Centrist and conservative voices continue to be shut down at labor-funded SJ websites, stoking the flames for a dumbed-down, Us v. Them framing of important political issues. Former Senator Ben Sasse, now president of the University of Florida, puts the development into perspective in the WSJ.
Read MorePlanning Commissioner Pierluigi Oliverio contributes to Opp Now’s exclusive Local Gov’t Hopes & Fears series: He emphasizes SJ’s need to focus on a smaller list of city services, rather than try to expand jurisdictions and “duplicate” larger gov’t efforts.
Read MoreDays ago, the Los Angeles International Airport, servicing over 130,000 passengers/day, struggled to operate during a power outage. Likely, says Jennifer Oliver O'Connell off RedState, LAX opted for fossil fuel-generated energy to get things running again: a big Newsom no-no (unless it’s him giving the order). San Jose’s major airport (SJC) relies fully on intermittent “green” sources; but is that path sustainable, trustworthy, and emergency-resilient?
Read MoreMarin County homeowners lost their latest legal battle against a 43-unit project that will house mentally ill residents on a safe route for schoolchildren and negatively impact Corte Madera Creek. Ruth Holly contends CA is ramping up an assault on suburbs that started with the Obama Administration.
Read MoreForty years and billions of dollars later, downtown SJ remains CA's most depressing big city downtown, with high vacancy rates among its gleaming, stubby office buildings. At the same time, there's an acute housing shortage. Connor O'Brien in City Journal explains how forward-looking planners can convert empty offices to much-need housing—but it means discarding counterproductive and onerous equity regulations.
Read MoreVTA and the City of San Jose are pouring billions into misguided SJ add-ons for a transit system that is on the edge of going under. As SF Gate reports, BART is nowhere near recovering its pre-pandemic ridership and is actively exploring cutting services and lines, making the bad idea of adding new stops in transit-unfriendly Santa Clara County increasingly absurd.
Read MoreFirst-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.
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