David Schonbrunn is the president of the Train Riders Association of California (TRAC) and a longtime rail advocate. In this Opp Now exclusive, he refutes a recent claim that, yes, California’s HSR is a black hole for taxpayer money—but it’s too late to abandon it now. Here, Schonbrunn explains that under its nonsensical, politically-motivated route, this HSR is destined for failure, and needs a full reboot.
Read MoreIn this exclusive, Opp Now hears from Fremont Union board member Stanley Kou about his apprehensions for 2023: maintaining sustainable enrollment numbers, and finding practical transportation for students living in Sunnyvale’s high density housing.
Read MoreAcclaimed Los Angeles cannabis lawyer–analyst Griffen Thorne sat down with Opp Now to break down recently proposed AB 471: In creating and regulating additional cannabis licenses, the bill might just exacerbate locals’ existing red tape—and intrude needlessly on their personal privacy. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreBetween 2019 and 2022, SJ’s homelessness population grew by a startling 11%. Alongside that, the City’s homelessness expenditures continue rising, prompting calls for bureaucratic transparency. The Hoover Institution’s Lee Ohanian discusses why onerous regulations/permit fees have led to less housing supply and, thus, higher unhoused numbers.
Read MoreCalifornia’s high-speed rail gets nowhere fast while sucking hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars—all to construct a politically-motivated route from SF to LA. Public policy/economics experts Dana Goldman and Alain Enthoven take to CalMatters, and posit that local water storage and purification issues must be prioritized over failing transit systems.
Read MoreIn Opp Now’s latest exclusive, activists Eric Scheidler and Nancy Reiko Kato and lawyer Joshua Schroeder discuss: Now that CA Prop 1’s passed, what’s next—as far as interpreting its seemingly beclouded language on late-term abortions? Their varied perspectives below.
Read MoreKaren Golden, director of L.A. homeschool center Creative Learning Place, continues her analysis of CA’s ever-rigidifying HSC restrictions. Ultimately, explains Golden, “there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to education”; to best instruct students, parent and charter educators must be trusted — and provided appropriate flexibility. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreSteven Greenhut points out in the OC Register that the Golden State’s ever-present water scarcity epidemic is not lamentably inevitable, as local pols speculate. Instead, by further developing and utilizing water-storage facilities (along with desalination), we can make the most of CA’s precious rainwater. Greenhut’s breakdown excerpted below.
Read MoreChristopher Jepsen — economics professor and former Public Policy Institute of California researcher — pinpoints why CA community college enrollment is on a startling downslope. Jepsen also suggests local policy initiatives to keep public colleges affordable and high quality. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreThe Frasier Institute’s Niels Veldhuis and Sylvia LeRoy explain that, historically, mandating an increased minimum wage—as SJ advocates are suggesting, citing housing unaffordability—doesn’t benefit poor people. Instead, minimum wage spikes force local businesses to cut employees (or hours, benefits, etc.), thereby making the job hunt more challenging.
Read MoreCalifornia’s billionaire population may be threatened if controversial new bill AB 2289 passes, argues the Daily Breeze’s editorial board. SJ Assemblymember Alex Lee has proposed a “wealth tax” on residents’ total assets — which might prove the last straw for billionaires to U-Haul it to Texas or Florida. The analysis (excerpted) follows.
Read MoreEchoing prevailing arguments from Bay Area housing experts, economist Bryan Caplan explains in Reason why housing deregulation will open up working-class jobs — much more progressively than, for instance, factitiously adding factory positions. For further innovation, for a competitive free market, Caplan calls for local policy reform.
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