Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 386

SF Giants avoid ignominious history, still can’t crack scoreboard in loss to A’s

OAKLAND — The good news is the Giants didn’t make any unfortunate history in the penultimate Battle of the Bay.

The bad news was just about everything else about their offense in a 2-0 loss to the Athletics, which sent them back below .500 (62-63) and another game back in the National League wild card race (3½ behind Atlanta, still yet to play).

In front of one of the largest Coliseum crowds expected before the A’s leave for Sacramento after this season, journeyman right-hander Osvaldo Bido nearly treated the split-allegiance 37,551 on hand to the first no-hitter in the teams’ 147 meetings since the A’s made this a two-team market in 1968.

The Giants mustered just four hits — all after the fifth inning — and were shut out for the second time in the span of a week.

“Some games we have good games (offensively); some games we don’t,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Consistently, we have not.”

It took a swinging bunt and one of the fastest dashes up the first-base line by a Giants player this season to avoid the ignominious distinction.

Bido let out a yell of frustration after rookie center fielder Grant McCray barely made contact with a changeup off the plate, sent it spinning at 67.3 mph up the third base line and made it to first base at a rate of 30.8 feet per second (30.0 is considered elite).

With one out in the sixth inning, the infield single broke up the 28-year-old’s no-hit bid, and the Giants produced only three more hits the rest of the afternoon — two from Mark Canha, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, and a hustle double from McCray, who flashed his speed again to lead off the eighth inning.

Despite getting a runner into scoring position with nobody out and the top of their lineup coming up, the Giants weren’t able to advance McCray 90 feet, let alone the 180 it would have taken to get on the scoreboard. Tyler Fitzgerald watched strike three, LaMonte Wade Jr. popped out to short, and presented with a middle-middle changeup on a 3-1 count, Heliot Ramos rolled over for a soft grounder to short.

“I was just trying to start a rally for us,” said McCray, who also used his wheels to charge a shallow fly ball in center field and make a diving catch for the second out of the fourth inning. “As soon as I hit (the double), I was like, ‘Get two’ just because (J.J.) Bleday is a lefty so he’s going to have to make a spin-move throw and I got in there and beat it.”

The Giants were shut out for only the fifth time this season but the second time in their past five games, after a 1-0 loss to the Braves on Monday. In eight games since they returned home from taking consecutive series in Cincinnati and Washington, the Giants have been held to four or fewer runs seven times while batting .199 (52-for-261).

“The pitchers are really good in this league; we’ve just got to grind out every at-bat we can,” said second baseman Brett Wisely, who went 0-for-2 with a pair of flyouts before being lifted for Casey Schmitt as a pinch-hitter. “Our pitchers are elite, too. If we can just get a couple runs for them, I feel like we can put some wins on the board. It’s just one of those funks.”

After back-to-back clunkers, Hayden Birdsong turned in his strongest outing since the calendar flipped to August, limiting the A’s to one run on three hits and three walks while striking out five over 4⅔ innings, but the focus for the majority of the game was on the hits — not the runs — column.

“I’m happy I put up some zeros and gave us a chance,” said Birdsong, who lowered his ERA in three August starts to 10.64 from 17.50. “I obviously would like to finish the fifth and work into the sixth, maybe the seventh, but things happened and we needed guys to come in.”

Both starters authored shutouts for four innings, until the A’s started the fifth with a pair of singles — only their second and third hits — and Lawrence Butler drove a one-out fly ball deep enough to center to drive home Zack Gelof from third and open a 1-0 lead.

With Birdsong at 78 pitches and two runners still on base, that was enough for Melvin to call on Spencer Bivens, who got out of the inning with the help of a spectacular play from Wisely, ranging to the shortstop side of the second base bag to turn a potential RBI hit from Brent Rooker into the third out.

“It looked like it was going to be a pretty simple play, but it hit the bag and jumped up on me,” Wisely said. “I just tried to get rid of it as quick as I could. Running in the other direction, it was a tough throw.”

