First-term Fremont Union board member Stanley Kou dissects the district’s push for holistic student/teacher wellness centers (to be developed in each of the five local campuses) — highlighting that clear communication with students about mandated reporting is key. Part of an Opp Now exclusive series assigning goals and apprehensions to the New Year.
Read MoreNationally recognized transit expert (and frequent Opp Now contributor) Randal O’Toole continues Opp Now’s exclusive series on Local Gov’t Hopes & Fears. His pitch: The SCC should treat failing urban transit systems as private businesses that are losing customers/revenue. After all, should local transit agencies get heftier subsidies to serve less riders?
Read MoreCA Teachers Empowerment Network president Larry Sand takes to Front Page Magazine to dispel ideas that the State’s public school students performed significantly better this past year. While standardized test scores have plummeted across CA, grades/graduation rates have inflated — thanks to AB 104, which changes failing grades to “no credit” (thus obfuscating data records).
Read MoreMetrics. Core Services. No more feel-good policies. Local business leaders ask for a tightened-up governance posture that actually answers to citizenry on how it's delivering on their priorities. An Open Letter from Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility and Business and Housing Network--SJ elaborates.
Read MoreWriting for American Greatness, Edward Ring makes the case that political optimism is a revolutionary defense against the radical Left’s fearmongering. Ring breaks down why auspicious outlooks on governance challenges lead to creative innovation and “everything good” — despite (as we see daily in Santa Clara County) pressures for local media outlets to emphasize reactionary, polarizing content.
Read MoreFormer Charter Review commissioner Tobin Gilman chimes in to Opp Now’s exclusive Local Gov’t Hopes & Dreams series. Gilman’s big wish for 2023? That SJCC endorses the prior-discussed local control initiative, thereby taking citywide zoning decisions out of the State’s hands—empowering legislators who actually live in the Bay.
Read MoreDavid Sabes ran for Campbell Union High School District board in Area 2 this past election cycle (receiving 19.7% of total votes). In this Opp Now exclusive, Sabes reflects on the hinge point of well-financed mental health positions, resources, and programs — necessary for an inclusive, supportive CUHSD community.
Read MoreStanford Medicine professor/researcher and Opp Now contributor Jay Bhattacharya describes how his evidence-backed Great Barrington Declaration — which, in 2020, warned against universal Covid lockdowns — was campaigned against by local tech companies, incl. Twitter. In a Free Press e-mailer, Bhattacharya breaks down SV Big Tech’s inordinate influence to silence opinions they don’t like: widening the Government Power vs. People Power gap.
Read MoreCalMatters journalist Dan Walters explains why some Californians are questioning recent statewide efforts to tax (more—or out?) the rich. Considering the extant outmigration problem CA faces, particularly from wealthier residents (many of whom now bring revenue to TX, FL, etc.), is it wise to further tax the remnant that stayed in the Bay?
Read MoreExtremist progressive policies often get launched in S.F. and L.A. before they reach the shores of the Guadalupe. Our Southland readers note a new anti-market, anti-productive housing scheme making the rounds in L.A. and predict SJ Housing Dept. will float this concept within a year: It's a requirement for a minimum loss before an eviction notice can be filed for failure to pay rent. Evictions often take 6 months to process as is; delaying the process’s start can add 3 months to that rent holiday. The impact? An increase in the cost of renting, and the increase will be spread out among other tenants. From Apt. Ass’n Greater Los Angeles newsletter.
Read MoreSecond-term Berryessa Union board member Hugo Jimenez shares his 2023 district-level ambitions: reduce students’ competency gaps through beneficial services, and combat declining enrollment numbers. Other BUSD candidates/board members have not yet responded. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreFront Page Magazine’s Larry Sand discusses the Golden State exoduses en masse. Considering CA’s taxpayer money abuses, forced union membership, and medically irresponsible policies, is it surprising that more people are “U-hauling it out of California” than any other state?
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