I attended a discussion in January focused on the shortage of affordable housing in Los Altos. The presenters were excellent. Both had been active in development of affordable housing projects in Mountain View, Palo Alto and Redwood City. They were well informed, personable and had good visual materials to illustrate their ideas. I can’t imagine how it could have been done better. Unfortunately, I came away thinking that they had been talking all along about another city.

One of the ideas put forward in the presentations was “form-based zoning.” The gist of this idea is that zoning laws based on strict setbacks, height limitations and occupancy restrictions lead to the building of large, boxy structures that press up against every setback requirement and clash with existing residences. The occupancy restrictions prevent affordable options such as home-sharing between unrelated people, or the building of second dwellings on larger properties.

Everyone knows that blackface under any circumstances is unacceptable. No, you can’t do it for Halloween. No, you can’t do as an homage to your favorite African-American entertainer. And no, you definitely can’t do it because you’re just having fun and don’t mean anything by it.

Except, I guess, in Virginia, where two of the top three lawmakers in the state have engaged in this overtly racist behavior. Maybe it’s because we’re talking about the South, but one would think that given its history and the makeup of its population, Southerners would be better informed on matters pertaining to race than anyone else in the country.

Lehigh not complying with mandates

The 2013 Sierra Club v. Lehigh consent decree requires the Lehigh Hanson Cement Plant to perform a multimillion dollar project to restore over three miles of Permanente Creek extensively damaged by the company’s mining operations, including the dumping of thousands of cubic yards of mine waste and overburden into the creek.

To date, not a single shovel-full of that waste has been removed from the creek. In fact, due to the procrastination of the Santa Clara County Planning Department, the environmental review process for the project has not even begun.

As I motioned to my class to gather around me in our room at the El Camino YMCA, 15 tiny dancers in fluffy pink tutus huddled into a tight circle.

“OK, girls,” I said happily. “I have a secret to tell you!”

With our current Hillview Community Center over 75 years old and literally falling down, and years of attempts to rebuild it, our 2017 Los Altos City Council (Jeannie Bruins, Lynette Lee Eng, Jean Mordo, Jan Pepper and Mary Prochnow) made a prudent decision to move forward with plans and a financial commitment to build a much-needed new community center.

Potential candidates: What about competency?

The media and their audiences are all excited because of the increased number of young people, women, African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, gays and transgenders who are entering politics. Clearly missing are short people, tall people, fat people, skinny people, bald people, and don’t forget hairy people.

But the most important qualification of all is never, ever mentioned verbally or in writing. That qualification is competency. The focus of all the new and past candidates applying for a political job is telling you what’s wrong, and what they will do. Not difficult. Match that with a pleasant personality and an articulate ability to speak and you have an elected politician. By the way, those are the same requirements for a successful used-car salesperson.