Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Wilson Freeman analyzes the ongoing lawsuit between PLF's client—aspiring psychopathology professor Dr. John Haltigan—and the University of California. Freeman asserts that UC's “DEI litmus tests” violate the Constitution twofold, and that Asian applicants are statistically hurt the most by this “aggressive” mandate. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreFortune reports that amidst widespread post-Covid “urban doom loops,” cities like SF and SJ are scrambling to incentivize business and customer activity in their rapidly-decaying downtowns. In addition, says public policy prof John Rennie Short, it's about time we seriously pursue other solutions: like gutting or repurposing unused office space.
Read MoreAfter pandemic-era student population drops that persisted in the Bay Area and beyond, the San Jose Evergreen Community College District has reported a roughly 15% enrollment increase for Fall 2023. As EdSource relays, SJECC's partnerships with local high school programs have helped attract the next generation of scholars—giving hope that community colleges can still prove relevant in today's market.
Read MoreThe 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.
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