San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has released a multi-point housing plan as part of his campaign for governor. Local taxpayer advocate Tobin Gilman and FlashReport newsletter editor Jon Fleischman wonder if the plan illustrates the limits of California’s self-described “moderate” Democrat wing, or if it offers some interesting new ideas. An Opp Now exclusive.
“I can’t think of anything less strategic,” says Mark Moses, in response to San Jose’s promise to eliminate vacant positions. In an Opportunity Now exclusive Q&A, the author of The Municipal Financial Crisis argues that this org-chart-by attrition approach, along with short term service cuts and “disingenuous” calls for efficiency gains, do nothing to fix the city’s long-term budget problem.
BuzzAnalysis suggests that for AI concerns, it's vital to acknowledge that a plan is not a strategy, as AI reshapes organizational roles, capabilities, and competitive landscapes. Below, tips for AI start-ups to manage the difference.
Roger Martin of the Rotman School explains how strategy is the act of making an integrated set of choices, which positions the organization to win; while planning is the act of laying out projects with timelines, deliverables, budgets, and responsibilities.
Marketing expert Matthew Lerner of SYSTM explains how strategic thinking involves trade-offs--acknowledging that no organization can pursue every neat idea. On Medium, he outlines how to start building a strategy from the bottom up.
“Avoiding layoffs is not in the interest of the taxpayers,” says Mark Moses, and it’s “too late to find savings from efficiency gains this year.” Instead, he argues, San Jose should begin a long-term approach to financial health: management should slowly regain control of the workforce, and sunset wasteful programs. An Opportunity Now exclusive Q&A.
While Dem gubernatorial candidates cherrypick policy tweaks to address the state's eternal housing crisis, Blockchain Real Estate gets to the nonpartisan heart of the matter with a full list of issues for SJ that need to be addressed at the city or state level.
A recent Spotlight article frames San Jose’s $65 million shortfall as a short-term balancing act, but nobody’s asking how to solve the structural deficit. So says municipal finance guru Mark Moses, author of The Municipal Financial Crisis. An Opportunity Now exclusive Q&A response.
According to Forbes, MoneyGeek's fifth annual report on the safest cities in America (2025 report) places SJ 159th out of 315 municipalities, behind San Diego, Anaheim, Irvine, and Riverside in CA alone.
