In Opp Now's ongoing exploration of the history of racism in California, we take a look at the demolition of Stockton's Chinatown, Japantown, and Little Manila—all in the name of big gov't urban redevelopment. Zocalo Public Square reports.
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Below in KRON4, a San Francisco sheriff's deputies union rep proposes a list of policies they think would make the Tenderloin safe again. And (spoiler alert) it's got nothing to do with stifling local business owners—everything to do with empowering law enforcement to protect the community.
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Our friends who haven't visited SF or the Tenderloin neighborhood may see how it's depicted in media (i.e., dirty, dangerous, crime-ridden) and write it off as unredeemable. Not worth reforming. But The Bold Italic's Adriana Roberts has called SF home since 2001—and reminds us, below, why the Tenderloin's worth our hard work and change.
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New research indicates that the data CA gov’ts use to justify their extravagant expenditures are (hold your breath) kinda worthless. Daily Caller reports.
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Many folks affected by local gov't decisions aren't giving public comment at City Council—or feel shut down when they try. So how can cities like SJ reach them? The Toronto Star recaps Calgary's highly successful community engagement program, in which a public bus gave free rides on its regular routes (over several months) in exchange for feedback.
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There is a recurring debate in California about the effectiveness of regional governments when compared to the existing local government structure. Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Ass'n explores the pros and cons in the Orange County Register (with a shout-out to Daniel Borenstein at the Merc).
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By taking advantage of the flexibility provided by SCOTUS' Grants Pass decision (which SJ has yet to do), SF's most troubled neighborhoods are experiencing signs of recovery. KQED reports.
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After Collective Impact’s director slept in the same house as a city official, was it proper that he ended up with six-figure government contracts? Two SF agencies have now canceled five deals, worth millions of dollars—in fact, his org was the second biggest recipient of Dream Keeper Initiative funds. The SF Standard’s Jonah Owen Lamb, Gabe Greschler, and Noah Baustin report.
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San Jose's reputation for economic health took a big hit last week, as the widely-respected Milken Institute's index of Best Performing Cities had SJ going off a cliff: from a #44 ranking in 2024 to a #108 ranking in 2025. The SF Chronicle reports.
Read MoreMore than 3,000 newspapers have closed over the past 20 years, which has created a local information vacuum. But Howard Husock at the National Review worries that filling it with quasi-journalistic propaganda funded by big foundations is no substitute for news.
Read MoreAs late as 2018, California topped the list for Allied Van Lines’s inbound movers. But in 2020, the company noticed a reversal in the trend. Now, more people are fleeing from this state than from any other. Fueling the exodus are taxes, a high cost of living, and stringent regulations. California Globe’s Katy Grimes reports.
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San Francisco's curfew on Tenderloin stores hasn’t stopped late-night drug scenes, but it has been successful in frustrating business owners, who say they’ve lost sales. SF Standard reports.
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