Following the Bay Area Air Quality Mgmt District's March decision to begin banning natural gas furnaces/water heaters in 2026, American Greatness's Edward Ring observes some hefty economic implications of the ordinance: Considering the high costs of switching to renewable energy, low- and middle-class residents may be forced out of their neighborhoods, further jeopardizing the balance of top-heavy cities like SJ.
Read MoreAustrian economist and Libertarian Party presidential hopeful Mike ter Maat doesn't understand why CA's lawmakers (such as the Senate when shutting the door on a recent ESA proposal) are so afraid of two straightforward words: “school choice.” In this Opp Now exclusive, ter Maat breaks down the free market rationale behind tuition stipends, and their benefits for families across the Golden State.
Read MorePlanning Commissioner Kylie Clark was censured by the Town of Los Gatos this Feb for dismissing proponents of a referendum as “rich white anti-housing men” via email to CA's HCD. In April, the censureship was revoked after ACLU threatened legal recourse. Here, Clark addresses her perspective on public vs. private speech, and why she believes power holders' demographics should be in some cases discussed when making political decisions. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreNational rankings have confirmed what San Joseans have clearly discerned through and post Covid: SJ's population has dipped to the point of excluding the once-flourishing tech hub from the US's 10 biggest cities. While housing scarcity and unaffordability reach frightening highs, it's no shocker that residents are fleeing to areas with more hospitable policies. Yet, SJ rates #13 on U.S. News' "best places to live" list (#1 in CA) due to high quality of life—for the rare few who can afford to live in the 14th most expensive city. SF Chronicle & U.S. News report.
Read MoreWith all the wrangling and jockeying about how to best spend “Measure E Funds,” local small property owner Dean Hotop unpacks what kind of tax Measure E really is, and wonders if something's amiss. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreSurprise, surprise: After removing maximum stay limits on temporary homeless housing, San Francisco finds that the average guest checks out after roughly six months. Meanwhile, shelter space further dwindles, prompting calls for local land use deregulation, so that quickly-built tiny homes can serve the unhoused community. The SF Standard's analysis below.
Read MoreDon't be fooled by happiness studies in California, says California Focus's Thomas Elias. Those not high-tailing it to other states due to housing unaffordability (cough: SJ) are enjoying the Golden State's benefits and may register on multiple “happy” criteria, but many longtime residents feel forced to move elsewhere.
Read MoreCityWatch LA's Tim Campbell describes how barrier-free housing programs, such as what SJ and LA provide, are not successful if used independently of other support measures—especially substance abuse and behavioral interventions. Many SJ locals like past councilmember Johnny Khamis are calling for more comprehensive strategies to address homelessness.
Read MoreAs mass conservative exoduses to red states like Florida persist, Edward Ring reminds us in American Greatness that realigning California to common-sense values is possible. That CA, even considering the prevalence of tribal hostility and wild “-ism” accusations, can't be dismissed as a “lost cause.”
Read MoreLocal affordable housing advocates have always had an arm's length relationship with the truth (remember when their brutally expensive Housing First strategy would solve homelessness by 2020?). But when their hand-outs from local governments get threatened (as in Mahan's proposed Measure E reallocation), the distance between fact and fiction more closely resembles a Grand Canyon. The Opp Now team exclusively fact checks four of their most questionable claims, based on public documents.
Read MorePanicked nonprofits and housing advocates are spinning all sorts of nonsense in their efforts to hold onto their poorly-spent Measure E proceeds. Local Real Estate Agent Mark Burns cuts through the yak to provide a clear-eyed understanding of what Measure E was supposed to do, and how to ethically and intelligently spend those monies. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreSF's Homeward Bound program subsidized homeless individuals' transportation back to their hometowns (at $280/trip), which helped many reunite with family members and caregivers. The city has since sunsetted the program as a stand-alone approach. The SF Examiner's Eric Jaye contrasts HB's efficacy/low cost with lingering “solutions” like Housing First (which is both unhelpful and incredibly expensive).
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