by Tori Schubert, Siyona Singhal, Hayley Strahs, and Nelson Kramer

People Editor, Humor Editor, Editor-in-Chief, and Editor-in-Chief

Los Gatos is a small, tight-knit community where residents care about maintaining their neighborhoods and community spaces. For this reason, we have local smoking restrictions, fire safety, and environmental conservation programs to support our thriving citizens and local businesses. On the individual level, many people in Los Gatos care about managing and maintaining the community in which they live. However, when we face significant changes in our community, it becomes even harder to stand up and feel like a singular voice within the town matters.

Los Gatos residents are seeing an increase in housing development signage in town. We hear news of our local hardware store closing or plans to demolish the downtown post office for new housing. Around town, residents are voicing concern over the new Tesla dealership opening on Los Gatos Boulevard and other community-wide issues, such as whether or not people should have the ability to play pickleball on community tennis courts. 

How can we stand up for ourselves and prompt change in a town of nearly 40,000 people? How can we succeed in the quest to advocate for our beliefs? It takes a village to influence change, so Los Gatos residents must stand up and voice their beliefs if they want to see change in the community.

Recently, the local organization #TeslaTakedown formed in opposition to the new Tesla dealership in town. George Hoffman, a software engineer, local protester, and enthusiastic member of #TeslaTakedown, described Elon Musk’s vulnerability, emphasizing, “His wealth is largely Tesla stock, and he gets a lot of his other wealth through leveraging that…so if the Tesla stock goes down, he is vastly disempowered.” Through peaceful protests and regular meetings, the group is hoping to drop Tesla’s stock value and limit Musk’s power. Rather than giving up or acquiescing to their beliefs, people are acting on their values and utilizing their resources, eager to make a difference. Rather than neglecting issues they are passionate about, citizens need to speak out for what they believe in and strive to prevent problems from worsening. In a small community such as Los Gatos, everyone must utilize the town’s resources and outlets to share their opinions. Hoffman highlights the significance of participation, explaining, “The point of having more people is to have people notice, to have more options to get the message out and build more of a coalition.” Our town is not particularly diverse, leading to majority groups outnumbering and silencing marginalized opinions. Although it can take courage to speak out, if problems remain unaddressed, they will continue to fester. Even when voicing a minority opinion, by staying silent, people risk being dissatisfied with their town and the community culture within it. 

Currently, in Los Gatos, there are many ways for citizens to voice their concerns and get involved with the community. For example, the Town Council holds meetings on every first and third Tuesday of the month in the Council Chambers. Members of the public may submit comments on Council agenda items by emailing them at Council@losgatosca.gov, mailing items to 110 E. Main Street, Los Gatos, CA 95030, or delivering by hand prior to the Council meeting at which council members will consider the item. The public may also attend these meetings and comment on an issue or bring printed and audio/visual material to present to the Council. Member of the town’s youth commission and junior at LGHS Nova Jayaraj commented, “The easiest way to voice concerns is at town council meetings. They really value the opinion of younger people because the typical demographic of attendees is older and retired people.” Los Gatos Vice Mayor Rob Moore echoed Jayaraj’s sentiments: “When you bring in a totally unique perspective from a young person who might bring a totally different view or lens or whatever, to the conversation, you can tell [the council members are] listening more intently because they’re hearing a unique voice. I think that is really meaningful. I can only speak for myself on this, but I really value the perspective of young people in decision-making, you know, in advocacy and decision-making processes, because young people are the people that will be most impacted by this.”

In addition to individuals, advocacy groups also play a significant role in shaping decisions. Moore explained how protesting plays a role in shaping policies: “I think that public pressure really works, especially on the local level. Sometimes, for really big discussions or controversial discussions, groups will mobilize, and they’ll bring out a dozen people themselves. 50% of the people speaking that evening, all asking for one thing, it makes a huge impact on our decision making.” 

Moore’s advice for students looking to pursue advocacy further is to first find what they want to stand up for and join a group related to that issue, such as The Los Gatos Anti-Racism Coalition, Plant-Based Advocates Los Gatos, or any other of the many local organizations dedicated to supporting a cause. To join these groups, interested citizens can visit the groups’ websites for information about meeting times, mission statements, and contacting organizers. He then recommends finding and championing campaigns in your area of interest, for instance, the Proposition 50 campaign or the Measure A campaign, which are both local to Santa Clara County.

Complaining about issues cannot get dissatisfied Los Gatans anywhere, but activism can and will. To gain civic understanding of our area, Los Gatos’s youth should attend town council meetings and become involved in local government. By virtue of living in a small town, we have the privilege of close contact with our legislators; one conversation can lead to further attention and prioritizing action on an issue. Moreover, unsatisfied citizens of Los Gatos should follow in #TeslaTakedown’s footsteps and consider peaceful demonstrations as a method of activism. In the age of social media, it’s never been easier to research and rally to solve local problems. While it may seem daunting, protesting and participating in local government are advantageous and nonharmful ways to garner support for a cause. So don’t wait: utilize our town’s resources and make your voice heard.