Bivens wasn’t so fortunate the following inning, as Seth Brown snuck a single to the left of a diving Wisely to drive home Miguel Andujar, whose one-out double was one of only two extra base hits from either team, that extended Oakland’s advantage to 2-0.

Melvin said he didn’t want Birdsong facing Rooker for a third time.

“He did have three walks, but I thought the command was better today,” the manager said. “It looked like he had better life to all his pitches, too. All in all, it felt like a game where he might go six. We ended up getting him before the fifth, but I thought it was much better stuff today.”

After splitting two games at Oracle Park last month, the Giants fell to 71-76 all-time in their regular season meetings against the A’s and must win Sunday afternoon’s series finale to avoid losing the Bay Bridge trophy for the final time. But they have more pressing stakes to be concerned about.

After wrapping up their series Sunday, just six of the Giants’ remaining 37 games come against teams at or below .500, meaning they will be tasked climbing the wild card standings almost exclusively against teams already in playoff position.

“We went on a good roll there for a little bit and then got put on our butt there for a second,” Wisely said. ” … The playoff run’s there. We see it in our eyes. Our pitching’s going to take over here and carry us. If we can put some at-bats together and some runs on the board, we’ll have a good shot.”

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RHP Randy Rodriguez, who was shut down earlier this week with elbow inflammation, will be examined by the team’s head physician, Dr. Ken Akizuki, this weekend.

RHP Tristan Beck (vascular surgery) is getting closer to giving the Giants another rotation option, scheduled to throw four innings Sunday in his third rehab appearance.

IF Wilmer Flores (right knee tendonitis) was transferred to the 60-day IL, ruling him out until the final week of the season.

Up next

The last-ever meeting between the Giants and Athletics in Oakland will feature LHP Blake Snell (2-3, 3.91) against LHP JP Sears (10-8, 4.32). First pitch at the Coliseum is scheduled for 1:07 p.m.

Classic Car Week: Fifty years of Rolex Reunions

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion inspires a passion from its participants unlike other car shows. Why else would Marnix Dillenius insist on talking about his favorite Rolex Reunion memories from a hospital gurney on Friday just hours after setting a personal fastest time of the race weekend?

Marnix Dillenius poses next to his Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ after working on it. (Mason Bloom – Special to the Herald)

Dillenius, 84, is the only person to race in 49 of the 50 Rolex Reunions and is a three-time event race winner. He’s experienced a lot at those 49 Rolex Reunions but it’s safe to say that this one, the event’s 50th anniversary, was a bit different than the others. The Netherlands native ended up in the hospital with a stomach issue after his spectacular run at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

“Two hours after my run this morning, which I drove much harder than before, I started to feel sick, dizzy,” said Dillenius by phone. “And so now I’m being examined at the local community hospital.”

Despite that, the Rolex Reunion was top of mind for Dillenius and he couldn’t help but reflect back to 1974, the magical first year of an event that looked quite a bit different than it does today.

“Steve Earle decided to put on a fancy event and the day I got there, I found out that I’m on the outside pole in front of (what would be today) billions of dollars worth of cars,” Dillenius reminisced. “My buddy Dan Marvin was on the pole in his little Alfa Romeo Giuletta. He broke a half shaft so I came in first … But what I remember most  is a fellow named Fred Knoop. He came up to me afterwards and said ‘how the heck did you hold that slide?’ (in what is now turn five). I said well, Fred, I was lucky. I really didn’t know what I was doing.”

Dillenius wasn’t alone. The Rolex Reunion was a different animal back in ‘74 but what seems to matter most to participants is that results take a back seat to people like Fred Knoop and the camaraderie they inspire.

Ralph Borelli poses with the Porsche 911 he is racing this weekend. (Mason Bloom – Special to the Herald)

Unlike most of Laguna Seca’s racing calendar, the Rolex Reunion places relationships above winning. Founded by Earle as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races, it’s grown into a four-day celebration of vintage racing where retired cars get back in action.

The 1974 Monterey Historics looked nothing like today’s Rolex Reunion. Just 66 drivers attended the inaugural single day event, most of whom drove from Southern California in flashy new muscle cars. Elementary racing procedures, including safety and technical inspections, were almost non-existent.

