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A bigger bureaucracy won't fix Bay Area's transit problems
East Bay Times | January 23, 2024 | Steven Greenhut

The problems are hard to miss. Bay Area Rapid Transit has seen its ridership numbers plummet following the COVID-19 disruptions. Ridership has only returned to 43% of pre-pandemic levels, leaving BART with the worst recovery ([link removed]) of any big-city transit system in the country. San Francisco’s Muni is struggling too, but has returned to 70% of pre-pandemic levels, according to agency ([link removed]) figures. Facing financial Armageddon, both systems (and most others statewide) threatened severe service cutbacks.

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Why is In-N-Out Closing in Oakland? Out of Control Crime in the "Crime Triangle"
Right by the Bay | Steve Smith | January 23, 2024

The “crime triangle” is only a part of Oakland’s crime and economic problems. Despite a national trend towards declining homicide rates, Oakland saw 120 homicides committed in 2022 and 2023, or a murder every three days. While overall violent crime dropped slightly in 2022, aggravated assaults and brazen carjackings have not and residents are concerned.

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So-Called Vacant Housing Tax Will Make SF's Rental Housing Problems Even Worse
Right by the Bay | Kerry Jackson | January 24, 2024

When voters approved the Empty Homes Tax through Proposition M in November 2022, they set in motion a regime that, beginning in April 2025, the “owners of vacant residential units in buildings with three or more units” will be hit with an assessment “if those owners have kept those units vacant ([link removed](November_2022)&data=05%7C02%7Ctanaya%40pacificresearch.org%7Cdbff442b79a340f2527008dc08d804b6%7C56c2f5bedd274fdaa829995353b3b27a%7C0%7C0%7C638394971107830131%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=gIJM3aPaHu3lWa3GRYknSKVGkj5w%2FeDrskQkmHD2MZM%3D&reserved=0) for more than 182 days in a calendar year.”

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You're Invited To

PRI's 6th Annual "California Ideas in Action"
Sacramento Conference

Featuring Keynote Speaker
Steve Hilton
Fox News Contributor
Founder and CEO, Golden Together

Tuesday, February 13, 2024
12 PM

Hyatt Regency Sacramento
1209 L Street
Sacramento, CA

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