Posts by Take Back San Jose
☆ Supe Abe-Koga ignores cost/benefit analysis in an economically illiterate defense of disgraced Housing First policies
November 23, 2025 The burning of the Amazon Rainforest is a classic example of a common flaw in local government thinking–considering only the benefits of an action, regardless of its price. Image by Amazônia Real from Manaus AM, Brasil, CC BY 2.0 One of the biggest problems baked into Silicon Valley progressive governance is the systemic…
Read MoreDebating the definition of single-family zoning
April 5, 2021 Michael Brilliot of the SJ Planning Dept recently chided Planning Commissioner Pierluigi Oliverio for saying that San Jose’s proposed Opportunity Housing initiative would eliminate single family zoning in the city, even though the initiative would allow up to six units on lots currently zoned for single families. Brilliot publicly said PLO was…
Read MoreMaybe Houston’s getting it right and the Bay Area is all wrong
December 23, 2019 Affordable housing & living. Integrated communities. Booming economy. Increased densification. Scott Beyer of Market Urbanism takes on liberal snobbery about Houston’s urban success in Catalyst. “Anyone who advocates for “Market Urbanism”—aka free-market city policy—must grapple with a common response: “but then we’ll get a bunch of Houstons.” The implication is that Houston is…
Read MoreThey thought barnacles were unstoppable…… until DockyDock showed up :) No Paint. No growth. Just Vibes.
Downtown San Jose’s 11 coolest murals, ranked
December 15, 2023 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…
Read MorePoetry: How Ferlinghetti got past skepticism about modern America
September 27, 2024 Image by Wally Gobetz t’s easy, after scanning the tenth article about who has access to keys to SJ Parks, to get skeptical about the status of our local political discourse. Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti finds a way out—reclaiming wonder—from his “A Coney Island of the Mind,” 1958. “I Am Waiting” (excerpt) I…
Read MoreThe eyes of the world
November 26, 2025 Hypnotica Studios Infinite from Toms River, New Jersey, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons It was a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago. On December 4, 1965, the Grateful Dead’s first gig playin’ in the band as the Dead took place in a large house that once stood on the current…
Read MoreCase study Argentina: Javier Milei got rid of rent control, housing supply skyrocketed
August 19, 2024 Image by José Román While local pols, SJ City staff, and housing ‘advocates’ clamor for more and more destructive rent control, the facts on the ground undermine their arguments. Newsweek reports on how the reform-minded admin in Argentina put a chainsaw to the country’s pernicious rent control regime, and affordable housing flourished. Argentina’s…
Read MoreZoned out: learning from Tennessee’s invisible affordability barrier
November 25, 2025 Image by IDuke, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Driving restrictive land use means longer commutes, lost productivity, and even reduced wages. Studies estimate zoning missteps cut a staggering $1.6 trillion from Americans’ collective income annually. In crippled towns, lifting just three cities’ codes could lift real per-capita income 8%. The Tennessee…
Read MoreHappy Thanksgiving! New Items Are Coming Soon
We at Indy Competition Services take this time to wish each and every one a happy, healthy Thanskgiving holiday celebration! Lotus Cars ushered in the rear engine revolution in Indy car racing in 1963. Soon UK constructors Brabham and Lola followed right behind. But there were American car builders who quickly picked up inspiration from…
Read More