San Jose gov't should follow Los Angeles' lead in homelessness portal management, says Independent Leadership Group’s Irene Smith, and start sharing success/failure metrics for publicized, time-bound goals. Below, Smith explains how LA Alliance suing LA gov't brought about these data analysis changes (plus: how SJ might adopt a similar dashboard). From Medium.
The threatened walkout of local transit workers causes little concern because so few people ride transit in the Valley. Randall O'Toole explores, in this highlight from a beloved Opp Now exclusive, why VTA is one of the worst-performing agencies in the U.S.
“Not raising taxes will kill our schools.” “We'll solve homelessness by building more housing.” Below, the Center for Inquiry's Benjamin Radford (also a folklore journalist) breaks down why these slanted local narratives seem so appealing—and how to avoid media's death trap, via critical analysis. An Opp Now exclusive.
SJ Mayor Mahan's framing his March '25 budget message around government accountability—and he's likely to find a lot of popular support. New data suggests that citizens from across the political spectrum think gov't is rigged. Newsweek reports.
Benjamin Radford—esteemed writer and research fellow in skeptical inquiry—also has a degree in psychology. Below, he analyzes mental shortcuts that, we think, might explain why SJ Council voted “yes” on unpopular Prop 5: tribalism, the representativeness fallacy, and more. An Opp Now exclusive.
You can’t make this up: on 2.25, a planned debate between a Berkeley prof and Harvard’s president—in a class called “Democracy and Disagreement,” no less—was derailed by jeering protestors. In response, First Amendment expert Daniel Ortner calls for a thorough independent investigation of Stanford admin. From Substack.
Fans of microunits (as small as 140 sq ft apartments) claim that housing affordability could be substantially improved if cities let smaller units be built. LA's Central City Association examines the barriers and the advantages.
Prop 5 lost handily statewide and countywide, but the tax-happy SJ Council continues to lobby (unanimous vote on 1.14) to make it easier to raise taxes. Local business groups, including Silicon Valley Business Alliance, Santa Clara County Realtors Ass'n, and Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, among others, voiced their displeasure in an email to Mayor Mahan and Councilmembers, below.
New SJ CMs Casey & Mulcahy campaigned on promises of tax restraint and accountable gov't spending, but their actions so far suggest they're as tax-and-spend as their pals on the Labor bloc. Northwestern Law Review reminds us of how growth and equity derive from historically-validated sound tax strategies.