The refusal of local school districts to return to on campus learning due to health concerns has called into question the role of schools in modern society. At what point should districts simply free parents to make decisions for their children on their own? Robert Verbrugen reports for National Review.
Read MoreLocal political watchers can get whiplash from trying to keep pace with the changing mores and dicta of local progressive activists. Attacking the police is just. Except when it isn't. Questioning election legitimacy is ethical. Except when it's not. Political art should be banished. Except when we like its message. Bradley Wilson explains this curious intellectual state in “Progressivism: The Strange History of a Radical Idea,” reviewed by Allen Guelzo in the Claremont Review of Books.
Read MoreAs the San Jose City Council veers left, Critical Race Theory concepts gain political traction, and local DA's continue to refuse to prosecute lawbreakers, many progressives look towards the Emerald City of Seattle as an example of what this New Social Justice Paradise might look like. Yeow. Christopher Ruffo provides a description of the Seattle debacle in City Journal.
Read MoreMuch pearl-clutching has occurred in San Jose over citizen complaints about the potential insensitivity of public art like the Fallon statue (does it glorify white supremacy?) and the Americana painting (does it glorify violence against the police?). Opp Now co-founder Christopher Escher wonders if the city should even be in the business of funding political art at all.
Read MoreJustin Adams, Chief Economist for Encina Advisors, has some advice for state and local governments who say they want to help small businesses survive and recover from the devastating impact of lockdonws: forget handouts, just clear the market of all the onerous regualtions and taxes that hold back business success. This article originally appeared in www.foxesandhoudsdaily.com.
Read MoreEvan Symon reports for California Globe about how the state's drastic January 2021 minimum wage increase will hammer businesses already reeling from pandemic economic constraints.
Read MoreA riot overtakes the Capitol Building in D.C. Local political officials get threatened by violent imagery. Lawbreakers in summer protests go uncharged. In an exclusive interview with Opportunity Now, Tony Francois, senior attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation and longtime Californian, unpacks the legal and ethical issues that separate legitimate free speech from incitements to violence and mayhem.
Read MoreTo kick off the New Year, we asked our editorial team and contributors their opinion of what issues local free marketeers should be watching over the next twelve months. Below is a compendium of their replies. And while of course new issues will arise, we think this list provides a smart checklist for concerned local citizens who care about free markets, free minds, and free speech. --Jeff and Christopher
Read MoreIn this wide ranging interview, Planning Commissioner Pierluigi Oliverio interviews ex-Mayor Chuck Reed on SJ housing crisis--its roots and potential fixes--the state of the Google project, and the status of pension reform and municipal borrowing in this exclusive discussion for Opportunity Now.
Read MoreEx-Mayor Reed and Planning Commissioner Oliverio discuss if the Google project is going off track by adding too many "community benefits" and the status of pension reform and municipal borrow in the third and final installment of their exclusive discussion for Opportunity Now.
Read MoreIn Part Two of their discussion about local housing issues, with ex-Mayor Chuck Reed and SJ Planning Commissioner Pierluigi Oliverio explore the potential impacts of citywide residential upzoning, and whether or not it makes sense to move from SJ to Redding.
Read MoreEx-Mayor Reed and current Planning Commissioner Oliverio dig into the roots of our housing crisis, and Reed offers innovative ways the state can incent cities to build more housing. (This is the first of a three-part interview between the two).
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