If we want the Bay Area's young adults to value (and be proficient at) reading, says Nat Review, we must model a passion for it ourselves—not just as teachers, but as parents, neighbors, coworkers, and friends.
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Many free market folks were glad to see SJ's abolition of parking minimum req'ts in 2022. But, as explored by Housing Commissioner Roberta Moore, this move—along with recently proposed changes to SB 9—doesn't come without consequences for already-dense communities nearby. Excerpted from a 3.6 email.
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A recent Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll press release shows that an overwhelming % of voters think gov't expenditures should be cut and expenses should be more closely examined. Meanwhile, SJ City Council, along with ostensibly fiscally accountable reps Mahan, Casey, and Mulcahy, continue to lobby to make it easier to raise taxes.
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As SJ's D3 race spending approaches the half-million dollar mark (in the primary!), experts note that money is by no means the determining factor in successful campaigns, and that most political ad spending is wasteful. FiveThirtyEight reports.
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Silicon Valley's no stranger to ballot wording that's been tweaked and twisted to seem more palatable to voters. And just last week, a Contra Costa school district was court-ordered to set right its misleading language on a proposed parcel tax. SFGate clarifies, below.
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What if parents were given a yearly $10k check to send their kids to whatever school they like (public, private, or home)? Many states are doing it. Others like TX are considering it. Here, the Federalist unpacks how ESAs benefit low-income families, boost the quality of local education, and empower teachers with bargaining power.
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CA’s Democratic Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has removed lawmakers who questioned the State's spending priorities from high-profile committee roles at the State Capitol. KCRA reports.
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Local watchdogs noticed that an upcoming parcel tax measure for the Acalanes UHSD used language making it seem like an increase from $112 to $130—instead of $301 to $431 (plus annual inflation increases). Last week, the Superior Court agreed that it's misleading and mandated several revisions. More info, below, from a CoCo Taxpayers Association press release.
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While local campaign watchers are agog at the sky-high expenses for the SJ D3 special election among some candidates, the Scholars Strategy Network outlines the many ways big money undermines true democracy, and filters out innovative, centrist candidates.
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Fremont aims to outlaw homeless camps in most parts of the city—does this mean SJ will be on the receiving end of travelling bivouacs? Ethan Varian reports for the Merc, excerpted below.
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$24 billion in five years. Hundreds of nonprofits. Endless plans, speeches, promises. And yet, CA's homelessness response remains a confusing rhetorical mess for anyone wondering—you know—what all that money's doing. From Hoover Institution.
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The South Bay Progressive Alliance joins transit experts and fiscal watchdogs from all across the political spectrum in urging VTA to redirect funding for the misbegotten downtown SJ add-on toward more relevant, green, and cost-effective alternatives. From the SBPA website, below.
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