“They made us put seat belts in the cars, and these things had no roll bars or anything else,” said Ralph Borelli, who also raced in the 1974 Monterey Historics. “After they dropped the green flag, I disconnected the seat belt. If we were going to flip over, I’d rather be thrown from the car than strapped in.”

Borelli, now 70 and chairman of Borelli Investments, couldn’t keep pace with Dillenius in ‘74 for good reason.

While Dillenius piloted a swift Alfa Romeo, Borelli lagged behind in a Ford Model T.

“The Formula cars were lapping us,” said Borelli. “They were driving by, going up the Corkscrew, and they would turn around and wave at us. It was a lot of fun.”

Fifty years later, Borelli is back, this time in a first-generation Porsche 911. Today’s competition is quicker but the horsepower disparity is much less.

That’s because the Rolex Reunion has evolved to one of Monterey Car Week’s biggest  highlights featuring 13-classes and over 400 cars.

“The 1974 Monterey Historics was almost like an afterthought,” said Borelli. “Now, it’s the most prestigious vintage racing event in the country, and it’s very difficult to get in. It’s amazing. It’s watching history.”

Audi R8 racer crests the Corkscrew during a weekend race. (Mason Bloom – Special to the Herald)

A good part of that history was displayed in the paddock where the 50th Anniversary Exhibit featured several dozen racers, including the iconic Bugatti Type 35 and the Garage 56 NASCAR racer that participated in Le Mans.

Fifty years of Rolex Reunions went by in a flash for Dillenius and the former engineer isn’t sure how many he has left in him.

“My accomplishments are getting thinner and thinner, there’s no doubt about it,” said Dillenius. “Now, I’m barely qualified in the middle of the field, and I should be up front, but it doesn’t matter to me.”

“I have infected my friends (with vintage racing),” said Dillenius. “You enjoy racing more if you can share it with somebody. And I did that. As long as I get some fun, satisfaction, talk afterwards, good times, then it’s worth it.”

Borelli was also enjoying the 50th Rolex Reunion as much as he and Dillenius did in 1974.

“I’m looking forward to finishing, not breaking anything, and just having fun,” said Borelli. “That’s what this is all about.”

Mason Bloom is a student journalist at Aptos High School. 

Classic Car Week: Pagani goes ‘back to the Renaissance’

CARMEL — As a young man, Horacio Pagani worked for Lamborghini. He progressed from sweeping floors to chief engineer. But Pagani grew weary. His career wasn’t advancing as quickly as the luxury machines created by the renowned Italian automaker.

An Argentinian native who moved to Italy as a teenager to work in the automotive industry, Pagani decided to make his own cars. The namesake handmade marvels of exotic design and scarce supply are revered by the public and other hallowed manufacturers.

Six years after the company was founded near Modena, Italy, the first Pagani was unveiled in 1998. The company brought its vehicles to the United States in 2011. Still run by its founder and his two sons, Pagani has made about 400 of its supercars in 26 years.

Pagani debuted in the United States in 2011. (Photo by Bruce Aldrich)

As it has for many years, Pagani displayed several models on its traditional centrally located back perch Friday at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering held at the Hyatt Regency.

“All the components are built in-house,” said Christopher Pagani, who with his older brother Leonardo joined their father at one the premier events of Classic Car Week. “It’s a hand-crafted car; you’re not going to find robots making your car. It’s like going back to the Renaissance.”

Pagani has made three models, the Zonda, Huayra and the recently debuted Utopia. Various trims and sub-trims are featured in each offering.

Starting with a yearly offering of a few cars, Pagani now makes between 50 and 60 vehicles per year. The estimated manufacture of about one car per week is the responsibility of 200 people. Horacio Pagani signs every new vehicle.

The elder Pagani named one of his sons after Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian painter, theorist and architect. Pagani admired the polymath, particularly his study of air. The design of Pagani is an homage to Da Vinci’s studies.

