This year, CA will quietly tack on fifty cents to its existing $15/hr minimum wage (SB 3). A beneficial mitigant against inflation, or a detriment to our still-precarious economy? Mark Wilson of the Cato Institute employs extant research to argue that minimum wage laws hurt businesses, which hurts employers and employees.
Read MoreWhile gender equality advocates cheer for the end to California’s controversial “Pink Tax,” under which men’s and women’s products are often priced differently, sociology professor–researcher Liz Grauerholz calls new bill AB 1287 “almost impossible” to enforce. Comparing men’s and women’s products may prove tricky — and could be slyly sidestepped by manufacturers. This article was originally published by Forbes.
Read MoreThe candidate lists for the D8 and D10 councilmember appointments have been finalized, and now the vetting begins. Neighborhood leader Rich Crowley of District 10 recommends to the SJCC a 100% open process and a sharp focus on neighborhood experience. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreThe OC Register’s Steven Greenhut covers California’s far-reaching depopulation problem, still exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. He offers insight into why so many longtime residents are leaving: high taxes/regulations, crime, and homelessness; corrupt unions calling the shots; and “shoddy” public schools.
Read MoreZip code-restricted public school systems may lock students into attending their subpar local institutions, particularly those not offering advanced or honors-level classes. IWF Policy Assistant Emma Wilenta analyzes how open enrollment policies could open the door for more equal opportunities to succeed, regardless of one’s family income or neighborhood.
Read MoreJohnny Khamis was D10's councilmember from 2013-2020. And while he favored a special election, he offers the following advice to SJ's council as they go through the appointment process for a new D10 CM. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MorePlanning Commissioner Pierluigi Oliverio finds a lot to agree with in Mayor Mahan's supply-side housing direction, as outlined in a recent interview with the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Oliverio notes, however, that a looming recession and increased work from home may put a damper on new construction of all sorts. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreNationally-recognized housing expert Scott Beyer (founder of Market Urbanism Report) suggests SJ's newly-electeds can take a look at best practices and be inventive to solve city’s housing crisis--if they retain a sharp focus on greatly increasing supply asap. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreLocal business publication the Silicon Valley Business Journal scored the first major interview with SJ's new mayor, and it's a comprehensive tour of Matt Mahan's philosophies and near-term priorities. Of special note is how Mahan explicitly calls for a more market-based, supply-side approach to the area's housing woes, and (as befits an ex-tech CEO) a heavy dose of managerial discipline and accountability at 4th and E. Santa Clara. Key excerpts below.
Read MoreThis month, expect the final California’s Middle Class stimulus deposits to make their way to taxpayers across the Golden State. Christian Martinez explains in the LA Times how debit cards will be mailed to people who have changed banks since 2020 — part of a dysfunctional program widely hailed “either a cheap political stunt by Newsom or a failure of bureaucratic management.”
Read MoreIn Daily Breeze’s reflective “naughty or nice” list, Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association president Jon Coupal highlights how local taxpayers were protected by some district attorneys, informed by high-quality journalists, and — most importantly — how they advocated for themselves through intelligent voting.
Read MoreIt’s that time: our chance to take a look back at the Year That Was through the lens of Opportunity Now’s most popular stories—our Top Ten most visited, the most linked, the most controversial—heck, even the best-written. In addition to revealing the coveted rankings, we offer some analysis as to how those results reveal changing perceptions within Silicon Valley regarding free market and neighboring concepts, and how they are faring in our current political climate.
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