This week's contentious SJ City conversation on upzoning daylights a core question: is zoning a state-wide, county-wide, city-wide, or neighborhood-wide question? It's a debate that goes back to a 1926 Supreme Court decision upholding zoning in Arizona. Various voices continue to disagree, as the long Tuesday night debate revealed--from SJ electeds to academics

Why do local gov'ts appear to ignore citizen input and favor big, moneyed interests? Academics and community leaders explore, below.

Voters across the country are seeing modest, short-term transit proposals or outright rejecting new tax hikes. But the Bay Area’s Transit Industrial Complex is trying to muscle through a mammoth, regressive sales tax to bail out local transit agencies. Thunder Parley, CIO, Committee for Affordable Bay Area Transit, reviews just how extreme our local regional transit measure truly is.

Support for the Bay Area's troubled Regional Transit Tax is fading, as fresh, acute critiques challenge the proposed bailout of local transit agencies. Reports from Merc and SJ Spotlight, below. 

Polls showing plummeting support for potential new taxes prompts city to back off on new levy. Mtn View Voice explains

Daniel Skiles, a policy consultant at the Institute for Public Strategies--a public health-focused advocacy organization--explains why entertainment zone boozing (as SJ has learned) is a recipe for trouble. 

According to leading SJ neighborhood group Families & Homes, the upcoming proposal to upzone the whole city isn't a minor tweak. Rather, F&H sees it as a complete overhaul of our residential neighborhoods with major risks for residents

For decades, smart economists have watned that inclusionary zoning (such as SJ has) acts a hidden tax on new construction, raising market-rate prices, and slowing down the overall supply of housing. SF seems to be seeing the light. Mission Local explains, below.

But not so much about state-, county- or city-wide fiscal realities. For good reason. Peter Verbica explains.