Like other niche rare carmakers, new Paganis are primarily sold in advance, often to previous Pagani buyers. The automaker has six dealerships in the United States, including in San Rafael and Beverly Hills.

The latter location is a stand-alone dealership, the others are collaborative because of the manufacturer’s low volume. In those locations, Pagani is joined most often by Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bugatti.

The Utopia, which debuted in July, will be limited to a 130-vehicle run. It features a V12 engine with 864 horsepower and a 7-speed pure or automated manual transmission. It has a top speed of 217 miles per hour.

With its starting price of $3.4 million, the Utopia also features what Pagani calls its “Cyber Tyre.” Each Pirelli-made tire is fitted with sensors that provide information to the car’s stability control systems.

The car’s chassis is a mixture of titanium and carbon fiber and has a clamshell configuration with doors that swing upward. The Utopia has a sculpted shape and doesn’t have wings or spoilers. The alloy wheels are 21 inches in the front, 22 inches in the back.

The uniquely shaped side mirror of the Pagani supercars. (Photo by Bruce Aldrich)

Its design also features a Pagani signature, side mirrors that protrude from different locations, depending on the model and trim. The carmaker uses four designs, all giving the appearance of thin floating appendages or the wings of a bird in flight. The mirrored frames have been described as teardrops or shaped like a beautiful woman’s eyes.

Despite its robust appearance, the Utopia weighs only 2,882 pounds. It’s about 450 pounds heavier than a Mazda MX-5 Miata.

Like other exotic cars, Pagani has its share of admirers.

“When you see a Pagani, you can appreciate it in motion but you appreciate standing still,” said Coleman Thurman of San Francisco who attended The Quail with friend E.J. DeMille. “You never get bored looking at it.”

DeMille added: “The curvature of the vehicle basically resembles what we are predestined to like in our DNA.”

With its small-batch availability, Pagani remained Italy-centric for several years. It first tested expansion in Great Britain, France and Monaco before entering the U.S. and further gaining its global prestige.

“Somehow, the car is a vision from a dream my father had since he was a young child, Christopher Pagani said. “To drive the cars that have our name gives us a sense of respect.”

Headlined by emotional Jose Canseco, Oakland A’s officially induct 2024 Hall of Fame class

OAKLAND — Jose Canseco was, in his words, an emotional wreck. He certainly played the part. His voice cracked. His tears flowed.

He never thought this day would materialize.

“What I accomplished here, what we accomplished as a team and, of course, with everything that I’ve been through — the steroid book, the steroid era, the whole combination,” Canseco said. “For the Oakland A’s to even consider putting me in the Hall of Fame, to me, it was a shock. When they called me, I thought it was a joke.”

This was no joke. Ahead of the final Bay Bridge Series, Canseco, Miguel Tejada, Terry Steinbach, Bill King, Dick Williams and Eddie Joost were officially inducted as the sixth Oakland A’s Hall of Fame class. And if Canseco had any lingering doubt that this was real, those doubts officially washed away when Tony La Russa, his former manager and “second dad,” adorned him with a green jacket.

“I wish I could give…a forearm bash to everybody,” Canseco said.

La Russa being the one to introduce Canseco was not insignificant. The two, for a litany of reasons, haven’t always had the smoothest relationship. But on Saturday, La Russa showered Canseco with praise.

“He had one of the highest baseball IQs of any player I’ve managed over the many years,” La Russa said.

If La Russa knew Canseco for his brain, the baseball world knew Canseco during his prime for his brawn. In nine total seasons with the A’s, Canseco slugged 254 home runs, became the first member of the 40-40 club and won the 1988 MVP. Along with Steinbach, who slugged 132 homers over 11 seasons in Oakland, Canseco and the A’s won three American League pennants. He helped them win the 1989 World Series against the Giants, making Saturday’s Bay Bridge Series even more of a fitting setting for his induction.

Canseco has manufactured no shortage of drama over the last four-plus decades, both during and after his playing days. But on this afternoon, he was afforded the privilege of basking in a sea of admiration.

