☆ Perspectives: Studying ancient Greek/Roman culture is a challenging endeavor—and here's why we should all try it
☆ Perspectives: Studying ancient Greek/Roman culture is a challenging endeavor—and here's why we should all try it

Earlier this week, transit expert Randal O' Toole rewound the clock for us on VTA's surprising history of rideshare innovation. And, as three Bay Area classics professors argue in this Opp Now exclusive, that's not the only point in the past Silicon Valleyans should look into. Their analyses (and wide-ranging reading recommendations) below.

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Jax Oliver
SF’s deep state undermines calls to economize
SF’s deep state undermines calls to economize
Jax Oliver
Call any outré idea “out-of-touch” (until it reaches mainstream local culture)
Call any outré idea “out-of-touch” (until it reaches mainstream local culture)

Silicon Valley conservatives have long critiqued Housing First ideology and pointed to more immediate, affordable options. Only recently, SJ's started to catch on. Reason mag shines light on the historical precedent for outcasting revolutionary political thoughts—until they become vogue.

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Jax Oliver
☆ New SJ budget marks the end of Housing First? Unlikely, say local commentators (3/4)
☆ New SJ budget marks the end of Housing First? Unlikely, say local commentators (3/4)

Those fed up with San Jose's barrier-free housing approach to homelessness may have noticed: Council may shift all funds from PSH to temporary housing and prevention. But, as contributors Johnny Khamis and Tobin Gilman explain, Housing First is probably stickin' around (particularly via tiny homes). An Opp Now exclusive.

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Jax Oliver
Many people won't read past this headline—they're already bored.
Many people won't read past this headline—they're already bored.

Science tells us that new information, whether slowly or quickly gained, triggers happy chemicals in our brain. That's why these days, we're increasingly forgoing longer, difficult pursuits like reading—to instead refresh our social media feed one more time. In Medium, Hugh McGuire explains what's lost (besides our attention spans) by prioritizing quick, easy pleasures.

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Jax Oliver
Lurie sees the organizational problems at SF City Hall, but do his solutions sound like a consultant wrote them? (3/3)
Lurie sees the organizational problems at SF City Hall, but do his solutions sound like a consultant wrote them? (3/3)

To his credit, new SF mayor Lurie has identified bloated and ineffective bureaucracy as a key reason so much money has been misspent addressing the City’s homelessness. But do his solutions just kick the can down the road? The Chron reports.

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Jax Oliver
☆ Mark Burns on SJ’s pay-for-results plan: “Why haven’t they done this before?”
☆ Mark Burns on SJ’s pay-for-results plan: “Why haven’t they done this before?”

San Jose Mayor Mahan wants to tie merit pay raises for city leadership to outcomes across four key areas. In an Opp Now exclusive Q&A, San Jose native and licensed local real estate agent Mark Burns suggests adding “find and eliminate unnecessary expenses” to the list.

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Special ReportsJax Oliver
SF’s Lurie aims to make homelessness nonprofits much more accountable (2/3)
SF’s Lurie aims to make homelessness nonprofits much more accountable (2/3)

Countering mounting evidence that nonprofits are grifting the City by the Bay, new mayor Lurie outlines plans to demand that nonprofits receiving taxpayer largesse actually deliver. The Chron reports.

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Jax Oliver
☆ Opinion: Conservative playbook long supported SJ ditching Permanent Supportive Housing (2/4)
☆ Opinion: Conservative playbook long supported SJ ditching Permanent Supportive Housing (2/4)

SVGOP chair David G. Johnson breaks down, point by point, the exorbitant failure that's been San Jose's Housing First method against homelessness. And why he's glad Council is pivoting to more affordable (and effective) interim options. An Opp Now exclusive.

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Jax Oliver
SF’s Lurie shows SJ how to move fast—and big—on homelessness (1/3)
SF’s Lurie shows SJ how to move fast—and big—on homelessness (1/3)

Instead of quibbling at Council about small-ball homelessness remediations, our neighbor to the north—led by their no-nonsense new mayor—advocates for large-scale, immediate solutions to homelessness. The Chron reports.

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Jax Oliver
☆ Back in the day, VTA pioneered rideshare service
☆ Back in the day, VTA pioneered rideshare service

During the recent transit worker strike, VTA responded by offering Uber vouchers to riders. Made many on social media wonder: why don't they do this regularly? Truth is, they did, quite successfully, back in the 1970s. Randall O'Toole remembers, in this Opp Now exclusive.

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Jax Oliver
Cost of undocumented healthcare pressuring CA Democrats to consider cuts
Cost of undocumented healthcare pressuring CA Democrats to consider cuts

Gov. Gavin Newsom touted California’s role as the first state in the nation to offer healthcare to all income-eligible immigrants one year ago. But cost overruns and threatened fed clawbacks are forcing some tough trade-offs in Sacto. LA Times reports.

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Jax Oliver