First it was SJ's Housing Dept, getting blistered by a state audit for having little idea what impact, if any, its expenses were having. Now it's VTA's turn, as its governance, board, and project management shortcomings get savaged by the California State Auditor. Grace Hase reports in the Merc.
Read MoreAt long last, on 6.11, San Jose City Council reallocated Measure E tax funds to prioritize interim housing and creekside clean-up. This move returned Measure E's outlays to their original intent--addressing housing and homelessness issues in a balanced way. Just as important, it put an end of years of burning through 75% of the Measure's annual proceeds on monumentally expensive, slow, and ineffective so-called "affordable" and permanent supportive housing. The Opp Now team analyzes, in this exclusive.
Read MoreWe are not making this up: Murders. Stabbings. Open drug use. Fights. Welcome to LA's Metro system, which may be giving us an early peek as to what unexpected civic amenities BART to downtown SJ might bring with it. Tim Deegan, the excellent city planning columnist for LA Weekly and Citywatch, provides analysis and first-hand experience.
Read MoreWord is starting to spread across the whole Bay Area about the misguided and mammoth regional housing tax that will be on the November ballot. And the initiative's deep flaws are getting daylighted in city after city. The result? New, unexpected ideas are getting voiced. Thomas Busse writes in the SF Chron.
Read MoreSF’s habit of giving cash advances to struggling nonprofits helped sink Baker Places into debt of $7.7 million, with about a million of that from an audit of the nonprofit’s Medi-Cal billing. Turns out taking a city employee off their payroll didn’t trim enough fat, so now Baker Places has to hand over $3 million in real estate and get on a 20-year payment plan. The San Francisco Standard’s Gabe Greschler explains.
Read MoreMayor Breed isn’t happy about Supervisor Peskin’s bill, which defies a statewide mandate to cram housing units into urban areas. Breed says it turns SF back toward being a “city of no.” But preserving Gold Rush era buildings in the heart of San Francisco might get voters to say “yes” to the idea of a Mayor Peskin. Gloria Rodríguez, Amanda del Castillo, and Luz Pena report for ABC7 News reports.
Read MoreSurprise, surprise. After her nonprofit Inter-City got interrupted by “financial mismanagement,” Patricia Doyle came back a few years later to bury Providence Foundation in overspending to the tune of hundreds of thousands. As shady receipts and unfair labor accusations come to light, her ex-accountant says the city should have flagged her much sooner this time around. Maggie Angst writes for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Read MoreSCC Libertarians oppose what they perceive as wasteful regional housing bond and Sunnyvale transfer tax. From their formal statement, below.
Read MoreGabrielle Antolovich, Board President of the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center, approves of the SJ CMs' calls for clarification of different gov't responsibilities and precise focus on customized services for people in need. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreMany workers locally and around the state are seeing their hours reduced--or have lost their jobs entirely. Reason magazine explores.
Read MoreMarin County community and tax authorities express serious concerns that monies generated by huge regional tax won't be seen by the cities that pay for them--and that the whole regional bill may run counter to popular will in particular counties. Marin Independent Journal reports.
Read MoreThere is growing concern in SJ--and around the country-- about how non profits are unaccountable and need stricter oversight. Jonathan Ireland in American Affairs outlines how NPO's can funnel taxpayer funds into lobbying efforts and actively work against their stated missions.
Read More
