SJ CM Peter Ortiz shocked many local small business people last week when he suggested that if you're paying your workers minimum wage, "maybe you shouldn' be in business." In addition to the rather chilling, anti-business nature of the comment--especially coming from a powerful City official--many saw Ortiz' analysis as jejune. Page One Economics explores the complex nature of how minimum wage law affects employment, poverty, and the overall business environment.
Read MoreSJ CM's Doan and Batra convinced the SJ City Council to prioritize the study of pre-engineered congregate housing (very low cost group shelters connected to central services) in the 2024-25 fiscal budget process. Serious researchers into homelessness prevention applauded the move, even as some local Housing First diehards continue to lobby for the archaic and brutally expensive Permanent Supportive Housing model which has failed so spectacularly in alleviating city and county homelessness. The National Alliance to End Homelessness explains the important role of congregate housing below.
Read MoreThe end of last week, the Merc reported: "With BART’s Silicon Valley extension expected to cost upwards of $12 billion, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is conducting a new cost analysis of a different approach — the controversial twin-bore tunnel design." It's long overdue, say local transit experts (exclusive to Opp Now and from Merc coverage), and highlights the dubious assumptions undergirding what an increasing number of leaders are calling an out-of-control project.
Read MoreFrom San Jose State to Stanford, Berkeley to SF State, it's hard to ignore the chilling rise in local student (and administrative) efforts to shut down speech and speakers that run afoul of present dogma. Greg Lukianoff at the Eternally Radical Idea parses the metrics regarding this surge nationwide and finds sadly predictable patterns identifying where this attack on free speech is coming from.
Read MoreEconomist Herbert Stein famously observed that "if something can't go on forever, it won't." Stein was referring to federal debt and deficit payments, but the concept applies to SF's free-for-all, hard-left public safety policies, which voters pushed back on earlier this month. The Free Beacon explains.
Read MoreAccording to the Inside Higher Ed website, Prof. Jonathan Roth of San Jose State has been put on administrative leave for--we are not kidding--defending himself when a pro-Hamas demonstrator tried to forcibly stop him from taking photos at what community leaders consider an antisemitic melee on 2.19. It's a curious turn of events for the scholar: He recently received the university's Distinguished Service Award and was lauded (at least then) for his commitment to "being a contrarian." Below, from SJSU website.
Read MoreFormer CM and small business owner Johnny Khamis recently argued in Opp Now that housing activists are misleading the public about the true high costs and low returns of county Measure A. Long-time subsidized housing advocate Sandy Perry recently attempted to defend the city/county's failed Housing First strategy in a SJ Spotlight op-ed, and in doing so, misstated Khamis' thesis and floated other misinformation. The Opp Now team sets the record straight.
Read MoreMatt Mahan defeated Labor-backed Cindy Chavez in the SJ 2022 mayoral race--even though he was outspent substantially. And in this year's primary election, Labor didn't even mount a challenge to Mahan, who waltzed to an 86% victory.In this Opp Now exclusive, we asked local political watchers from across the political spectrum* why South Bay Labor has trouble competing in the bigger, most important South Bay races. Their answers (edited/consolidated below) suggest the following conclusion: Labor's sharp turn to the left collides with the Valley's more moderate political demographics, and that severely limits Labor's political footprint.
Read MoreThe Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) “names and shames” this year's lineup of America's worst offenders for squelching free speech. And sadly, San Francisco State University (whose students held speaker Riley Gaines hostage last spring) and California Community Colleges (currently being sued for its dogmatic DEI statement hiring requirement) just joined the hall of shame. More info, and litigation updates, from FIRE below.
Read MoreMarc Joffe takes to the OC Register to dispel claims that California's High-Speed Rail will reduce CO2 emissions, showing instead—employing HSR Authority's latest ridership and emissions savings projections—that HSR is decidedly incapable of making even the slightest dent in climate crises.
Read MoreOne year after women's sports advocate Riley Gaines was assaulted and held for ransom at SF State University, Gaines queried police about their criminal investigation: it's been suspended for “unfounded” charges, a claim Gaines rebuts in Campus Reform. Sadly, folks tracking the Bay Area's explosion of anti-free speech mobs (recently plaguing SJSU and UC Berkeley) are anything but surprised at this development.
Read MoreStatutes on occupying and gaining access to others' property are often twisted to support activist stunts and possession by unappreciated guests, which can clean out homeowners' wallets in the snap of a finger. KTVU reports that a high-end Hollywood residence was illegally occupied by folks leasing rooms to OnlyFans models. Thankfully, police shuttered the operation, but property owners were left with a big ol' “mess to clean.”
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