The Opp Now team spoke with educational expert Michael Alexander to parse unsettling recent news: The Bay’s public schools are sliding behind local privates in statewide rankings. Alexander finds COVID-19 mandates to blame for local public institutions’ bad break — not declining school quality. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreSwanee Edwards recently left the local Dem Party after the controversy surrounding her endorsement of nonpartisan County Supe candidate Johnny Khamis. Here, Edwards unpacks the Gilroy City Council’s “dysfunctional” ways of operating, and how oversensitive political correctness is destroying local politics. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreThe latest chapter of Opp Now’s favorite political book series features regular contributors California Policy Center VP Jackson Reese and Institute for Public Policy Director at William Jessup University (Rocklin) Pete Constant. Below, Reese and Constant recommend “sensible,” pragmatic, field-friendly reads in economics and politics. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreLongtime Santa Clara County Libertarian Brian Holtz spoke with Opp Now about recentering local police efforts on actual crime prosecution, and why he believes vice laws allow corrupt individuals to perpetuate discrimination. Part of an exclusive series on Libertarian perspectives on local governance. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreBefore the votes start getting counted, longtime officeholder and candidate Pierluigi Oliverio joins Opp Now's Christopher Escher in a quick phone call about the bigger trends informing the election, and finds that money and political conformity are more important than ever. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreRecently ousted SCC Dem Party member Swanee Edwards breaks down how financial inequalities have shifted the focus of local election campaigns — from addressing the real issues to getting enough funds to stay afloat. Her suggestion for reform also follows. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreFirst Amendment expert/author and journalism professor Joseph Russomanno parses CA’n Assembly Bill 2799, which would enforce restrictions on how “creative expression” (art, song lyrics, etc.) can be used as evidence in criminal proceedings, in the name of halting racial discrimination. Russomanno examines critics’ claims that this bill is not First Amendment-upheld — emphasizing that no freedom offers absolute protection. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreSwanee Edwards, longtime local Democratic Party activist, recently disaffiliated when asked to exit for supporting nonpartisan candidate Johnny Khamis. Edwards breaks down how Dems’ codependent relationship with unions breeds anti-Khamis apprehension. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreSwanee Edwards — County Central Committee member since 2008, longtime campaign runner/Endorsement Committee member, and as-of-late ex-Democrat — unpacks the local Dem Party’s recent hypocritical actions. While endorsing nonpartisan Johnny Khamis earned the boot for several like Edwards and Tovar, other favored councilmembers remain protected from criticism. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreAfter a rushed and strange, secretive process, the county announced that James Williams will be replacing retiring CEO Jeff Smith with James Williams, the county’s attorney. Supervisor Candidate Johnny Khamis notes that the process seemed hasty and flawed, but offers some advice for CEO-appointee Williams. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreCampbell Union High School District board candidates Elisabeth Halliday and James Kim turn their attention to student performance within the CUHSD. Both unpack their plans to sustain increased academic achievement stats in the district, especially for students facing “opportunity gap[s].” Other CUHSD candidates have not yet replied. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreUC Berkeley energy professor James Rector, senior “Clean Transportation” engineer David Reichmuth, and energy consultant Ronald Stein analyze California’s Proposition 30 and its promises to boost zero-emission vehicle infrastructure. Their varied takes on the initiative below. An Opp Now exclusive.
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