GrowSF's most recent poll reveals some startling opinion shifts from Petrograd-by-the-Bay: residents say new Mayor Lurie's focus on local issues, not national party ideologies, is gaining in popularity—and some surprising thumbs ups for lower taxes and more shelters. Excerpted summary of poll results, below.
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Back in 2020, Stanford’s Dr. Jay Bhattacharya took to the screens of this humble website to voice his belief that blanket COVID shutdowns were excessive, and that instead it would be wiser to focus efforts on protecting vulnerable populations. Dr. J was vilified in local and national media for such heresy. But time, of course, has proven Dr. J prescient. And now he’s the head of the National Institute of Health. Spiked reports.
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Silicon Valley's ultra-industrious “hustle culture” drives much local innovation and success. But, says Culture Critic on Substack, skipping out on leisure—the intentional, restful receiving of what the world has to offer—will over time erode our art, culture, and individual flourishing.
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We get funny looks sometimes for publishing exclusive poems (primarily from former Board of Equalization candidate Peter Verbica) alongside more “important” policy analyses. But, as Verbica discusses in this World Poetry Day Opp Now exclusive, “the language of the soul” has much to offer—and, indeed, borrow from—the political sphere. His interview, plus our (growing) library of Opp Now poetry, follows.
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Maybe developers wouldn't be as spooked about building housing in the Golden State if our Environmental Quality Act wasn't so prone to: Labor corruption, economic inefficiency, and legal blockades. The Cato Institute examines in depth, below.
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City Journal analyzes why the nation's first Educational Savings Account (ESA) policy, from the Sunset State, is leaving families increasingly dissatisfied: accessing students' funds is laborious, confusing, and often delayed. CA lawmakers, take notes.
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Governments can offer retirement plans that don’t require lifer status—the defined benefit pension, after all, shortchanges employees who seek career-mobility. Instead, a defined contribution plan can deliver retirement security while breaking taxpayers out of unfunded liabilities. Reason Foundation’s Zachary Christensen writes how the “DC choice” helped Utah improve its funded status.
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In this Opp Now exclusive Q&A, we chat with Santa Clara CM and engineer Kevin Park about why he believes the “area median income” metric no longer serves the Valley’s lower-income residents. Due to wage disparities, local median salaries (and thus, affordable housing prices) are grossly overinflated—so is it time we rethink affordability?
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Two days. Hundreds of engineers. Cash prizes for the winning ideas. ABC News explains how a 2023 “hackathon” event partnering with the Golden City incentivized residents to come up with creative, out-of-the-box approaches to crime, home development, and more.
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Last week, San Jose City Council voted unanimously to extend sidewalk sitting/sleeping restrictions two extra hours (previously 10am–12pm, now beginning 8am). In this Opp Now exclusive, California Policy Center's Edward Ring, SCC Libertarians' Mark Hinkle, Coalition for a Better Oakland's Steve Heimoff, and SF Libertarians’ Starchild offer their perspectives on SJ's decision—and how local jurisdictions can continue fighting homelessness.
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As the SJ City Council prepares to tackle its $45m budget shortfall, citizens should get ready for a blizzard of arcane language that'll likely leave us utterly confused. The FlashReport provides a quick primer to help clarify what is meant to be obscure.
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Union and politicians' predictions that the VTA transit worker walkout would have a notable impact on Valley commuting and business has turned out to be wildly exaggerated. A quick look at publicly available data explains why: VTA ridership is so low, only a miniscule percentage of local travelers notice that the buses and ghost rail aren't running.
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