In 2003, San Jose released a Homeless Strategy plan, which promised it would “eliminate homelessness in ten years.” Whoops. It’s been 20 years, billions spent, and homelessness only rises in our fair burgh. Scott Beyer of the Market Urbanism Report untangles the flawed thinking that contributed to our ongoing housing catastrophe. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreBattalions of local left-wing nonprofits advocate for extremist policies while at the same time benefiting from taxpayer and ultra-rich funder largesse. Joel Kotin at Philanthropy Daily suggests that this dynamic will lead to an ever more radical and well-funded nonprofit agenda, putting it on a collision course with centrist and mainstream communities.
Read MoreCA School Choice Foundation president Michael Alexander addresses the longstanding elephant in the room re: local school choice movements: Do Californians—parents, families, voters—actually want these policies? Though one initiative failed to get enough signatures for 2022’s ballot, Alexander highlights recent research data to suggest: If qualified in 2024, a CA’n school choice program would pass with flying colors, on both sides of the aisle.
Read MoreMarc Joffe analyzes the controversial BART downtown San Jose extension, critiquing transit officials’ statements that the project will effectively—and efficiently—reduce local greenhouse gas emissions.
Read MoreIf state law encouraged competition between charter and traditional schools, might lower-income families have a better array of options? Lee E. Ohanian of the Independent Institute discusses California AB 1505 (passed in 2019), under which new charters can be denied application if they’re deemed too corrival with existing schools — and emphasizes that a market-driven educational system would more effectively serve diverse students.
Read MoreEven Gov. Newsom acknowledges that throwing more taxpayer money at the homelessness epidemic hasn’t dented—anything. Dan Walters from CalMatters’ write-up highlights Californians’ (and our governor’s) mounting frustration with existing homelessness approaches, such as SJ’s focus on “Housing First.”
Read MoreCentrist 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.
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