Posts by Take Back San Jose

Despite a broad consensus among economists and overwhelming evidence that rent control actually makes housing more expensive, California state government passed a sweeping new rent control ordinance this month. John Phelan of the Foundation for Economic Education surveys the damage he thinks is likely to occur. Rent controls propose using government regulation to solve the…

Will Sherman reports on a recent Fairfax City Council public discussion on the possibility of repealing “extreme” rent control in 2024. Residents are concerned about investors gradatim pulling out of Fairfax, which feeds into a citywide revenue doom-loop. Facing down a 2024 ballot initiative to repeal what are among California’s strictest rent and eviction controls,…

Image by pixabay.com From Social Democrat Alex Lee in Fremont to GOP candidates for congress and assembly, Bay Areans are rejecting efforts to dismantle CA’s Independent Citizens’ Redistricting Commission.  CA Assemblyman Alex Lee: “Trying to save democracy by destroying democracy is dangerous and foolish. By legitimizing the race to the bottom of gerrymandering, Democrats will…

Image by Ken Teegardin from Boulder, Boulder, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons how much might the market accomplish, especially re: making life affordable for locals? Taxpayer advocates Jon Coupal and Shane Patrick Connolly share some common-sense suggestions for our electeds in this Opp Now exclusive—relating to transit boondoggles, minimum wage debates, “boutique depts,” and…

FYI, it’s been a big week! Here’s what you need to know this week — in 30 seconds or less: Keep scrolling for all the data and details. Dear Neighbor,  Almost exactly a year ago, I stood at a site that looked a lot like the one you see below. But I was about…

Dear Neighbor, Tomorrow, we are starting our biggest clean-up operation since we cleared the Jungle — Operation Clean-Up Columbus.  It won’t be easy. It won’t happen overnight. And it may get worse in the area before it gets better. But continuing to do nothing, allowing this encampment to grow out of control, is not an…

Here’s what you need to know this week — in 30 seconds or less: Keep scrolling for all the data and details. Dear Neighbor, Tomorrow, we are starting our biggest clean-up operation since we cleared the Jungle — Operation Clean-Up Columbus.  It won’t be easy. It won’t happen overnight. And it may get worse in…

An absolutely enormous amount of money is spent every year in Bay Area cities to address homelessness. San Francisco in particular spends at least $672 million/year and plans to add another $500 million/year. Oakland spends $120 million/year. Is this seriously not enough to make any visible change? Can anyone with insight please help explain where this money goes? As…

Red Hook Housing Project, Brooklyn, New York. General view III by itoldya420 As free marketeers, the Opp Now team tends to look askance at public housing schemes. However, the left-leaning Mission Local website in SF does a literate and intelligent job of making the pitch in favor of better public housing management, so we respectfully…

Photo by Andre Taissin When local gov’t makes huge energy mandates—looking at you, Bay Area Air Quality Mgmt District—it’s renters and homeowners who get stuck with the bill. What’s more, “renewable” goods aren’t always ethical—or, um, good for the environment. Opp Now contributors Denise Kalm and Sandra Delvin analyze boosting affordability in the Valley in…