The recent City Hall brouhaha over special elections v appointments for open council seats put a spotlight, for many, on the City's flawed system of citizen feedback. Why come out and speak at Council meetings if you're not heard, and if the end result is that you don't even get to vote? Former D3 CM candidate Irene Smith (Q&A nearby) advocates for a more up-to-date, professional Office of Public Listening. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreThis week's showdown at City Hall over special elections featured a lot of yelling and name calling and hardly any listening. Former D3 CM candidate and President of Business & Homes Network - San Jose, Irene Smith, puts on her Counselors' spectacles and sees a misguided system in a chat with Opp Now's Christopher Escher. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreSigned into law this September, AB 2229 hopes to reduce prejudice within the police force by requiring applicants to “pass” a psychological bias evaluation. Critics have wondered if state-mandated “ideological purity tests” could lead to discrimination against certain (e.g., religious) groups. Local law/justice experts parse the bill’s implications below. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreJamie Heston (past Homeschool Association of California board member, “15 year veteran homeschooling expert” and consultant) explains the benefits of gov’t-hands-off homeschooling. While some call to constrict homeschool laws, Heston charges that they remain flexible in CA — to encourage rigorous out-of-the-box, individualized options. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreSoon-to-be-second-term Fremont Union High School District board members Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto (current president) and Rosa Kim (current VP) chat with Opp Now about cultivating board–constituent relationships — where both are informed and engaged with the other’s needs, platforms, and actions. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreSCC Libertarian Party Campaigns Committee chair Brian Holtz unpacks an array of impactful (geo)libertarian writings, which include Wes Benedict’s Introduction to the Libertarian Party. The latest in Opp Now’s favorite political book perspective series, in which contributors analyze texts they’ve found accessible, informative, and enriching. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreSheriff-to-be Bob Jonsen chats with Opp Now about his top Dept priorities moving forward: care access and job-skill programs in local jails, recruitment/retention, and overall accountability to quash “this constant cloud of controversy.” An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreSilicon Valley Taxpayers Association president Mark Hinkle considers how Ayn Rand’s renowned “Atlas Shrugged” (albeit fictitious) echoes the terrifying realities of socialism — that he’s experienced firsthand. The latest installment in favorite political book analyses. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreFormer Fremont Union High School District board candidate Andy Arness parses the financial barriers involved in running for school board. If putting a Candidate Statement in locals’ voting guides cost several thousand dollars (not to mention other campaign expenses), are competent candidates finding themselves unable to run? An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreBrian Holtz — SCC Libertarian Party Campaigns Committee chair and Purissima Hills Water District director in Los Altos Hills — speaks with Opportunity Now about how a completely community-run K-12 education system might operate. School privatization may be strengthening across other states, but local legislators still face accusations of advancing “right wing power” via free market education systems. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreLabor/left media and advocates continue to struggle to find reasons to explain Chavez' close loss to Mahan in the mayoral race. Only problem: their preferred narrative (low voter turnout in ESJ) isn't backed up by the district by district data. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreA disappointing election for the local progressives, as Chavez loses a close one and Bien Doan prevails in D7. Labor/left is spinning all sorts of excuses, but are there any real structural conclusions to be drawn, or is it all just the efficacy of ground games? Planning Commissioner Pierluigi Oliverio discusses with Opp Now co-founder Christopher Escher. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read More
