Streets are more than just a route from one place to another. They're a public space where history happens. Where people from all classes and all backgrounds interact equally walking, biking, driving, or just cruising. Opp Now applauds SJ’s recent abandonment of its anti-Lowrider ordinance because, hey, the streets are for everybody. We perused a few academic journals and websites to celebrate The Return of the Lowrider to our calles.
Read More“Atlas Shrugged.” “Das Kapital.” “Common Sense.” “The Port Huron Statement.” “Soul on Ice.” “Society of the Spectacle.” “The Wealth of Nations.” In Silicon Valley's short-attention-span news cycle, we sometimes forget that policy positions and candidates’ ideas actually have an intellectual heritage, which often begins with a book. Pat Waite of Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility (CFR) inaugurates our series of favorite political reads.
Read MoreVictoria Taft of PJ Media analyzes the state’s new $100 billion tax relief plan, which involves throwing hundreds to thousands of dollars to Californians as an odd—and depressingly ironic—apology for inflation. Fiscally unwise and inefficient, could Gov. Newsom’s payday plan be meant to “curry favor with angry voters”?
Read MorePoliticians’ efforts to destigmatize the homeless community often suppress frank conversations about important correlating factors. In a Fox & Hounds Daily article, Christopher F. Rufo (of the Discovery Institute Center on Wealth, Poverty, and Morality) discusses research connecting homelessness with substance abuse/mental health disorders and criminal behavior. To address California’s homelessness epidemic, lawmakers must acknowledge the “perilous trifecta” of factors and implement relevant, holistic strategic initiatives.
Read MoreExorbitant housing costs are the #1 reason ex-Californians cite for leaving; yet Houston, Texas continues steadily gaining residents and was ranked the #3 metropolitan area for population growth in 2020. Opp Now spoke with Ray Miller—Houston’s Assistant Director of Multifamily & Public Facilities in the Housing and Community Development Department—about Houston’s flourishing housing market and local takeaways for SJ.
Read MoreFormer classroom teacher Larry Sand examines California’s academic achievement crisis and the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) laughable roadmap to correct it. Since 2021, the LAUSD doesn’t penalize absences, late work, inadequate engagement, or inappropriate behavior. Additionally, Sand critiques the California Department of Education’s highly deprecated “Mathematics Framework,” where getting the right answer isn’t as important as learning social justice dogma.
Read MoreAs reported exclusively on Opp Now, SJ City Staff's process for permitting new housing is a bottom feeder among major U.S. metros, exacerbating the city and region's housing woes. D10 CM and mayoral hopeful Matt Mahan says it's time for more proactive management techniques to break the permitting logjam at City Hall.
Read MoreLarry Sand of the California Teachers Empowerment Network deconstructs the state’s illiteracy epidemic, which has observed decreased enrollment numbers for local public education (and resulting fallout of school closures and budgetary struggles). Charter school enrollment has boomed (15,000+ Californian students added in 2020–21 school yr.), as parents like its nonunionized, flexible, and high-achieving model. What if charter schools were championed and protected as much as public schools, especially considering their role in solving California’s educational and financial gaps?
Read MoreCalifornia’s near-unaffordable housing market is no secret, but COVID isn’t all to blame. Housing consultant Timothy L. Coyle breaks down California’s high fees, mandated union-friendly project-labor agreements, and other requirements that exacerbate prices for residents. Why isn’t Gov. Newsom fighting against red tape costs to encourage housing construction?
Read MoreIn last week’s historic school board meeting, San Francisco voted 4-3 to discard their controversial, so-called equitable lottery admission process. Beginning in 2023, the district’s schools (including the prestigious Lowell High School) will resume admitting students based on grades. SFUSD’s decision—along with a green light to display a previously-condemned George Washington mural—shows that even ideologically extreme cities can voluntarily return to common sense, writes Evan Symon of the California Globe.
Read MoreThe Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) has campaigned against California’s HSR fiasco since 2008, when their co-authored nonpartisan report found the project “highly risky for state taxpayers.” HJTA president Jon Coupal spoke with Opp Now to rebut pro-HSR’s elusive affordability arguments.
Read MoreCalifornia’s “anti-employer agenda” threatened fiscal stability long before COVID-19 emerged, says entrepreneur–consultant Mike Vallante. Vallante avers that the laws Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) and Californian Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) employ nebulous language, which encourages costly, ridiculous-reasoned lawsuits against businesses. Since 75% of plaintiffs’ victory funds go straight to the state, PAGA and ADA lawsuits aren’t helping real victims and are crippling employers over trifles like “website accessibility.”
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