Policy briefs to empower moderates and independents
Most Americans are in the sensible middle yet no longer have a voice in national or state politics.
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Taxpayer subsidies per Bay Area transit trip have grown 2.75x in ten years — from $3.53 to $9.69 — even as ridership across BART, Muni, AC Transit, Caltrain, and VTA remains down 37% from 2019. This November's Regional Transit Measure locks in that same cost structure for 14 more years, no reforms required. This guide breaks down the numbers, and begins to make the case for a better path forward.
The State of California is coming after your parking plazas. Like Menlo Park, most Peninsula cities have parking plazas behind your main street merchants – Laurel St in San Carlos, Santa Cruz Ave in Los Gatos, Main St in Los Altos, Castro St in Mountain View, California Ave in Palo Alto, Burlingame Ave in Burlingame.
Sacramento wants Menlo Park to build 600 housing units on the parking plazas that enable mid-Peninsula customers to shop at our downtown merchants and restaurants.
Americans know by heart the inalienable rights listed in the Declaration of Independence - Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. No other constitution or founding document lists this right - Opportunity - as the enduring right which distinguishes the USA. Often described as the American Dream - if you work hard, you can succeed here despite wherever you’re from, whatever your background or ethnic origin.
On May 26 Sequoia Union High School District settlement with six brave families will require annual antisemitism training.
As parents of 3 M-A teenagers, we’re very concerned about Ethnic Studies Curriculum teaching our kids U.S. history through the lens of oppressed versus oppressor, which divides our communities rather than celebrating the journeys of immigrants who have overcome discrimination.
On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, until we defeat the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, there will continue to be terrorism in the Middle East.
Imagine a peaceful, modern Iran integrated into the world’s economy - an Iran that not only doesn’t make a nuclear bomb, but also ends support of terrorist proxies Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthis, stops making ballistic missiles.
Can drones put out wildfires? A Predator B drone can carry over 3,000 lbs of fire retardant. Satellites can detect hot spots.
What if we had a fleet of drones to extinguish fires in the first 30 minutes before they became wildfires?
Kill the mismanaged High Speed Rail to nowhere and instead extend BART and CalTrain to affordable communities.
Build Moffett City instead of forcing higher density on the Peninsula. Mag7 employers contribute infrastructure. Relieve South Bay cities of RHNA obligations.
AG Rob Bonta just stuck it to cities with his letter forcing Menlo Park to allow two 39-story apartment towers, the tallest between SF and San Jose, and the most egregious example of Builder’s Remedy punitive penalty.
Over the last decade, the Sacramento supermajority has taken away local control over zoning with a one-size-fits-all unfunded state mandate called the Housing Element, including SB9 ending single-family zoning.