Assemblymembers Alex Lee and Ash Kalra (D-SJ) coauthored AB 309, which would establish a CA'n agency over “social housing”—publicly funded affordable units in mixed-income neighborhoods. However, the Atlantic questions if gov't should even be in the property management business, pointing to rampant red tape issues in developments across the U.S.
Read MoreContinuing an Opp Now exclusive series, experienced educators Natalie Thoreson, Larry Sand, and Kevin McGary debate the merits—and dangers—of spotlighting colonization as “the root” of society's turpitudes in local high school workshops. Brazenly varied, candid perspectives below.
Read MoreRecalled last June, former San Francisco DA and radical jailbreak activist Chesa Boudin has just announced he will be overseeing a new Criminal Law & Justice Center at UC Berkeley. Many shake their heads as local colleges are increasingly throwing common sense, superior qualifications, and quality education out the window—in favor of ideological agendas, proven ineffective in the real world. A Press Democrat article.
Read MoreOn 5.17 at American Institute for Economic Research's (AIER) SJ Mont Hamilton/Bastiat Society, notable futurist author–speaker and longtime Silicon Valley Libertarian John Hagel discussed a major flaw in local libertarianism's narrative: It's fear based—and should instead spotlight opportunities to improve one's community, in exciting and tangible ways. Hagel's comments excerpted below.
Read MoreAn Opp Now contributor (anonymized by request) recently participated in a graduate program at a Bay Area public university. Rampant social justice conditioning and closed-minded conversations? Check and check. But here, they reflect on an overlooked consequence of systematic Leftist indoctrination: It can render young free thinkers numb to shock, outrage, and action. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreNatalie Thoreson, M.Ed. (nonprofit rEVOLution, LLC's founder) regularly hosts DEI workshops for local adults who support youth, such as at Foothill High School with the SCC Dem Central Committee.. Educational professionals Kevin McGary (Frederick Douglass Foundation of CA's president), Larry Sand (CA Teachers Empowerment Network's president), and Thoreson analyze oppression-based instruction from varied perspectives in this frothy, illuminating asynchronous discussion. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreCitizens for Fiscal Responsibility's VP Rich Crowley once served on a Bay Area transportation work group. He here advises from his experience with BART's inflexible system, mismanaged funds, and evolving cultural work trends: Extending through DTSJ to Santa Clara will further clean out residents' wallets—without an adequate payoff. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreContinuing an exclusive Opp Now series, retired police officer and Libertarian presidential runner Mike ter Maat analyzes the county's Police Department. While the Dept has competitive pay and mid-level transfers, requiring private sector liability insurance (in lieu of qualified immunity) would enforce accountability for “bad officers” and cultivate a free market-driven police force.
Read MoreThough SJ's latest homeless stats signal we're making strides in a positive direction, there remains a core problem: Too many people are still living in inhumane conditions on streets, creekbeds, and public spaces. Thomas Elias proposes in the CA Focus that vacant local offices be repurposed into residential units, saving time and money while tackling the homelessness crisis.
Read MoreBay Area political candidate Tom Wong addresses why locals should be concerned about Woke college takeovers, and how their extreme ideological pushes could exacerbate enrollment drops. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreThe pointless BART extension to downtown SJ will cost more than $9 billion. And transit experts are now suggesting that all the expenditures and tearing up of streets will yield—hold onto your hats—a scant 0.4% improvement in traffic on our clogged roadways. No typo—that's less than half a percent of relief. Marc Joffe of the Cato Institute surveys the madness.
Read MoreA recent research survey highlights what SJ residents know very well: 83% of riders feel unsafe using BART. Just as (un)surprising? They'd take the Bay's transportation system more regularly if rule-breakers were expunged, and if police/transit officers were on board. The Globe's breakdown here.
Read More
