This May, fentanyl overdose deaths in the Santa Clara County were over 2x up; and anyone walking the streets of SF (or, who are we kidding, DTSJ near city hall) can observe the tragic fallout of unbridled substance abuse. CBS News parses through the data for us, and discusses the County's paltry reduction attempts of—hold your breath—giving free Narcan and anti-fentanyl PSAs.
Read MoreThe CalMatters team parses why, when Texas spends 172% less per unhoused person than California, the Lone Star State has us beat in homelessness rates—which continue to drop as CA's increase (see also SJ's largest-in-13-years homeless population findings). While Texas follows Housing First, they've also banned and regularly clear public encampments; and the lack of zoning codes makes it affordable, and easy, to build permanent shelters.
Read MoreThis April, award-winning athlete Riley Gaines was ambushed and physically assaulted by a San Francisco State mob for daring to voice non-Woke opinions about women's sports. Gaines, speaking at the Silicon Valley's Liberty Forum, unpacks just how far progressive media and power holders go to mask political disagreement—and keep nonconformists in line.
Read MoreManhattan Institute legal policy fellow Tim Rosenberger, Jr. recently graduated from Stanford Law, where he was Federalist Society chapter president (during the infamous heckling of a guest speaker, supported by now-resigned DEI Dean Steinbach). In this Opp Now exclusive, Rosenberger, Jr. parses the Ortiz/Torres/Candelas kerfuffle SJ media's already swept away: How on Earth is using city stationery to pressure a business into unionizing one big whoopsie?
Read MoreThe Atlantic explains that, despite Supe Ellenberg's plan to give homeless high schoolers $1,200/month to “break the cycle of poverty,” guaranteed income and other salary subsidies tend to keep poor folks poor. Why? Employers aren't incentivized by the free market to raise wages, so low-income individuals become more reliant on gov't bailouts. A case study on Speen's "Speenhamland" wage subsidy laws below.
Read MoreMarc Joffe unpacks the recently approved budget from the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, which pulls the plug on federal funding to California's disastrous high-speed rail. While this won't automatically spell doom for CA HSR, Joffe believes it could “trigger a renewed debate” about the project, and what's more feasible and beneficial than a $120 bil Train to Nowhere. From the Cato Institute.
Read MoreFormer Board of Equalization candidate Peter Verbica surveys the ongoing collapse of much of California, and sees a cascading collection of six bad strategies that have contributed mightily to the Golden State's troubles. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreThe OC Register's Steven Greenhut dispels the refrain that public transit is struggling in the short term due to the pandemic, and needs bailouts to get back on its feet. On the contrary: Local transit's “antiquated” refusal to offer safe, high-quality, fiscally prudent services has seen a drop off in ridership levels for years. Meanwhile, San Joseans gear up for BART add-ons that are unlikely to be used, except to burn (more) holes in their pockets.
Read MoreAcross the US, drug overdose deaths are ratcheting up by 7%/year on average. And the story's more grim if you zoom in on Santa Clara County. Despite Susan Ellenberg's never-evening press conference schedule, the programs are failing: An all-time high of 373 overdose fatalities occurred last year, which includes a recent doubling (167) of opioid-specific deaths. The SF Standard surveys the latest research—and who's disproportionately impacted—here.
Read MoreA recent study out of Northwestern University found that SF's rent control policies have managed to release a wave of, yes, more frequent evictions. Progressives are gawking and puzzling through the irony, but Jennifer Liu—Business and Housing Network's (BAHN) president—isn't all that shocked. Liu's Opp Now exclusive perspective below on why CA's restrictive housing laws harm landlords and tenants alike.
Read MoreDespite spending over $1 bil/yr on homelessness, SF has a higher share of unhoused residents (0.54%) than the nation's largest cities besides LA (with SJ close behind at 0.5%). Yet local nonprofit orgs continue to rake in the cash, many stealthily evading laws without improving outcomes. Recently, SF's civil grand jury encouraged the Homelessness Dept to better monitor nonprofit contracts, and city leaders report they're working to improve performance metrics (it's. about. time). From the SF Standard.
Read MoreSheridan Swanson, Research Manager of the California Policy Center, analyzes the big trends informing SJ's recent labor impasse—why cities are perpetually squeezed by unions, and why strikes are so temporary. An Opp Now exclusive.
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