This August, the SCC Board of Supervisors approved a proposal to distribute $1,000/month to every local homeless high school senior. City Journal’s Guy Sorman breaks down this concept, also known as the negative income tax (NIT). He highlights the dangers of giving identical payouts regardless of income, as well as simply adding a program to existing welfare initiatives (which could lead to students seeking less employment opportunities).

California Policy Center editor–⁠⁠commentator Edward Ring points out, in the Epoch Times, embarrassing contradictions between the SV’s globalism ambitions and proscriptive public policies. Rather than silencing dissenting voices, the nation’s tech hub should reevaluate: what globalism means, if it’s worth pursuing, and how that goal could align with local laws—rising above mere Woke lip service.

Jack Wolfsohn of the National Review breaks down the Manhattan Institute’s report on New York City’s “bail-reform” legislation, active since 2019 (and which many of our county supes appear to agree with). In the name of halting mass incarceration and protecting minority communities (both highly dubious claims), NYC prohibits local judges from assigning pre-trial bail for most nonviolent felony offenses—including drug and robbery. The all-too-expected resulting crime spikes have spoken for themselves, says Wolfsohn. SCC residents have been forewarned.

Families with young kids have been some of the fastest to flee major urban cities during 2020–2021, demonstrates Adam Ozimek and Connor O’Brien’s report for the Economic Innovation Group. Ozimek and O’Brien unravel curious data behind nationwide child exoduses. If 46% of SCC and San Mateo County children have caretakers who can’t afford basic necessities, is it surprising that local family outmigration has reached historic highs?

SJ Mercury editorial writers have contorted themselves into some odd rhetorical positions to justify going all-in on lefty labor candidates in the SJ Council races, all the while dissing candidates supported by moderate groups like Common Good. But is it too much to ask that at least they get some basic facts right--like acknowledging that D6 CM and third place mayoral candidate Dev Davis is still on the council?

Last year, San Jose gov’t promised to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Retired lawyer and think tank commentator John H. Hinderaker digs into the lofty—if not impossible—goal of achieving carbon neutrality through substitutionary wind/solar energy. Across the U.S., increased wind and solar have hardly reduced carbon emissions; and their intermittency demands additional power from reliable (not “green”) sources, suggesting that going zero carbon actually proliferates GHGs.

The SCC dropped its zero dollar bail policy amid evidence of skyrocketed local violent crime. However, catch-and-release supporters fiercely insist that releasing criminals pre-trial doesn’t lead to increased violent crime. A Fresno County press release, about a local’s repeated offenses made possible by zero bail—including rape and assault with a deadly weapon—suggests otherwise.

At a recent councilmember campaign event, we heard local labor-backed polls suggest that the likely increase in voters in the general election will boost lefties' chances, as Hispanic voters (he suggested they're the new voters) will trend progressive. Um, not true—according to national and local trends. Ruy Teixeria of the American Enterprise Institute explains.

Dr. Robert Malone analyzed the dangers of (post)modern journalism at an event organized by the Liberty Forum of Silicon Valley and Values Advocacy Coalition. While citizens instinctively expect the media to spread truth, some schools of thought—particularly “advocacy journalism”—instead filter the truth to achieve fixed goals. Quotes from Dr. Malone’s talk below.

At a Silicon Valley Association of Republican Women (SVARW) event, local changemaker Jane Kearney (VP of Programs of Silicon Valley-based Liberty Forum, as well as clinical psychologist) examines repercussions of recent restrictive yet inconsistent COVID-19 lockdowns. This pandemic may be functionally almost over, but the consequences of ever-changing governance live on, suggests Kearney.

Switching 100% to renewable energy increases residents’ electricity prices, increases California’s reliance on other states’ (and countries’) power sources, and decreases energy reliability to intermittent at best. Mexico’s leadership was wise when it “pulled the plug” on green energy in 2020, choosing more affordable/practical natural gas power, posits Ronald Stein. In Fox & Hounds Daily, Stein asserts that California should follow in Mexico’s footsteps.