SJ a cellar dweller when it comes to new business startups

According to a report by WalletHub, multiple cities in the Bay Area are considered among the worst large cities to start a business (ranked 1, best to 100, worst). SJ ranks 99th out of 100. The reason? Sky-high labor costs. KTVU reports.

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Jax Oliver
Alas, Prop 36, we knew thee well

First, DA Rosen slow-walks Prop 36 prosecutions. Now, Newsom defunds it. So much for the popular will expressing itself. CBS Sacramento reports.

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Jax Oliver
San Joseans try to get to the bottom of VTA's woes

In a recent Reddit thread titled “If you could improve anything about VTA what would it be?,” users in r/SanJose dig into the Valley Transportation Authority's rampant shortcomings re: spending, politics, and practicality. Their suggestions are pragmatic, common-sense, and—we can't help but notice—long overdue.

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Jax Oliver
Should we blame BART's endless failures on money—or management—problems?

The agency's been aware of its structural and sustainability issues for decades now. And it continues shooting down innovative new ideas like autonomous vehicle integration. Gregg Dieguez of SHIFT-Bay Area analyzes, just in time for BART's looming $868k deficit.

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Jax Oliver
Case study: How Long Beach leads the way on homeless encampment resolution

The L.A. Riverbed is the gateway to Long Beach—and historically one of California's worst chronic homeless encampments. The City of Long Beach is employing a system of connecting the homeless to customized services on a person-by-person basis, achieving a 49% placement in permanent housing. Long Beach City explains.

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Jax Oliver
Could SF be America's safest city by 2032?

Picture this: we're six years in the future. SF—once an exemplar for homelessness, crime, and drug abuse—is safe and vibrant again. Below, SF Briones Society imagines what 2032's resigning mayor attributes to the success: and, hint, it's all about strengthening (and empowering) local police.

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Jax Oliver
On pursuing the quiet life in Silicon Valley

It's far too easy—especially living in the nation's tech capital—to measure our success by achievements. Degrees. Titles. But milk fed blog's Caitlyn Richardson rejects this performative chasing after the wind, and invites us instead to choose “boring” lives of simplicity, joy, and unimaginable richness.

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Jax Oliver
Anyone who thinks differently than me is evil

SCU philosophy prof Christopher B. Kulp notes that today's local political discourse is deteriorating, due to our proclivity to demonize our opponents. Besides being unpleasant, such condemnation has far-reaching moral—and epistemological—implications.

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Jax Oliver
Lurie's first 100 cleaning up the SF mess—a European perspective

The Times of London takes a look at the new SF mayor's initial moves to pull our troubled neighbor to the north back from the brink—and sees qualified successes.

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Jax Oliver
Takeaways from B'field/Kern County homelessness success: Dump orthodoxies, follow the data, focus on prevention

While SJ and Santa Clara County bicker over arcane legal issues, some big CA cities are busy maintaining functional zero on homelessness. Perhaps our Supes and City Council can learn something from muni gov'ts that are not dysfunctional. Community Solutions reports.

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Jax Oliver
Ever notice a lack of, um, good economics in today's economists?

You're not the only one. And it's probably because students are barraged with models and regressions, but don't get the basic nature of economics, what scarcity and competition do, and how the "invisible hand" of self-interest guides... everything. From the Martin Center.

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Jax Oliver
Case study Sandy Eggo: How intergovernmental lack of coordination exacerbates homelessness problems

There's trash and mayhem all around San Diego's downtown safe sleeping site. Different gov't agencies point at each other, but do nothing. Are the SCC Supes listening? CBS 8 San Diego reports.

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Jax Oliver