Sacramento’s Camp Resolution was supposed to be a national model of managed encampments for the unhoused. It recently closed in turmoil. The Sac Bee wades through the finger-pointing, providing further warnings and recommendations for San Jose’s upcoming Watson Park sanctioned encampment. When Sacramento officials signed a first-of-its-kind lease with a local nonprofit that allowed unhoused residents…

The more Bay Areans learn about Prop 5, the less they like it. Even the historically liberal Chronicle Editorial Board now joins the San Jose Mercury News & East Bay Times in opposition to the constitutional amendment, which makes it easier to pass local housing and infrastructure bonds. Where would Prop 5’s new tax money…

Mizuno Toshikata: Samurai archer, 1899. Reducing local prison populations isn’t a noble aspiration, says Manhattan Institute’s Rafael A. Mangual, but actually counterproductive for anyone wanting safe streets. Mangual discusses the high percentage of U.S. prisoners who 1) were booked for violent crimes, and 2) will re-commit once released. Why, then, do pols like Supe Ellenberg…

If SB 1047 passes, California could become as unattractive to AI innovators as Europe is, wrote U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) in a letter to State Senator Scott Wiener. Lofgren pointed out that the bill makes companies comply with guidelines that haven’t yet been developed. In a statement on his official website, U.S. Representative…

  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…

Image by Wikimedia Commons According to Palo Alto councilmember Greg Tanaka, SB-1047, ostensibly designed to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) and prevent potential harm—if signed into law—will hamstring technological progress, stifle small businesses, and harm California’s competitive edge in the global AI race. His Opp Now exclusive comments below. California stands at a critical juncture. SB-1047…

Image by Jordii Sastre Conventional wisdom is a funny ol’ thing: it sometimes shifts so fast that we don’t even notice. Just two years ago, thought leaders advocating for sanctioned encampments in SJ were derided by the local Labor/left as slumlords and racists, guilty of promoting internment camps. Now, even some of the (previously) most hostile critics…

Image by James Yang Local SJ officials seem perplexed that the County Board of Supes appear to be pulling a switcheroo regarding what had been an interim housing site on Monterey and Bernal. The county wants to turn it into a jail diversion site that’s an alternative to jail or prison for alleged offenders awaiting…

Image by Jonathan Cutrer Let’s take a spin at this game: What ballot measure, you might ask, are pols like CM Cohen lauding and mistakenly linking to a wacky understanding of American civics? Bonus question: Would it shock you if all this bill does is make it easier for gov’t to borrow money for non-priority…

Irene Smith, one of the first local leaders to advocate for sanctioned encampments and congregate housing to address SJ’s homelessness crisis, provides City staff some helpful guidelines re: how to make our first sanctioned encampment effective for both neighboring and homeless communities. From Medium. Three cheers for Mayor Mahan and CM Torres (D3) for doing…

A page from Court and Courtship: Indian Miniatures in the TAPI Collection by JP Losty(Amazon) A decade after Proposition 47 was approved by Californians, many are questioning whether the crime-lenient bill has actually promoted “safe neighborhoods.” Below, algorithm analyst Ray Manning zooms in on Long Beach’s publicly available data, finding that: no, crime of all…

Image by Freepik SJ CM David Cohen revealed a lack of understanding of the nature of democracy on 8.27 when he equated democracy with majority rule, as part of his misguided defense of Proposition 5 (which would lower the long-held threshold for new local taxes from 66% to 55%.). Majority rule does not equate to…