San Jose weighs bond to fight homelessness

[KamaAina]

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_29077821/san-jose-weighs-bond-fight-homelessness

The city of San Jose is about to launch a feasibility study about putting a $250,000 million housing and homelessness bond on the ballot next year. The far-reaching measure would be aimed directly at offering a range of help to public servants, destitute veterans, the fresh influx of high tech workers as well as the abject homeless population.

"We have emerged from the great recession and we've seen the toll it took on our families and neighbors, many of them living out on the streets and along creeks," said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. "We can do more and this will be a critical path for us to steer hundreds of million dollars to tackle homelessness in a way we have not ever done before."

While some of the initiative will be aimed at helping typical homeless people, Liccardo said it's ultimate focus will be better determined following scientific polling that will begin almost immediately to determine the level of interest by the public to help. This week, San Francisco voters passed Prop A -- a $310,000 (sic) program for low and middle income housing.

"Big problems need big solutions," said Jennifer Loving, executive director of Destination Home in San Jose, "and with this level of funding something significantly good can happen. This is fantastic."

Dear Murky News: Prop A is a $310 million program.

[Auggie]

1. Partial burden falls on homeowners, eh?

The numbers are still rough estimates, but the calculations are loosely based on voters agreeing to pay $9.95 per $100,000 in estimated real estate value. (A taxpayer with a $1 million house would pay roughly $100). A yes vote would generate $258 million to tackle one of the prickliest social problems of our time.

It's corporations that are jacking up prices and off-shoring jobs. Let them pay for all of it.

[KamaAina]

2. If you can figure out a way to do that, you've got my vote!

Few of the tech giants are domiciled in San Jose. Even Cisco, which occupies most of Tasman Drive in north San Jose, is officially headquartered in Milpitas. Adobe downtown is really our only major tech HQ.

[daredtowork]

3. I'm suspicious of the "scientific polling"

This is like a sound check on whether enough entitled tech bros have infiltrated tge electorate yet to carry a vote.