Unsurprising to most, Gov. Newsom just announced California’s deficit of $23 billion, in stark contrast to Texas (currently juggling an extra $33 billion). Marketplace’s Matt Levin breaks down how CA tech companies — which continue to flee the state in record numbers — are integral to the stock market and wealthy residents’ incomes.
Read MoreThe latest chapter in a controversial legal battle has seen Calvary Chapel’s (Covid-era) contempt-of-court charges dropped. Yet, the case will be depublished, so it can’t be used as legal precedent. Law experts offer insight into this complex local bind in an Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreNew Zealand’s former Minister of Energy Barry Brill debunks Newsom’s idea that CA’s transition to renewable energy sources will be quick—and is possible before 2070. Assuming the Golden State can make a “green” switch soon, even the International Energy Agency (IEA) says it’s unlikely for global hydrocarbon dependency to stray below 84%. This analysis first appeared in Watts Up With That?
Read MoreIn EdSource, journalist Karen D’Souza breaks down the Golden State’s fall from literacy, tentatively attributing our dismal 77% of mid- to high adult literacy statistic to “underspending,” among other factors. Larry Sand takes to City Journal to rebut the misguided theory that CA should throw more money at public schools — that, instead, we must reform what amounts to a “subpar education” for local youths.
Read MoreSan Francisco office space vacancies continue to spike, reaching 27% on average this past year. The California Globe’s senior editor Evan Symon unpacks why converting unoccupied office spaces may “not be enough” to salvage them — and may not even be financially realistic.
Read MoreJust as SJ prepares to rip up downtown yet again for another brutally costly transportation system, the Wall Street Journal reports that BART, like many other U.S. transit systems, is basically going broke. Hold onto your wallet.
Read MoreThis 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.
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