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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Recent, surprising anti-business votes from new SJ CMs Casey and Mulcahy may provide some insight into the hazards of successful businesspeople making the jump to politics. Steve Keating provides advice in LeadToday on how businesspeople can keep their bearings under pressure.
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Better learn to love that efficiency kitchen, those noisy neighbors, and the mold in your closet: new data says San Jose is the hardest city in the U.S. for young people to buy their first home. From SFGATE.
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In 1978, Prop 13 (helping clamp down on unpopular property tax increases) passed in California by a 2:1 margin. Given what happened with Prop 5 last Nov, we're not surprised. But—unlike today—back in '78, most institutions, business groups, and even the press were united with voters' wishes. SoCA Public Radio rewinds, here.
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New SJ CMs Casey & Mulcahy campaigned on promises of tax restraint and accountable gov't spending, but their actions so far suggest they're as tax-and-spend as their pals on the Labor bloc. Northwestern Law Review reminds us of how growth and equity derive from historically-validated sound tax strategies.
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San Jose gov't should follow Los Angeles' lead in homelessness portal management, says Independent Leadership Group’s Irene Smith, and start sharing success/failure metrics for publicized, time-bound goals. Below, Smith explains how LA Alliance suing LA gov't brought about these data analysis changes (plus: how SJ might adopt a similar dashboard). From Medium.
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The threatened walkout of local transit workers causes little concern because so few people ride transit in the Valley. Randall O'Toole explores, in this highlight from a beloved Opp Now exclusive, why VTA is one of the worst-performing agencies in the U.S.
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“Not raising taxes will kill our schools.” “We'll solve homelessness by building more housing.” Below, the Center for Inquiry's Benjamin Radford (also a folklore journalist) breaks down why these slanted local narratives seem so appealing—and how to avoid media's death trap, via critical analysis. An Opp Now exclusive.
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