“I thought it was an April Fool’s (joke),” Canseco said. “I was like, “How the hell am I going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame? I thought in my mind there’s no way I actually deserve it, but I’m real happy that I’m here.”

When Steinbach was asked if there was a particular memory of Canseco that comes to mind, the backstop quipped, “You have to get more hard drive to go through those stories.” In addition to reminiscing about Canseco’s talent, Steinbach recalled a time during spring training when the hitting group was discussing RBI situations.

“Jose goes, ‘Every time I come to the plate, it’s an RBI situation,’” Steinbach laughed. “At first, we laughed. But then we go, ‘You know, he’s right!’”

Tejada and the A’s never reached the pinnacle during his time in Oakland, but the “Moneyball” A’s teams of the early-2000s continue to leave a lasting impact in the Bay Area and beyond.

In seven seasons with the green and gold, Tejada became the franchise leader among shortstops in home runs (156), RBIs (604) and slugging percentage (.460), winning the 2002 AL MVP in the process. Before Scott Hatteberg’s famous walk-off home run to give the A’s a 20-game winning streak, Tejada orchestrated back-to-back game-winners to give Oakland its 18th and 19th straight wins.

“When I signed with Oakland out of the Dominican Republic, I never believed that this day would happen,” Tejada said. “I played this game hard every day and enjoyed (the game), but I never thought I was going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.”

In roughly two months, with the A’s headed to Sacramento at season’s end, the memories that Canseco, Steinbach and Tejada produced will be all that’s left of major-league baseball in Oakland.

“At a point in time, I think the fans realized it was run strictly like a business. It really was,” Canseco said. “It wasn’t about the fans. It wasn’t about putting together a winning product. It was about making money. I think organizations get caught up in that, no buts about it. That’s just the way they ran it. It looks like now it’s time to make a move, it’s time to go somewhere else and get a new start.”

“For myself, this is where I grew up: in this stadium, in this city,” Tejada said. “There’s a lot of fans here, a lot of people that like to come to the stadium and I feel very sorry for them.”

High School Football Tour: Stability the objective for Alvarez

EDITOR’S NOTE: Herald sports writer John Devine is spending most of this month visiting Monterey County schools to get a sneak peek of their football teams. This and other previews are available at www.montereyherald.com

SALINAS – The intentions of each head football coach who has come aboard at Alvarez High in the past eight years were sincere — establish a culture, build a foundation and restore the pride in the football program.

At times, it appeared players were buying in. A vision was coming into focus. Yet, what you need in a program is stability. Each of the past three coaches who have graced the Alvarez campus haven’t lasted more than two full seasons.

New coach Ben Newman knows all about the Eagles’ past. Before he took the job, he dissected film of games, peeked at players’ body language.

“The main thing is discipline,” Newman said. “I saw a lot of mental mistakes. The team was very young. When I look at the film, I see a lot of talent.”

A rebuild is always a challenge in the Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division. The term “embrace it” has been overused by previous regimes.

Because of its enrollment size and the number players in the program, Alvarez isn’t likely to drop in the future. And that’s just fine with Newman.

“I’m pretty truthful with them,” Newman said. “I’m not sugarcoating anything. It’s not a one-year deal. It’s a three- to four-year process. My goal is to get to .500 first. The freshmen are going to be the fruits of our labor in getting through the entire process.”

The immediate challenge is getting his seniors – 36 of them on the roster – to buy into being a part of the solution.

“It took a while to get some on board,” Alvarez quarterback Abel Bailon said. “There was some nerves. We knew it would be different. But we as seniors have a chance to change things, make a difference. We can be the group that gets it done.”

Newman has done his homework. Over the past 20 years, the Eagles have won 26 league games – including a 6-0 season in the old Pacific Division in 2013.

“Do the math, it’s been one or two league wins a year,” Newman said. “If we can get some wins, the seniors will be the reason for that.”

A larger than expected turnout has Newman bringing back the freshman program to Alvarez, as 142 players are currently in the program.

Closing last fall with five straight losses left the Eagles with a 2-8 record for the second straight year, missing the postseason for the seventh consecutive season.

