Texas’s “kill the protest veto” blueprint offers Silicon Valley a cheat code re: improving affordability: turn empty offices and 8,000-sq-ft lot minimums into housing, since SB 330 (Texas’ "Housing Crisis Act of 2019") failed to tame NIMBYs. Texas Policy explains.
Read MoreThat $2.6 million is not a typo. Financially burdened Santa Clara County--and its non profit extensions--had to burn through millions to get those extra 6% of voters to pass Meas A. That lavish disbursement was multiple orders of magnitude more than that spent spent by the No on A* forces, who still came within shouting distance of defeating the measure. Santa Clara Online explores.
Read MoreIf you thought Silicon Valley was unaffordable, unfriendly to business, and a loser place to start a career--you ain't seen nuthin'.
Read MoreA review of the academic evidence on taxes and economic growth makes it clear that all taxes negatively affect economic growth--but some more than others. A Tax Foundation survey of 26 peer-reviewed studies since 1983 found that 23 indicated a negative relationship between taxes and economic growth, while the the three found no relationship at all. Jonathan Williams, Chief Economist at ALEC, digs into the data.
Read MoreBusinessman and investor Kevin O’Leary recently described cities such as SJ and NYC as “uninvestable” with “insane” policies and taxes that are too high. The result? Revenue and population outflow. He digs into the data for The Herman Center.
Read MoreMahan and Ellenberg take note. Austin, TX, once America's favorite boomtown, hits the skids due to excessive taxation. National Review reports.
Read MoreHighlighting free-market fixes for the local affordability crunch, The Market Urbanist’s Scott Beyer unpacks how induced demand fears (in which supply increases drive up demand) miss the mark. Amid Silicon Valley's sky-high housing costs and San Jose’s love for single family zoning, Beyer suggests upzoning could unleash more supply and lower prices.
Read MoreUnder the county's draft Rural Zoning Amendments, horses could lose their long-standing agricultural status, potentially subjecting stable owners and boarding operations to new and costly land-use restrictions. CA 19 congressional candidate Peter Coe Verbica daylights the issues below, from a campaign press release.
Read More“As you consider Proposition 50, ask yourself, is California better off today than it was over a decade ago?” Former Menlo Park Mayor and Congressional candidate Peter Ohtaki points out to his readers at the Mainstream Revolution blog that “since 2014 the Democratic party has held both the Governor's office and a super-majority in our state legislature - i.e. a one-party state.” He asks, “does it make any sense to reward the ruling party that has overseen our state's decline with even more power?”
Read MoreOn Tuesday the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association announced its strong opposition to Measure A, a more than half cent sales tax in Santa Clara County that would punish low- and middle-income residents of Santa Clara County. HJTA press release, excerpted below.
Read MoreCybersecurity and voting expert Harry Haury worries that ballots are mishandled in California. He says regions like the Bay Area could be worse than Orange County, which itself has “tremendous problems” with provenance, chain of custody, oversight, and clean voter rolls. Even if it passes legitimately, Prop 50’s redistricting will suppress representation for certain voters: he calls it “political oppression.” An Opportunity Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreThe Citizens Redistricting Commission is transparent, independent and driven by Californians, says ten-year policy veteran Roberta Moore. She argues that redistricting under Prop 50 is not needed to save democracy and, in fact, promotes an undemocratic regime that thwarts the will of the people. An Opportunity Now exclusive commentary.
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