Diana Diamond

3 weeks ago | paloaltoonline.com | Diana Diamond

Are you aware that $30 million of utilities revenues — the money collected from the utility bills we all pay — go directly to the city? Palo Alto’s Utilities Department is handing over to the city approximately $30 million of the money it collected from their customers’ utilities bills this past year – and it goes into the city’s general fund, to use as it pleases. At the same time, the department is asking the city to approve an 11% increase in utility charges for the coming year.

1 month ago | paloaltoonline.com | Diana Diamond

Council members fear upsetting Trump, but what does that mean for our city? Should we stand up to him or simply try to be quiet and complacent? What started out as a draft City Council resolution to strongly criticize some of President Donald Trump’s executive orders was watered down by a trio of council members into a simple, rather innocuous (but virtuous) statement on the “values” of our community.

2 months ago | paloaltoonline.com | Diana Diamond

Trump’s first three weeks in office illustrates that he is on a dangerous path that could destroy many of the underpinnings of our democracy. This is not the time for any of us to simply shrug our shoulders and sigh. It is time to act!The bizarre first three weeks of the Trump administration have raised unanticipated fears and deep concerns about where our country is headed. These apprehensions are not mine alone, many others in Palo Alto, and across the nation, are worried.

Jan 28, 2025 | paloaltoonline.com | Diana Diamond

For more than a half a century, Palo Alto has had an unwritten and unencumbered way of decision making, kindly referred to as “The Palo Alto Process.” It’s a very special process, embedded in our community culture, to achieve perfection and resident consensus. In case you are new in town, or one of those very few residents who don’t know what I am referring to, let me explain. The Palo Alto Process is the way of thinking about issues in our fine city.

Jan 10, 2025 | paloaltoonline.com | Diana Diamond

What to do to improve Palo Alto’s downtown to generate more retail stores has been debated for years. And now, a new plan to spend $43 million to widen sidewalks and add additional public amenities has prompted concerns — not only because of the cost, but also because of the project’s questionable effectiveness, and the fact that the city says it would take a long time to complete — 2029.