Join us, below, as we waft through reviews from Amazon/Goodreads (plus Opp Now’s resident English majors!) on three highly-rated anthologies from local poets.
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Silicon Valley's obsession with “fast” and “more” (news headlines, social media updates, gov't comm's) isn't leading us to better perspectives on the world, says LA Review of Books. Rather, this “onslaught of information” overwhelms and makes many prioritize hyperrealism over reality.
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Susan Dyer Reynolds of the excellent Voice of SF says the quiet part out loud: unaccountable nonprofits and virtue-signalling tech execs have blown through hundreds of millions on homelessness, to little effect.
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Hopelessly late. Wildly over budget. And ridiculously over-hyped. California's High Speed Rail project may finally be sent back to the shed, unless new sources of funding are found, says local State Senator Dave Cortese. LA Times reports.
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Kinfolk magazine's theory of “subtraction neglect” may explain why local pols are eager to expand their jurisdictions (adding more and more initiatives on homelessness, basic income, etc.) but have trouble backing off. Even when they're far outside their charter. Or the projects fail—miserably.
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Many Silicon Valley pols worry that excessive taxes can poison the goodwill between a city’s government and its people. Taxation-by-citation is no exception. Case study: one small police force took a big step back from ticketing—and property crime dropped by 80%. A Route Fifty commentary by James Small and Joanna Weiss.
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Ostensibly pro-business electeds on the San Jose City Council (Mahan, Casey, Foley, Mulcahy) surprised recently by advocating for lowering voter thresholds for new taxes. This is a position many local businesspeople (and most Californians) oppose. Below, The Harvard Gazette explores how this reflects national trends, in which business leaders self-segregate around political groupings.
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While California cities dawdle on implementing more and bigger shelters for homeless people, the Salvation is a proof-of-concept for shelters—including in San Jose. Below, the Salvation Army's argument for why shelters work and are important.
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Rather than limp along, hike taxes, and sell off assets to survive, cities like Oakland and San Jose should prioritize the needs of their residents—and their long-term financial health. So says Mark Moses, author of The Municipal Financial Crisis, who calls for cities to begin a years-long unwinding of costly services, regulations, and labor agreements. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
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The City of Cupertino, De Anza College, and the Public Dialogue Consortium (incl. Dr. Shawn Spano, who writes below) partnered on a landmark “Cupertino Project” in the late '90s. Their mission was simple: engage Cupertino residents about issues affecting their community, and brainstorm solutions. The fascinating study (recapped below) utilized focus groups, town halls, and action plans—to put findings into practice. From the Rogue Comm Domain Directory.
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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.
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Trump’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.
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