We asked County Supervisor District 1 candidates to answer the question: If you could go back in time to fix something in gov't, what would it be? Candidate Johnny Khamis explores how to address the management problems in county government. Candidate Sylvia Arenas has not yet replied.
Read MoreRenewable energy may be expensive, unreliable, and far from “green,” but at least it does away with crude oil, right? Highly respected energy expert Ronald Stein breaks down why a full conversion to “breezes and sunshine” will disproportionately hurt poor residents, who struggle to shoulder exorbitant prices and manage without the 6,000+ everyday products reliant on non-renewable energy. This article originally appeared in CFACT.
Read MoreWhile California senator Sydney Kamlager pushes for SB 1304 (to award ex-inmates with roughly $2,500, as opposed to the current $200, upon their release from prison), The Davis Vanguard’s David M. Greenwald points out that mere money-gifting can’t tackle the heart of prison-to-street pipelines. If local housing were affordable for everyday Californians, there wouldn’t be a need for taxpayers to contribute to additional “gate money” checks.
Read MoreCalifornia’s quite successful efforts to empty local jails (25% reduced prison population over the last ten years) have observed high re-offense and homelessness rates for previously incarcerated people, reports Iris Murillo of Housing California in the Western Center on Law & Poverty. Advocating for AB 328, Murillo calls for our state government to dedicate money saved from closed prisons to programs that “break these cycles” of crime and homelessness.
Read MoreOpp Now spoke with the California Policy Center’s VP Jackson Reese about the SCC Democratic Party’s latest actions to revoke endorsements of candidates who have recommended or endorsed nonpartisan Supervisor hopeful Johnny Khamis. While pulling local endorsements are generally unusual, says Reese, their frequency amongst organized progressives highlights their party’s hard-ball self-policing practices.
Read MoreWhile cities like SJ work industriously to convert hotels into homeless housing, Los Angeles wants residents to vote on a more ambitious ordinance in 2024. This measure would force hotels to provide unused rooms to homeless locals, free of charge. The Cato Institute’s Walter Olson explains why this and similar laws—while perhaps kindly intended—dangerously erode rights to one’s property.
Read MoreIn a new Opp Now exclusive, Scott Beyer of the Market Urbanism Report deconstructs the Merc's confused, critical article about tiny homes, and explains the important role tiny homes can play in a holistic housing strategy.
Read MoreWest Coast ports are increasingly losing revenue to the East and Gulf coasts (19.4% since 2006). This problem destabilizes locals’ employment opportunities and raises manufacturers’ exportation costs, incentivizing out-of-state production. While states like Pennsylvania reward manufacturers to export goods through their ports, CA has only expanded port-related mandates and fees. Lance Hastings and John McLaurin suggest action steps for CA’n political leaders in Fox & Hounds Daily.
Read MoreLocal companies that finance underutilized office buildings may be in the red — making more attractive the housing conversion argument. However, turning San Jose’s unused office spaces into residential units involves a unique price tag, says real estate expert Clare Trapasso. Cities where workers are abandoning physical offices, like SJ, are often the same places with excessive building regulations/costs.
Read MoreDawn Collier of the California Policy Center evaluates teachers unions’ recent demands for higher teacher salaries. Their resounding rhetoric of being underpaid falls apart when confronted by data. Plus, districts can’t afford exorbitant wage spikes without heavily cutting staff members and budget items. If unions are trying to invest in students, they’re doing everything wrong (a sentiment echoed by CPC’s Jackson Reese), asserts Dawn.
Read MoreLocal historian and longtime community activist Tobin Gilman chimes in on Mayor Liccardo's State of the City speech, and warns about threats to core services budgets.
Read MoreCan everyone be a Bill Gates, reading 50 books/yr? Even local and statewide changemakers often struggle to make time for reading. In this latest Opp Now exclusive, Marc Ang—Asian Industry B2B president and esteemed journalist—and Tobin Gilman—former longtime SJ resident, Charter Review Commissioner, and history advocate—spotlight their favorite political books. While “political book” conjures images of overly abstract documents, Ang and Gilman highlight practical reads on prevalent issues, written for real people.
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