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.
Read MoreCalifornia’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.
Read MoreEspera un momento. Is SJ's City Manager's Office suggesting that SJ is somehow obliged to pay for the work the County is supposed to be responsible for?
Read MoreIrene 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.
Read MoreViolent 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.
Read MoreRealtor 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.
Read MoreSo 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.
Read MoreSan 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.
Read More“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.
Read More“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.
Read MoreA 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.
Read MoreLower tariffs combined with an improved regulatory environment could be good for business this year, says Shane Patrick Connolly. Locally, however, he wonders if voters will finally push back against Santa Clara County’s “moribund” yet tax-ravenous government. An Opportunity Now exclusive forecast for 2026.
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