Local Blogs


By Steve Levy
E-mail Steve Levy | Follow this Blog
About this blog: I grew up in Los Angeles and moved to the area in 1963 when I started graduate school at Stanford. Nancy and I were married in 1977 and we lived for nearly 30 years in the Duveneck school area. Our children went to Paly. We moved ... (More)
About this blog: I grew up in Los Angeles and moved to the area in 1963 when I started graduate school at Stanford. Nancy and I were married in 1977 and we lived for nearly 30 years in the Duveneck school area. Our children went to Paly. We moved downtown in 2006 and enjoy being able to walk to activities. I do not drive and being downtown where I work and close to the CalTrain station and downtown amenities makes my life more independent. I have worked all my life as an economist focusing on the California economy. My work centers around two main activities. The first is helping regional planning agencies such as ABAG understand their long-term growth outlook. I do this for several regional planning agencies in northern, southern and central coast California. My other main activity is studying workforce trends and policy implications both as a professional and as a volunteer member of the NOVA (Silicon Valley) and state workforce boards. The title of the blog is Invest and Innovate and that is what I believe is the imperative for our local area, region, state and nation. That includes investing in people, in infrastructure and in making our communities great places to live and work. I served on the recent Palo Alto Infrastructure Commission. I also believe that our local and state economy benefits from being a welcoming community, which mostly we are a leader in, for people of all religions, sexual preferences and places of birth. (Hide)
Sort by: Most Recent | Most Popular
I would like to support a new business tax
Jun 17, 2022 1:18 pm
Comments: 2 | Views: 5,734
Dear Mayor Burt and Council members,
I read in the Daily Post that you were sent an analysis by Joint Venture Silicon Valley's research group comparing your proposed... More
Jun 17, 2022 1:18 pm
Comments: 2 | Views: 5,734
Dear Mayor Burt and Council members,
I read in the Daily Post that you were sent an analysis by Joint Venture Silicon Valley's research group comparing your proposed... More
My letter to council on the proposed business tax
Jun 11, 2022 11:40 am
Comments: 3 | Views: 5,374
Dear Mayor Burt and council members,
In 2019 I publicly supported the business tax being discussed at the Finance Committee and consultant findings.
But I... More
Jun 11, 2022 11:40 am
Comments: 3 | Views: 5,374
Dear Mayor Burt and council members,
In 2019 I publicly supported the business tax being discussed at the Finance Committee and consultant findings.
But I... More
Increasing the Number of Customers for Palo Alto's Small Businesses
Apr 14, 2022 4:00 pm
Comments: 18 | Views: 8,092
Many small businesses including in Palo Alto are struggling to remain viable and open. Challenging factors include online shopping eating into retail store sales,... More
Apr 14, 2022 4:00 pm
Comments: 18 | Views: 8,092
Many small businesses including in Palo Alto are struggling to remain viable and open. Challenging factors include online shopping eating into retail store sales,... More
Business tax in Palo Alto
Jan 17, 2022 12:18 pm
Comments: 8 | Views: 8,466
To the City Council and Finance Committee and staff
I support a tax at the rates suggested by the survey results in the Finance Committee agenda packet on large... More
Jan 17, 2022 12:18 pm
Comments: 8 | Views: 8,466
To the City Council and Finance Committee and staff
I support a tax at the rates suggested by the survey results in the Finance Committee agenda packet on large... More
North Ventura Planning Area Alternatives
Jun 12, 2021 12:16 pm
Comments: 4 | Views: 20,773
Dear Mayor DuBois and council members,
The North Ventura planning area checks all the boxes as a great site for housing.
--close to services, shopping and... More
Jun 12, 2021 12:16 pm
Comments: 4 | Views: 20,773
Dear Mayor DuBois and council members,
The North Ventura planning area checks all the boxes as a great site for housing.
--close to services, shopping and... More
ARCHIVES
Stay informed.
Get the day's top headlines from Palo Alto Online sent to your inbox in the Express newsletter.
Los Altos restaurant and lounge closes just months after opening
By The Peninsula Foodist | 6 comments | 7,343 views
Bike lanes don’t belong on El Camino!
By Diana Diamond | 27 comments | 6,146 views
It’s ‘International Being You’ Day
By Chandrama Anderson | 20 comments | 2,195 views
How quickly will we electrify our homes?
By Sherry Listgarten | 6 comments | 1,063 views