☆ Homelessness expert: Expect other cities to “follow suit” with SJ's Housing First reforms (4/4)

SF homeless advocate Tom Wolf unpacks the factors (from local to state to national) influencing San Jose's proposal to funnel PSH funds to interim housing. And why he expects Housing First doctrine to loosen across the nation—perhaps in other Bay Area cities. An Opp Now exclusive.

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Jax Oliver
Marc Joffe: What if we stopped rewarding California for overspending on Medi-Cal?

Why are taxpayers subsidizing healthcare for millionaires? The SJ Merc frames a prudent spending reform to Medi-Cal as a massive and disastrous cut. But maybe that’s just Chicken Little for the underinformed. An interview between policy analyst Marc Joffe and CPC head Will Swaim on the excellent National Review podcast, Radio Free California.

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Jax Oliver
☆ Perspectives: Studying ancient Greek/Roman culture is a challenging endeavor—and here's why we should all try it

Earlier this week, transit expert Randal O' Toole rewound the clock for us on VTA's surprising history of rideshare innovation. And, as three Bay Area classics professors argue in this Opp Now exclusive, that's not the only point in the past Silicon Valleyans should look into. Their analyses (and wide-ranging reading recommendations) below.

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Jax Oliver
☆ New SJ budget marks the end of Housing First? Unlikely, say local commentators (3/4)

Those fed up with San Jose's barrier-free housing approach to homelessness may have noticed: Council may shift all funds from PSH to temporary housing and prevention. But, as contributors Johnny Khamis and Tobin Gilman explain, Housing First is probably stickin' around (particularly via tiny homes). An Opp Now exclusive.

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Jax Oliver
Call any outré idea “out-of-touch” (until it reaches mainstream local culture)

Silicon Valley conservatives have long critiqued Housing First ideology and pointed to more immediate, affordable options. Only recently, SJ's started to catch on. Reason mag shines light on the historical precedent for outcasting revolutionary political thoughts—until they become vogue.

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Jax Oliver
Many people won't read past this headline—they're already bored.

Science tells us that new information, whether slowly or quickly gained, triggers happy chemicals in our brain. That's why these days, we're increasingly forgoing longer, difficult pursuits like reading—to instead refresh our social media feed one more time. In Medium, Hugh McGuire explains what's lost (besides our attention spans) by prioritizing quick, easy pleasures.

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Jax Oliver
SF’s deep state undermines calls to economize

What $840 million deficit? Tasked with “painful decisions,” some SF department heads are simply ignoring the mayor’s directive to cut costs. SF Standard explores.

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Jax Oliver