Archive for December 2023

by Joseph Geha (San Jose Spotlight) Newly-appointed District 10 San Jose Councilmember Arjun Batra shakes hands with Mayor Matt Mahan on Jan. 26, 2023. Photo by Jana Kadah. A political action committee that supports local pro-business candidates has announced its endorsements for next year’s San Jose City Council and mayoral elections. Silicon Valley Biz PAC is…

Image by Wikimedia Commons As we give 2023 the door and make way for ’24, Opp Now asked local political commentators and officeholders/candidates to break down the books (or articles, films, podcasts—you name it) that stood out to them this year. Media that inspired them. That challenged them, that expanded and, well, maybe even changed…

Haven for Hope, a headline-making shelter located in San Antonio, serves 85% of the city’s homeless population, providing a bed and litany of social services to virtually anyone in need. CalMatters breaks down keys to the shelter’s overwhelming success: sobriety requirements, all-inclusive services (not just a place to sleep), and proximity to mental health and…

VTA stumbles forward to waste billions more on its misbegotten extension of BART to downtown SJ—and beyond. Randal O’Toole, transportation and land-use policy analyst for the Thoreau Institute, has another idea: how about a system based on actual usage patterns of Valley residents and a concern for speed, service, and efficiency? An Opp Now exclusive.…

Image source: AI-driven art using Midjourney with prompts by Peter Verbica, 2023. Below, Peter Coe Verbica observes important lessons on managing money and relating to gov’t (take note, ‘24 city/county candidates). In this Opp Now exclusive, Verbica breaks down “The House of Rothschild,” which tells the story of Europe’s preeminent, elusive Ashkenazi Jewish finance family. “With money…

SJtoday takes us on a tour through the heart of DTSJ’s streets, highlighting the unique, vibrant, and culturally rich murals the Silicon Valley’s Capital has to offer. Below, take a break from local news and enjoy a tasting plate of SJ’s best art: celebrating cultures all over the globe, important figures like San Josean LGBTQ+…

David Teniers: The Archery Contest, 1645. Image by Wikimedia Commons You’ll never guess this one: it’s actually way more lucrative for City-funded nonprofits when homeless people stay homeless, points out formerly unhoused San Franciscan JConr Ortega. Below, Ortega’s analysis of the Homeless Industrial Complex—the gov’t/nonprofit entities that profit from homelessness, so long as it remains…

Image in Public Domain Jerry Strangis, San Jose land use consultant since 1975, comments on the City’s attempt to get its Housing Element certified. Hand-wringing City officials worry—should the State reject their plan—developers will keep using the “builder’s remedy” loophole to avert zoning restrictions. Strangis praises SJ’s efforts toward a compliant Housing Element, while recognizing…

Image in Public Domain CBS News rewinds the tapes, and explains how the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency first went off track and began seriously losing business. When BART shifted its focus from effective service to social equity issues, it alienated key customer bases (and really, should that be a surprising outcome?). Fifty-one years ago,…

 WEBSITE  |  COUNCILMEMBER BIEN DOAN  |  MEET THE DISTRICT 7 TEAM  |  CONTACT  District 7 Residents, I have an exciting and pivotal development in our community to share with you!  A collaboration that holds immense promise for both the San Jose Earthquakes and the residents all over our city, especially in District 7. The city of San José, County of Santa…