It’s not enough for cities just to privatize their way out of a budget crunch, says Mark Moses, author of The Municipal Financial Crisis. Often “privatization in name only” undercuts any chance for market efficiencies, because heavy regulations persist. And when it comes to public safety, he argues that smarter staffing choices could yield huge savings. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreTrump’s return to Washington is creating a new landscape to navigate for four Democrats who represent Silicon Valley. Joe Garofoli of SF Chron breaks down some careful maneuvering from reps Khanna, Liccardo, Lofgren, and Mullin, below.
Read MoreCities are not magical entities. They have a limited scope and should move away from services they don’t provide well in the first place. So says Mark Moses, author of The Municipal Financial Crisis, who tells us that recreation, housing, and charitable nonprofits are hindered—not helped—by overambitious city councils. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreCounterintuitive fire management tactics. Homelessness approaches that narrow-mindedly neglect substance abuse. Tax hikes rather than better budgeting. NBC News explains, below, why we (and our pols) are so eager to leap to false conclusions, even with insufficient evidence.
Read MoreThe Bay Area isn't the only region in the U.S. to suffer from chaos and dereliction of fiscal duty at the city, county, and state level. We just have a lot more of it. Allysia Finley opines in the WSJ.
Read MoreDowntown San Jose foot traffic levels remain encouraging post-Covid, but Bloomberg wonders (via recent research) if there’s something else to consider re: doom loops. Namely, that our high-speed, digital-obsessed culture is eroding those everyday opportunities to linger and chat with strangers—as theorized in a new study (analyzing cities’ ped traffic speed/casual conversations) from Nat Bureau of Econ Research.
Read MoreAs SJ faces yet another budget shortfall ($60m!), we take a look at what makes some cities deliver services without constant financial drama and high taxes. What Works Cities on Medium provides some great examples, with a focus on better public communication and protecting resident data.
Read MoreSilicon Valley's conservative folks often censor their ideas for fear of others' negative reactions. But what if we could train ourselves—like athletes for a marathon—to develop skills for uncomfortable conversations? Well, Daniel Shiner's done exactly that, and explains his unique “bootcamp” experience in Medium's Human Parts blog.
Read MoreRecent immigration enforcement activity in San Jose has led some to wonder precisely what role—if any—cities or counties are supposed to play in assisting—or not—federal authorities. Attorney Sara Ramey, in The Hill, says cities have no legal requirement to cooperate with ICE, excerpted below.
Read MoreOn the job only since Jan. 8, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is proposing sweeping legislation and mayoral powers to overhaul how the city addresses the fentanyl, homelessness, and behavioral health crises on its streets. The Chron editorial board, below, supports the move.
Read MoreThe Free Press editors suggest that the L.A. fires have revealed a broken governing model in CA: a fecklessness; a lack of professionalism; and a shocking inability to admit mistakes, pivot away from orthodoxies, and actually listen to alternative voices.
Read MoreBack in 2024, SJ City Manager Jeniffer Maguire imperiously tried to wave away a scathing state audit that faulted the City for mismanaging up to $300M (!) of taxpayer largesse on homelessness programs. Last week, we discovered that City staff has also failed to even meet the deadlines set by the state auditor for getting SJ's financial house in order. The East Bay Times' Ethan Varian uncovers the historie sordide, excerpted below.
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