While local media soft-pedaled the blockbuster State Auditor's report that found that SJ (and statewide) homelessness programs don't work, national housing experts and media were more brutally honest. Excerpts from Calmatters, L.A. Focus, L.A Times, and more, below.

Concerns about non profit accountability in SJ have a long history of being ignored. Irene Smith of the Independent Leadership Group and United Housing Alliance suggests that the blistering State Audit report on SJ's out-of-control homelessness expenditures means it's finally time to get serious about managing non profits that receive city funds. Originally on Medium NonProfit Accountability Registry.

The sycamores leaf. Twilights linger along the Monte Bello ridge. The crack of baseball bats provides a steady backbeat to the mournful ranchera music that pours out of the open windows of passing cars.  It's Spring. Peter Coe Verbica (also known by the pen name "Shijin")  explores the celebration, the work, the wonder, and the toil of rebirth in a series of three haiku. 

The Dave Cortese-requested audit reveals that the statewide and San Jose homeless-industrial-complex are hoovering up vast amounts of cash with little or no effectiveness--and even less oversight. Thomas Buckely reports in California Globe. 

Matt Haney, SF Assemblymember, intro's AB2479--aiming to unlock state funds for sober living requirements in subsidized,  state-funded housing. The bill responds to the epidemic of drug overdoses and addiction enabled by CA's barrier-free, hugely expensive, and painfully slow-to-build Housing First model.   Additional reporting from Ethan Varian at the Merc, below.

On the heels of widening public apprehension about the now-$12.8bn extension of BART through downtown SJ from former mayors, the Mercury News, and nationally recognized transit experts, BART Directors Ames and Allen are asking the hard questions of project leaders across a spectrum of issues ranging from the costs of tunneling designs to ridership projections. Full text of Directors' memo below. 

Given all the confetti flying around CA16 votes, it's important to remember why recounts happen and what the accepted protocols are. Simply put, a recount is “a retabulation of the votes cast in an election.” It's meant to corroborate the certified election results such that election officials can ensure that all the ballots cast are counted accurately and that the correct candidate or ballot issue wins. Fairvote.org unpacks the specifics.  Spoiler alert: recounts rarely change many votes, very rarely change outcomes, although they sometimes do in super tight races.