Archive for June 2024
Former State Senator: Attempts to thwart the Taxpayer Protection Initiative show blatant disregard for the will of the people
Howard Jarvis after California Proposition 13 victory. Image by Wikimedia Commons. ith the state’s cost of living skyrocketing and two tax-increasing initiatives looming on the statewide ballot, it’s no surprise that Californians are growing increasingly weary of their leaders’ relentless pursuit of more funds. Melissa Melendez in CA Globe says that efforts to boot the Taxpayer’s…
Read MoreLeading transit advocate says SJ BART extension “crazy”
Image by Wikimedia Commons. David Schonbrunn, president of transdef.org, takes a look at Bay Area transit management and sees a business model that doesn’t work, services that are no longer in demand, and out-of-control misspending. From a Merc op-ed. My concerns run much deeper than the panic of the day — the “fiscal cliff.” Working…
Read MoreSJ Council endorses new tax that will throw billions more at hugely flawed subsidized housing model
Yesterday, SJ City Council agreed to endorse a $20bn (!) regional housing bond tax, the lion’s share of which will go towards subsidized, deed-restricted housing. Howard Husock at City Journal explains why this is throwing (lots of) good money after bad, as subsidized housing is just an economically illiterate approach. Maybe our housing programs haven’t…
Read MoreHousing expert proposes ground rules for making affordable housing work within existing SJ communities
Single family home next to 8 unit apartment building Irene Smith, head of the Independent Leadership Group and United Housing Alliance has done a deep dive into what works–and doesn’t–when all type of affordable housing ** developments are built in or next to traditional neighborhoods. Her recommended ground rules–which she says can improve quality of life for…
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