☆ Does Mahan's plan address the full sweep of the housing continuum?

Irene Smith of United Housing Alliance and John Fleischman of FlashReport explore if Mahan's housing plan actually considers the broad spectrum of issues that comprise our statewide housing crisis. An Opp Now exclusive. 

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☆ Amid SJ crime surge, SV GOP chief finds fault with Mahan's repetition of "safest big city" mantra

Violent crime is up 50% in SJ year-to-year, yet Mayor Mahan keeps repeating dated findings suggesting that SJ is the "safest big city in America." SVGOP chairman says this shows disregard for the trauma violent crime brings to local citizens and the associated cost of that crime.

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☆ Does Mahan's housing plan scale to tackle the scope of California's housing crisis?

Realtor Mark Burns and FlashReport editor John Fleischman analyze Mahan for Governor's plan to increase supply. They find that the limited impact of Mahan's reforms in San Jose, as well as his reluctance to break with status quo Democrat party housing assumptions, means his ideas come up short addressing the scope of our housing needs. An Opp Now exclusive. 

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SJ crime rate surging in 2026 even as regional and national crime trends plummet

So much for "safest big city." Two more people were shot to death in Central SJ last Thursday. The murder rate in the city is already up 50% compared to last year at this time. Various outlets report.

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☆ Local leaders comment on Mahan's housing plan

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.

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☆ Moses: short term service reductions and “efficiency gains” won’t save San Jose

“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.

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A strategy makes choices

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.

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christopher escher
Strategy helps us see farther

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.

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christopher escher
A list is not a strategy. It's not even a plan

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.

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christopher escher
☆ Moses: give San Jose the “freedom” to fix its structural deficit

“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.

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Why is SJ housing so $$$$$$?

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. 

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christopher escher
☆ Moses: SJ’s massive deficit is “structural,” and not a one-year problem

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.

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