Posts by Take Back San Jose

Image by Wikimedia Commons Local election “experts” recently framed their analysis of the upcoming election around a whopping piece of misinformation, falsely asserting: “Let’s first talk about the Bay Area—of course, overwhelmingly Democratic.” The truth: in Santa Clara County, there is no majority party. Allow us to hit “repeat” on our Opp Now exclusive article…

Hello all,   I was recently interviewed by SJ Spotlight regarding the sanctioned supportive encampment (SSE) at Watson Park; here are 2 considerations. 1. Consensus will be reached between the neighborhood and City on community commitments; San Jose will achieve those commitments and honor their agreement. 2. The nonprofit must continually update all stakeholders and…

  Dear Neighbor, There are a lot of things we don’t notice until they break.    The washing machine that springs a leak when we have a week’s worth of laundry piling up. The coffee maker that breaks when we have a big presentation at work in an hour. The remote control that runs out…

San Francisco’s now-infamous Dream Keeper Initiative looked the other way when contracted nonprofits bought first-class flights, luxury meals, and (yep) concert tickets on the City’s dime. Today, SF Chron dives into the initiative’s former leader Sheryl Davis—who paid herself $11,000 to produce an interview podcast linking to her personal website (which advertised her children’s book).…

The LA Times’ Michael Lens discusses that CA’s biggest cities aren’t building housing fast enough to keep up with population increases. He suggests the solution lies in reforming local zoning laws (already commonly sidestepped by SJ developers) and building planning practices—starting with prioritizing more multifamily apartments. We can reframe our planning for housing around these…

Image by Wikimedia Wikimedia Commons Last Dec, Opp Now filed a BART public records request for two simple stats from 2023. We got a reply—nine months later. BART Director Debora Allen’s also experienced the agency’s lack of communication and transparency since elected in 2016. At a recent meeting, Allen revealed she’d been asking BART the…

Image generated using Dall-E Upending norms that date back to 1849, Prop 5 strips taxpayer protections that are enshrined in the State Constitution and reinforced by Prop 13—says Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association’s Susan Shelley in this Opp Now exclusive Q&A. While the Bay Area’s RM4 may have been a uniquely spectacular ask, she warns it’s…

LB City officials roll out a plan with legal enforcement alternatives to clear out encampments that pose a public threat or block access to libraries, parks, and beaches, as well as addressing homeless camps where people have repeatedly declined to accept service or shelter. LA Times reports. Long Beach will begin citing and possibly arresting homeless…

Prop 5 will help local leaders hand out bigger checks to government employees under the guise of public works, warns Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Ass’n spokesperson Susan Shelley in this Opp Now exclusive Q&A. With major ambiguity and little accountability, the measure will ease through almost any kind of local bond that fits the new, open-ended…

Image by Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. The main characters are seen here illegally squatting in an abandoned apartment. As SF Chronicle reports, San Francisco recently announced they’ll be doing controlled demolition of deserted houses with illegal squatter residents. This project will provide (via redevelopment) 800 new affordable homes and 800 new market-rate units,…