As defenders of single-family home neighborhoods in San Jose keep winning the debate over Opportunity Housing, progressive advocates of mass upzoning increasingly reveal a deeper agenda: a diminishment of home ownership itself. Joel Kotkin explains in City Journal.
Read MoreIf you’re a landlord in Santa Clara County, the last few years have been difficult: pandemic-related lockdowns that forced tenants out of work, a federal eviction moratorium, and increasing regulations and rent control at the local level. Many landlords—especially those providing smaller single family home rentals or duplexes and quadplexes—are being forced to call it quits and sell off their affordable units to new owners who convert the property to single family homes. The result? Local real estate gets even more unaffordable, especially for lower costs renters. Ryan Mills analyzes how government intervention goes awry in National Review.
Read MoreMaybe it’s the unnecessary school shutdowns. Or maybe it’s the extremist, race-based curriculum. Nonetheless, parents around the country—including Santa Clara County—are opting out of public schools and increasingly choosing private and charter schools. Matt Welch explores the exodus in Reason magazine.
Read MoreIn California and Santa Clara County, billions and billions get spent, and the homelessness crisis just gets worse. Edward Ring at the California Policy Center argues that the “housing first” strategy (build more new housing for our homeless neighbors) is dismally and demonstrably flawed, and clear-eyed compassion leads to wholly different set of solutions and strategies.
Read MoreHomicide rose in many U.S. cities in the first half of 2021, even as demands from progressive advocates to actually reduce police budgets continued. The Wall Street Journal reports on data from Major City Chiefs Association.
Read MoreWhy don't we ever hear local housing advocates use property rights arguments in their briefs? Could it be that their call for affordability is really an effort to increase the number of gov't-subsidized renters at the expense of private property owners? Peter Verbica of CCR explores the possibility.
Read MoreAt a recent San Jose Rules Committee meeting, CM's Peralez, Arenas, and Jones shut down discussion of CM Dev Davis' motion to oppose SB9--a pending state bill that would delegate SJ's zoning authority to the State government. Torrance Mayor Pro Tem and Founder of California Cities for Local Control (CCLC), Mike Griffiths, explains how the State Constitution gives authority to local governments, not the State, when it comes to zoning, and why fearful politicians try to pass the buck to the State government to avoid democratic accountability. An Opportunity Now exclusive interview.
Read MoreA growing network of parents and educators is appalled at the extreme and inaccurate racial demagoguery contained in county schools' Critical Ethnic Studies classes, textbooks, and teacher training. In a letter to county educators, the group Alliances for Constructive Ethnic Studies explains the extremist ideology on display in the courses.
Read MoreAt a recent San Jose City Council meeting, CM Esparza bemoaned how local political dialogue is peppered with offensive, race-based accusations. Esparza was not directing her comments at CM Arenas, who has been criticized for precisely those sorts of comments.
Read MoreThe San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area experienced substantial rent declines in all categories during the pandemic (March 2020 to June 2021), according to real estate services firm RealPage, Inc., and reported by the SJ Merc. Class A (luxury) units median costs dropped 12%, Class B dropped 12.2% and Class C dropped 10%.
Read MorePerhaps this is why CM's Peralez, Arenas, and Jones didn't want the SJ City Council to discuss SB9 (a state bill that eliminates local control over land use planning): it runs counter to the clear language in the state Constitution. The City Attorneys in San Luis Obispo explain.
Read MoreLocal community leaders are in an uproar about county efforts to indoctrinate teachers and students in a militant, race-based ideology called Critical Ethnic Studies. The County had attempted to shut down community input on the extemist program, prompting widespread opposition. A letter from 600 concerned parents regarding the hijacking of our schools is appended below.
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