Under pressure to address San Jose’s massive budget shortfall, CA gubernatorial candidate Mayor Matt Mahan talked up “charitable or commercial ventures” as if they were “core municipal functions.” They’re not, says Mark Moses, author of The Municipal Financial Crisis: instead of chasing the glamour of being a sports destination, leaders should first make sure you can park your car downtown without it getting stolen. An Opportunity Now exclusive Q&A response.

A corrosive teaching fad that made children bad at reading has long since been debunked, says Gus Mattammal in his education policy book A is for Average. But California has been slow to replace it with a proven method that would help the state’s most disadvantaged students. The candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction argues that cynical and ideological forces are to blame.

With this week's South San Jose shooting and murder, SJ's murder rate is up 75% compared to last year at this time, according to the Merc. Heritage Foundation unearths key factors behind crime increases:  Refusing to prosecute and punish violent offenders, releasing violent offenders under ill-conceived bail-reform policies, and hamstringing police departments.

There’s a flaw in how California allocates money to education: funding for students who need extra help is meted out to districts far too slowly. So says candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Gus Mattammal. In his book A is for Average, he proposes ramping up this funding earlier. He says it can be done without increasing taxes.  

Structural flaws in CA financials suggest $ meltdown is not so far away. From Grok. 

Responding to Mayor Mahan’s statement on San Jose’s budget squeeze, municipal finance expert Mark Moses warns that “tightening belts” only works when “belts still have notches left.” The author of The Municipal Financial Crisis says San Jose risks drifting toward “zombie city” status if it keeps protecting politically attractive programs sustained by financial gimmicks, while neglecting the basics of a functional organization. An Opportunity Now exclusive Q&A response.

California’s schools promise every student a quality education, yet that’s belied by dismal disparities between districts and racial groups. So says Gus Mattammal, author of A is for Average, who argues policies like “Grading for Equity” only mask the failure while cutting advanced programs.