBS BASE ERODING AS SOCIAL ILLS GAIN, ANNUAL INDEX WARNS

By Scott Duke Harris
Mercury News

Article Launched: 02/19/2008 01:30:37 AM PST

Silicon Valley is uncommonly resistant to America's broader economic troubles but is feeling the strain of uncertainty and financial turbulence.

Those are the good news/bad news findings of the 2008 Index of Silicon Valley, an annual report billed as measuring "the strength of the region's economy and the health of the community." This year, it took a strikingly introspective turn, emphasizing the "volatility" felt by the region's middle class.

The valley's tech economy has minted many thousands of millionaires and also has led to a relatively high cost of living. Yet the eroding public schools system and rising social ills, the report found, raise questions about whether the valley is nurturing a "home-grown" workforce capable of replacing retiring baby boomers.

The index contains an array of data concerning economics, demographics, education, crime, drug abuse and aspects of society. It has been produced since 1995 by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, a non-profit community group that combines representatives of industry, government, education and social service non-profits.

Russell Hancock, Joint Venture's president and chief executive, likened the report to "Silicon Valley's physical exam." Its purpose, he said, is to stimulate discussion and community initiatives.

The index spotlights some of the region's stark and widening dichotomies in education and income distribution.

"The research is a wake-up call," said Emmett D. Carson, chief executive of the non-profit Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which for the first time collaborated with Joint Venture on the report. He characterized its findings as "good news for some, rough patches for others and heart-wrenching choices for many."

An uptick in drug abuse and juvenile crime, Carson suggested, may reflect stress that many families are feeling.

Among the disparities:

• Average household income in the valley is rising and outpacing the national average. Yet from 2000 to 2006, the proportion of workers earning in the middle range of $30,000 to $80,000 declined from 52 percent to 46 percent. The portion earning more than $80,000 rose by only 1 percentage point, while the group earning less than $30,000 rose by 5 percentage points.

• As a magnet for high-tech workers, the valley has a highly educated population, with 44 percent of adults holding a bachelor's degree, compared with 27 percent nationwide. Yet the valley's high school graduation rates slipped 3 percentage points to 84 percent in 2006-07. Roughly 1 in every 4 Hispanic students drops out, as does 1 in 5 African-American students. Dropout rates of white and Asian students, while lower than other groups, rose sharply in 2006-07. "We're not sure what to make of that," Hancock said.

• The valley is recognized as the world's leader in biotech and medical device innovation, yet is falling short in training health professionals. Valley community colleges are not coming close to meeting the demand from students seeking training in nursing, radiology, pharmacology and respiratory therapy. Applicants for nursing classes outnumbered available seats by roughly 7 to 1.

In a joint introduction to the report, Hancock and Carson underscored the valley's dissonance: "We're encouraged that boomer retirements
are creating thousands of mid-wage jobs for the region, but it's not at all clear if those jobs will be filled by a home-grown workforce."

In addition to troubling high school dropout rates, they wrote, "the reading proficiency of our region's third-graders is decreasing; large achievement gaps persist by race and ethnicity; and juvenile felony offenses rose for a fourth consecutive year."

Such conditions exist in contrast to a thriving technology sector, the report found. Venture capital investments were up 10.8 percent as the valley added 28,000 jobs - a 1.7 percent gain over 2006. Compared with the nation as whole, the valley is affluent, with an average wage of $73,300 and per capita income 57 percent higher than the national average.

The 2008 report included a special analysis of a long-recognized trend: How the restructuring economy has created greater flux in employment, encouraging people to change jobs, companies and even careers more frequently - a hallmark of what economists call "creative destruction" wrought by advancing technology.

As a result, people have to adjust to uncertain incomes and spend more on heath care, as "paternal" practices of employers wither, Hancock said.

To illustrate the challenges, the report's cover depicts a graphical image of human silhouettes who require a ladder to climb the steps of an over-size staircase. The 2007 report, in contrast, emphasized how the region had "re-booted" from the tech crash early in the decade, prospering as a driving force of expanding global markets.

The valley needs to develop "ladders of opportunity" to help people move from low-wage to mid-wage jobs, said Doug Henton, president of Mountain View-based Collaborative Economics, which has conducted the index research since its inception. In addition to improved secondary education, better occupational training is a critical component of social needs, he said.

"We need to be thinking about social innovation, about how to build career ladders," Henton said.

The Silicon Valley Index is largely based on data collected prior to the subprime mortgage collapse and its ripple effects through the economy. Even so, Henton and other economists say the valley's distinctive economy should enable it to weather a downturn more than most regions.

The valley, Henton said, is buoyed by two factors: its strong connection to expanding global markets, and a continuing demand for housing as the region creates more jobs.

Still, fear of recession "dims the glow" for many valley residents, Hancock said.

The 2008 Index expanded its definition of "Silicon Valley," which had previously excluded northern San Mateo County. Now it includes all of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, as well as southern Alameda County and Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County. The region has a population of 2.49 million.

 

Contact Scott Duke Harris at sdharris@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-2704.