Still, there were building blocks, such as beating one of the eight teams it faced that reached the postseason, while falling to another by four points.

In fact, Alvarez actually held leads in the first half in six of their games last year, only to fade in the second half. The win over Hollister snapped an eight-game losing streak to their rivals, a streak that began in the playoffs in 2014.

“I do use that game as an indicator of their potential,” Newman said. “I also use the losses as their discipline as well. They mentally broke down against Palma after leading. I’ve watched film with some of the players to show them what went wrong.”

Yet, it’s not just discipline that’s keeping the Eagles from taking that next step and putting their name in the playoff hat going forward.

“There are athletes here,” Newman said. “But they’re not coming out unless you win or show signs of improvement. My structure is different. We have an open line of communication. We’re in a teaching mode. I told one coach we don’t need to be yelling right now.”

Newman, who was a part of Marina’s coaching staff in 2022 when it set a school record for wins with its first-ever winning season, has preached pride and commitment since stepping on campus.

“The first question I asked them when I took the job was who wants to play football after high school?” Newman said. “I think three players raised their hands. I told them by the end of the year, half of you will raise your hands. There isn’t a culture here.”

The Eagles have had the distinction over the last two years of playing an opponent that won a state title in Atascadero in 2022 and Palma in 2023, In both games, Alvarez held leads, falling to Atascadero in overtime in 2022.

“For these seniors, I’m their third head coach,” Newman said. “I’m just another guy. You have to gain trust both ways to get them to buy in. I’m trying to convince them that your name will be part of the legacy of our foundation.”

Revamping the offense, Newman has been pleased with the progress made in the off-season, as he put together a game plan that he believes fits the personnel of his roster.

“We’re going to run a spread,” Newman said. “We need to control the ball better and take some time off the clock. Each year we will be able to implement more of the offense.”

There were glimpses of Bailon’s talent last fall, as the senior made one start against Salinas, throwing for over 200 yards and two touchdowns.

“With this offense, I can make adjustments on the fly or change the play at the line of scrimmage,” Bailon said. “There were some rough patches in the beginning. But we’re all on the same page. We’re just more competitive with each other.”

Ivan Chavez will anchor the offensive line for Alvarez. (John Devine – Monterey Herald)

With an emphasis on being more balanced, one player who will be targeted more is receiver Aiden Jones, who caught a dozen passes, with a touchdown in limited touches.

It won’t hurt having Roman Garcia returning at tailback for the Eagles, having put together a pair of 100-plus yard rushing efforts as a sophomore last fall, with Edgar Chavez lining up as a H-back.

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Garcia showcased breakaway speed in the open field, with one of his touchdowns last fall being 77 yards.

“He’s going to get more touches,” Newman said. “His vision is very good. He’s a student of the game. He’s very patient. You watch him in person and you say ‘dam that kid is good.’”

Among the lineman Newman is banking on is Ivan Chavez, who will likely anchor the offensive line for the Eagles, while Edgar Chavez will line up as a defensive tackle.

“The entire offensive line saw significant time last year,” Newman said. “Ivan has a motor. He’s a smart player. I’m patient in that I’m here to stay. I have a good feeling about where we are. Hopefully it all pans out.”

Regarded as a defensive coach, Newman doesn’t need to be reminded that Alvarez gave up 40-plus points in five games – all losses, allowing 38 points a game.

“I would not have taken the job if I didn’t think we could turn the culture around,” Newman said. “But it also starts in the classroom. We got to make grades. Each practice is a chance to learn.”

Concours d’Lemons: Highlighting the best of the worst

SEASIDE >> Monterey Car Week isn’t completely about prestigious, exotic vehicles. Sometimes, it’s about the beat-up car in your garage that’s been collecting dust for years.

Concours d’Lemons has been celebrating these “lemons” for the past 15 years and has become an event to show-off otherwise overlooked vehicles during Car Week. Entrants come from different parts of the state to participate in the sold out show, bribe judges and hopefully win the coveted “Worst of Show” trophy.

