Below, prominent marketplace organization International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) argues that Gov. Newsom's recent package of 10 anti-crime bills is helpful—but insufficient when trying to penalize chronic retail thieves of under $950 (thanks to a Proposition 47 loophole). ICSC offers Prop 36, on the ballot this November, as a potential solution for Californians wanting safe streets.
Read MoreDespite local officials acting like full funding has been secured for the super late, wildly expensive, and widely panned BART-to-downtown-SJ project, the facts don't support their claims. According to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, the FTA has been very clear with VTA that their funding is only for preliminary work—and further funding is still contingent on future developments and achievements by VTA that are by no means guaranteed. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreMany alert Opp Now readers raised their eyebrows when CM David Cohen, in supporting the much-derided Prop 5 (which would lower the local tax threshold from 66% to 55%), suggested that majority rule was and should be the preferred form of democracy. The New Naratif website disagrees.
Read MoreThe day before the San Jose Planning Commission considered and ultimately voted to recommend approving the proposed Schiele Avenue/Alameda Park Historic District—a block of homes in the Garden Alameda district of San Jose—a vocal critic of designation sent an irate email to a group of local civic leaders, city planners, and journalists. Alongside many gross factual misstatements, the email also disparaged historic preservation professionals as “cultist" and the historic homes in question as “crappy.” Responding to this email, Preservation Action Council chief Ben Leech provides some much-needed clarification. Below is Leech's public comment sent to the recipients prior to the Planning Commission meeting on August 28th.
Read MoreAs Bay Areans prepare to vote on Proposition 5 this cycle, many are asking, “What exactly is a special tax for 'public infrastructure'? What kind of projects are included?” The answer, as elucidated below by The Press Democrat and Sac Bee, may be a bit of a chin-scratcher: the “infrastructure” label can be slapped on, well, most any gov't venture that costs money.
Read MoreLet's take a spin at this game: What ballot measure, you might ask, are pols like CM Cohen lauding and mistakenly linking to a wacky understanding of American civics? Bonus question: Would it shock you if all this bill does is make it easier for gov't to borrow money for non-priority projects, incurring debt on your dime? A Proposition 5 breakdown below from HJTA's VP of Comms, Susan Shelley.
Read MoreIrene Smith, one of the first local leaders to advocate for sanctioned encampments and congregate housing to address SJ's homelessness crisis, provides City staff some helpful guidelines re: how to make our first sanctioned encampment effective for both neighboring and homeless communities. From Medium.
Read MoreAccording to Palo Alto councilmember Greg Tanaka, SB-1047, ostensibly designed to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) and prevent potential harm—if signed into law—will hamstring technological progress, stifle small businesses, and harm California’s competitive edge in the global AI race. His Opp Now exclusive comments below.
Read MoreConventional wisdom is a funny ol' thing: it sometimes shifts so fast that we don't even notice. Just two years ago, thought leaders advocating for sanctioned encampments in SJ were derided by the local Labor/left as slumlords and racists, guilty of promoting internment camps. Now, even some of the (previously) most hostile critics of funding this type of interim housing suddenly are acknowledging its importance. The educational website conceptually.org explains how the Overton Window—or conventional wisdom—shifts in modern society.
Read MoreLocal SJ officials seem perplexed that the County Board of Supes appear to be pulling a switcheroo regarding what had been an interim housing site on Monterey and Bernal. The county wants to turn it into a jail diversion site that's an alternative to jail or prison for alleged offenders awaiting trial. Neighbors are livid, and below, Mayor Mahan expresses wariness re: the County's mixed signals in a letter to a constituent. {And it makes Opp Now editors wonder: is this the result of the county's recent strategy to delay—yet again—a new jail, for which decarceration zealots like Supe Ellenberg have been advocating?}
Read MoreAustrian economist and vice presidential hopeful Mike ter Maat put out the Libertarian Intelligence System Application (LISA) as a public resource providing limited-gov't perspectives on policy issues. Considering a few of SJ's extant debates, Opp Now peppered LISA with exclusive questions on bond measures, shady nonprofits, and more—the resulting discourse (our questions embellished for flair) below.
Read MoreThis November, Californians will vote to take a stance on Proposition 5 (which lowers the required 66% supermajority to 55% to approve new special taxes). SJ City Council, in a divided vote with Batra and Doan voting no, has endorsed Prop 5. Below, attorney and Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association's president Jon Coupal analyzes how the ballot measure's language may be confusing, misleading, and ultimately a backdoor way to voters' pocketbooks. (Sound familiar?)
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