The Independent Institute's latest Golden Fleece report highlights local gov't-created “regulatory obstacles” that constrain housing supply while spiking up costs. Also, the Institute offers five powerful suggestions for reform—starting with ditching zoning/land use restrictions and streamlining building-permit approvals.
Read MoreCoalition of Sensible Taxpayers' president Mimi Willard gives Opp Now readers an exclusive lowdown on what she believes would follow the passage of ACA 1—and the State's proposed “affordable housing” bond (which would dedicate $2.2–4.4 billion specifically to Santa Clara County).
Read MoreThough not a party, the Democratic Socialists of America is a U.S. left-wing group whose chapters hold increasing sway over more mainstream Democrats in national, state, and municipal politics. The DSA views itself as community organization that’s building working class power and fighting for radical change, and generally supports activities around defunding the police, strengthening labor unions, and the Green New Deal. The DSA Silicon Valley chapter supported the following candidates in their 2022 Voters Guide.
Read MoreWhile cities like San Jose and San Diego are beginning to crack down on dangerous sidewalk encampments, Los Angeles scapegoats low-density, single-family zoning for its rampant resident egresses. Spectator explains why LA's longstanding densification ambitions have been insufficient to solve public safety concerns (does building more downtown homes really help, if people are scared to walk and work in downtown?) or prevent locals from moving elsewhere.
Read MoreEconomist James Schneider takes to Econlib to recount Cambridge, Massachusetts's foray into rent control—and why it backfired. When landlords must list properties below market value, they often can't afford to stay current on maintenance and upgrades, and this devalues the surrounding community at large. Sound familiar, SJ?
Read MoreToday's watchdogs, says Washington Examiner's Mark Judge, are teaching the public to effectively scrutinize media sources (cough: like heavily union-funded websites). And what's more, with the rise of non-Left wing publications, folks who don't fit into the popular ideological mold still have outlets for sharing truth. Judge's remarks below.
Read MoreIn the Gilroy Dispatch, Mayor Marie Blankley breaks down the adverse consequences the Garlic Capital has seen in the past two years from “hybrid” council meetings. In contrast to in-person and written public comments, virtual Zoom comments tend to attract out-of-town activists, who muddy issues by creating the illusion of constituent alignment. Some wonder if Bay Area cities should rethink what is permissible Council meeting participation.
Read MoreThe Marin Post analyzes LA's botched Skid Row Housing Trust, and suggests that merely giving unhoused folks housing doesn't tackle the chronic problems feeding into homelessness (hear that, SCC?). As homelessness is strongly tied with mental illness, precondition-free housing is often demolished by residents who desperately need treatment.
Read MoreLocal political watcher Tobin Gilman recently bemoaned the loss of fiscally responsible voices on the SJ City Council, noting a fundamental shift to the Left. But Amy Offner in Dissent takes a look, from the Left, at the merging of political ideologies into an ungainly centrist coalition and sees the triumph of neoliberalism.
Read MoreSecond-term board member Debora Allen breaks down the transit agency's latest steps to boost ridership, reduce costs, and keep skeptical State legislators from giving up entirely on BART's $300 mil/year deficit “hole.” Allen also invites common-sense budget-minded folks to engage with BART leaders in a community budget workshop this October. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreThe Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit against Google has come to trial, and the stakes are high. Focused on the company’s original search unit, the suit contends that Google’s parent company Alphabet abused its power over search and used illegal agreements to cement its market dominance. But the company has its own advantages, above all the weak iteration of US antitrust law in the neoliberal era. Jacobin magazine analyzes U.S. antitrust law.
Read MoreMany Golden State self-designated “pro-business” legislators have a lot of explaining to do, remarks the OC Independent's team, after voting in favor of SB 799. The controversial bill would treat striking employees as if they were unemployed, rendering them eligible for benefits after two weeks on strike. But is it really that business-friendly to make local taxpayers reward long, gridlocked worker–employer conflicts?
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