Perhaps San Jose is past the pandemic-vogue talk of removing police officers from our schools (especially considering the damage it’s wreaked on nearby districts and cities like LA/SF). In a July 7th SJUSD board meeting, members voted to continue an $800,000 contract until next June, which permits individual schools to employ SJ police on campus if/as they wish. Annalise Freimarck of the San José Spotlight covers this exciting vote and SJ’s tumultuous recent history of police–school relations.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association published their yearly “Follow the Money” report, which catalogues state mismanagement of taxpayer money. 2021’s report details key examples of corrupt bureaucratic spending, all closely intertwined with statewide exoduses (that are disproportionately observed in the SF Bay Area, representing 42.9% of CA’n population loss last year). If local leaders continue sidestepping consequences of financial fraud and waste, can further disaster be averted?

Why does California have one of the highest poverty rates in the country? Part of the answer: the state's very high costs for necessities such as rent, gasoline, and utilities. Dan Walters of CalMatters explores how gov't policies make it even more expensive to live in the state, worsening the condition of our low-income neighbors.

Howard Blume at the LA Times offers a glimpse into the recent Los Angeles County Superior Court ruling on the school district’s over-the-top COVID-19 vaccination mandate. The case’s judge cited that only CA state gov’t holds the power to impose stricter rules and eliminate personal belief exemptions.

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.