Politicians against school choice lament that giving parents the freedom of selection purloins precious funding from public schools, which will lead to declined quality. WalletHub’s most recent report proves otherwise: California’s public school expenses are high, yet only ten U.S. states have worse educational quality. Is school choice an issue of money, as goes detractors’ talking point—or does CA face serious management problems?

One of the wackiest developments in Silicon Valley politics has been the inclination to cancel, banish, or savage people who were once political allies for not adhering to a rigid political agenda. Check out the manic efforts of the Santa Clara County Democratic Party's Central Committee to punish other Democrats for being too independent. The funny thing is, according to Harvard’s Prof. Verlan Lewis, is that these purity tests really aren't about policy; they're about enforced group conformity.

In an important inflection point for San Jose's housing market, the City Council voted unanimously last month to remove parking minimum mandates for new developments. Daniela Castañeda of Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition explains how eliminating this "antiquated," restrictive construction ordinance—as generally recommended by Houston's Housing Dept on Opp Now—will reduce costs for local homebuyers and empower builders to implement parking spots as is contextually appropriate.

SJ’s favored woke approach to homelessness—“Housing First”— provides unhoused people with taxpayer-funded residences and doesn’t require substance abuse treatment or criminal accountability. Edward Ring of the California Policy Center details why such incentives are doomed to further exacerbate homelessness by ignoring true root causes while emptying the state’s pocketbook.

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.

“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.

Victoria 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”?

Politicians’ 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.

Former 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.

As 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.