County residents may have been united on some things this election, but we can't vote away ideological diversity. So how can we productively discuss our differences (and, um, still have friends)? Here, Radix mag recalls philosopher Martin Buber's conceptualization of dialogue—which artfully balances “holding your ground” with “staying open to the other.”
Read MoreAustrian economist Friedrich Hayek believed gov't shouldn't “shape” the economy through mandates, but instead “cultivate a growth by providing the appropriate environment” (as with gardening). Below, Law & Liberty elegantly expands on this pillar of free marketism—that “grown” economics fulfills our needs far better than “invented” top-down principles.
Read MoreIn Social Epistemology, political scientist Tim Hayward says authoritative institutions may defend their “official story” on an issue—regardless of the actual facts—by smearing other viewpoints as “conspiracy theories.” Hmm, doesn't that sound too familiar for Stanford prof Dr.Bhattacharya, canceled during Covid for stating the obvious (now widely backed) truth: lockdowns didn't work.
Read MoreThe Upland loophole lets local governments hike taxes with only 50% approval. But HJTA’s Susan Shelley argues this contravenes the CA Constitution, which requires two-thirds. She says voters were denied a chance to close the loophole because Sac blocked the Taxpayer Protection Act. This let extreme sales and parcel taxes sail through down in LA. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreAcross the Golden State, voters flagged their discomfort with pols and policies that accelerated social unrest. Prop 36 won because it reforms Prop 47, the starting gun for theft and disorder that collided with Californians’ sense of public safety. Soft-on-crime DAs have now been recalled in SF, Alameda, and LA—and some crime-friendly Bay Area mayors lost their campaigns. Rafael Mangual of City Journal wonders if local Dems will take the hint, and embrace more moderate policies.
Read MoreCalMatters’s Yue Stella Yu reports that demographics could signal an unexpected destiny: a younger, more right-leaning Latino electorate in California.
Read MoreIf voters' Prop 13 protections are clearly under threat, they'll push back, says HJTA Comms VP Susan Shelley. In this Opp Now exclusive Q&A, she recalls how Prop 5’s proponents claimed it wasn’t a tax, and they were “just asking questions”—but, she says, voters saw right through that tangled, deceptive messaging: although outspent, HJTA’s “shoestring” campaign helped safeguard communities across the state from gov't overreach.
Read MoreConcluding our Opp Now exclusive Election '24 series, SJ Housing Commissioner Roberta Moore rejects the notion that ideological polarization is just a fact we must accept in Silicon Valley—pointing instead to common goals we can all get behind (gov't accountability, anyone?).
Read MoreSince 2021, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya—Stanford prof of Medicine—has stared down efforts to silence and cancel his fact-based critiques of the medical and gov't establishments' COVID responses. His positions have been wholly vindicated over time, and now he has been nominated with much acclaim to lead the National Institute of Health (NIH). Here at Opp Now, we're proud to be the only local media source to give Dr. J's since-validated views airtime back in June 2021—and re-post our exclusive interview with him, in which he debunked inaccurate claims about COVID response in the SJ Merc's "Lessons Learned" recap.
Read MoreWith the incoming Trump administration planning to defund California High-Speed Rail, it’s time for local transit officials to revisit the already weak case for extending HSR and Caltrain from 4th and King Street in San Francisco 1.3 miles to Salesforce Transit Center. Below, an Opp Now exclusive analysis from Contra Costa Taxpayers Association prez Marc Joffe.
Read MoreIn the wake of Election ‘24, Opp Now contributors wonder if State gov't might fix its $68 bn deficit with smarter budgeting (um, it's about time)—or keep throwing taxpayers’ cash to flashy but trivial projects. An Opp Now exclusive featuring: local realtor Mark Burns, past mayor Lydia Kou, transit expert Tom Rubin, and HJTA's Susan Shelley.
Read MoreFiscal woes are not unique to Bay Area cities (lookin' at you, Portola Valley). The Los Angeles Times editorial board notes that the city is teetering on the edge of a fiscal emergency, with its finances in “dire” condition and no money to cover unplanned expenses.
Read More
