California is projected to lose nearly one million public school students by 2031—a 15.7% collapse driven by an affordability crisis that's pushing families to Idaho, Florida, and Texas. In San Francisco, the dysfunction is on full display: SFMTA quietly gutted 365 of 465 promised affordable units from a major transit project after admitting the funding was never real, while a Chinatown housing nonprofit sits on $163 million in assets and 29 LLCs with questions mounting about financial disclosure. Across the state, a growing debate is exposing the tension between progressive housing politics and basic economics—with developers, reformers, and departing families all reaching the same conclusion.
Federal data projects a 15.7% enrollment collapse by 2031, the worst of any major state. Meanwhile, Idaho and Florida are growing. This isn't inevitable—it's what happens when the cost of housing skyrockets and the quality of education declines.
The Mission spent eight years in working groups designing housing that SFMTA admitted was only ever a future possibility — never a funded commitment. Then the city cut 365 units and called it a compromise.
NYC and LA progressives promise rent freezes plus new construction. Every city that's tried gets ghost apartments instead.
They are accused of harvesting grandma's ballot, pocket $777K salaries, and wield incredible political power in San Francisco. All on your tax dollars.
While virtue signaling politicians and their donors sip champagne, real builders walk the fire rubble of Pacific Palisades and work with startup founders to create jobs
Fareed Zakaria just said the quiet part out loud: blue cities are out of control. But San Francisco might actually be charting a different course.
Housing NIMBYs already took 36% of GDP. Now the same playbook is blocking the AI economy. The states that figure out how to share the upside will win the future.
Zohran Mamdani will increase net spending to defend 3 core policy pillars that are destined for failure
Cities skim $300 million a year in fees from affordable housing projects, then wonder why we can't house families.
San Jose built ZERO market rate homes in 2024. Then Matt Mahan cut the fees, and everything changed.