Pressure to resign increased on Kevin de Leon and other Southland representatives caught expressing racist comments last year. In LA, the City Council today voted to censure the LA-4, and in Santa Clara County, where many politicians have close ties to de Leon, more candidates have called for resignations.
Read MoreThis fall, nine Berkeley School of Law student organizations made waves statewide when adopting bylaws that exclude pro-Zionist speakers—of any topic. Pepperdine’s School of Law Dean Paul Caron argues on the TaxProf Blog that, while legal under the First Amendment, this “sweeping prohibition” undercuts open inquiry and should be peacefully opposed by Berkeley faculty.
Read MoreFormer teacher Larry Sand recalls 2021 as the “Year of the Parent,” citing parents who get involved in their local school boards and pro-family organizations, leave failing public schools for more competitive options, and file lawsuits when needed to protect students from indoctrination. Though labeled a “political tactic” in the Washington Post, Sand explains that parental choice is an essential right to ensure student safety.
Read MoreIf you’re rolling your eyes at the over-the-top accusations made by local left wing advocates against moderate candidates in this election cycle, you’re not alone. The Opp Now team analyzes how local lefty advocates are, in fact, cribbing Big Lie tactics from The Trump Team in their unhinged 2022 campaign schemes. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreThe County’s de jure homelessness approach, nicknamed Housing First, immediately provides unhoused individuals with lodgings, no strings attached. One’s criminal background/propensity and substance abuse are questioned only so the SCC can privilege more dangerous applicants with permanent (as opposed to “affordable” or shorter-term) housing options. City Journal’s Judge Glock analyzes frightening data on SF overdoses within these barrier-free arrangements.
Read MoreIn the Wall Street Journal, Carol Ryan breaks down why the idea of widespread office-to-home repurposing projects may be little more than castles in the air. Unless office costs drastically plummet — or planning regulations are relaxed, as with the U.K. — no company will find it financially feasible to convert.
Read MoreLeading mayoral hopefuls (Chavez and Mahan) and a city council candidate (Irene Smith) in San Jose have joined the chorus of politicians (including President Biden and Governor Newsom) calling for the resignation of Southland politicians who were caught on tape expressing racist and other hateful statements. One of the LA politicians, Kevin de Leon, has ties with San Jose politics and is rebuffing the calls to resign. Excerpts from SJ candidate forum, Twitter feeds, and Merc coverage below.
Read MoreFor the first time, local nonprofits are getting heat for their questionable relationship with the City of SJ. Even Mayor Liccardo recently said the quiet part out loud, expressing concern over how some nonprofits can be seen as unaccountable and underperforming. Some nonprofit leaders took to the pages of the Merc to defend their patch, but, to our way of thinking, came up short. The Opp Now team unpacks the arguments.
Read MoreCalifornia Policy Center president Will Swaim unpacks the recent flurry of Los Angeles City Journal resignations, prompted by leaked audio where several Latino councilmembers made explicit racist comments. This shocking event, says Swaim, derives from California’s domination by the progressive ideology: Extremely tilted politics are devoid of “philosophical rigor” — which encourages local leaders to resort to ad hominem, ad nauseam.
Read MoreNumerous studies have pinpointed the dangers of kids’ screen time, but what about adults’ use of social media and TV? Ever wonder why some local pols seem to lose their cool so often? Entertainment researcher Dr. Cristel Russell explains that according to cultivation theory, consumers’ beliefs about the world are shaped by media, and the effect is more pronounced the more they watch/interact with media. On Fox & Hounds Daily, Russel posits that hateful, name-calling online discourse normalizes cruel communication in the realm of politics.
Read MoreExamining key donations from Gov. Newsom’s anti-recall campaign, policy analyst Brandon Ristoff breaks down the biggest collective contributors as government unions — including multiple teachers unions (over $2.3 million total), a peace officers association ($1.75 million), and a service employees union ($1 million). Ristoff’s analysis highlights the dangers of sizable, formidable unions working with politicians to scratch each other’s backs.
Read MoreIn an email thread recently released by the City of San Jose as part of an action by SJ Spotlight, Mayor Liccardo echoes a concern voiced here on Opp Now: how local nonprofits may be gaming the City's lax management systems, and underperforming due to lack of oversight and accountability. Liccardo’s email and the Spotlight’s comments below.
Read More