“This show gives a home to cars that don’t have a home elsewhere during Monterey Car Week,” said founder Alan Galbraith. “And what we’ve found is that people are just as passionate about these cars as they are out at Pebble Beach on Sunday, sometimes more so.”

In theme with the car show, the idea for the event came to be because Alan Galbraith is a self-proclaimed “snarky jerk.” Galbraith had been attending the Concours d’Elegance for around 30 years, when he realized it would be fairly easy to sneak a car, specifically a Pinto station wagon, in through the back gate.

Of course he didn’t attempt a break-in, “but that idea stuck in my head … it started off as a little bit of a joke to put a thumb in the eye of the establishment but what we quickly found is that it’s something much more than that.”

Ray Montoya presenting his 1969 AMC AMX to Concours d’Lemons judges Saturday morning. (Andrea Valadez – Monterey Herald)

In this show, judges look for cars that are “the most offensive, the most interesting, with good stories,” according to judge Tim McNair. He will also be judging Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance, which has a very different grading rubric. “This is my warm-up,” said McNair.

“This is just fun, it’s tongue-and-cheek,” he said. Part of the job of a judge, according to McNair, is to offend the owners during the judging process. Part of an entrant’s responsibility is to make the judge’s job even harder through various bribes which can include but are not limited to: brownies, liquor, cookies, fake $100 bills and more.

“We’re here to have fun, just goof around and look at some really crappy cars,” said McNair.

“This brings back a lot of good memories, it brings back a lot of smiles. The owners share a lot of great stories and it’s all about fun,” said Galbraith.

One of these stories is Jean Novick’s, who was presenting a 1967 DAF 33 pickup truck. Originally from the Netherlands, the car heralded the age of automatic transmissions in Europe. Novick and her husband had their first date in the car in the 1980s.

“We love this car show, we’ve been here many times,” said Novick. “It’s just silly and so it’s very enjoyable and you get to meet a nice combination of locals and other folks.”

Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay presented a decorated Toyota Prius to raise awareness for its Cars for Homes project. (Andrea Valadez – Monterey Herald)

Habitat for Humanity also had a car on the lawn Saturday morning, borrowed from Marina Mayor Bruce Delgado to raise awareness for one of the organization’s projects. The Toyota Prius is hard to miss, painted all over by local elementary school students.

“We’ve done other shows this week so we were really happy to be involved with this. It’s a great show,” said Allie Wilson, volunteer and event coordinator for the nonprofit. Wilson was on the lawn to promote the Cars for Homes program, which uses car donations to build affordable housing in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties.

Salinas local Captain Hughes showed off his 1941 Dodge Hooptie, which was originally owned by his grandmother. Hughes has participated in each Concours d’Lemons since its founding in 2009, and after so many years, “I’ve run out of Lemons,” he said.

Last year, he debuted a newer Cadillac but the general consensus was it wasn’t lemon-y enough. For this year’s show, he decided to go with the Hooptie, or Business Coupe, which only seats two and has space for “a party in the back.”

Captain Hughes entered the Concours d’Lemons with a 1941 Dodge Hooptie that has been in his family for decades. (Andrea Valadez – Monterey Herald)

“Lemons is about having fun. They always say that, but it’s true. It’s your daily driver that you’ve had since the 80s,” said Hughes. “That’s what makes it great … people aren’t scared to drive them around (and) get on the grass.”

Steven Mandell presented a 1955 New Map Solyto, which he had shipped to him from France, along with seven other vehicles, 10 years ago. The model was mainly used as a delivery truck. It has a 123cc two-stroke single cylinder engine that turns with the front wheel.

Mandell has been working on restoring the three-wheeler for about two months and although it’s a passion, “the last two months have been hell. I’ve been working on it everyday, usually eight hours a day and believe it or not, I did have it running a couple weeks ago.”

Hundreds of people flocked to the lawn of Seaside’s City Hall Saturday morning to look at the worst of Car Week’s featured vehicles. (Andrea Valadez – Monterey Herald)

According to Mandell, the carburetor has been on the fritz the last few weeks and isn’t able to drive more than 50 feet, but he’s confident he’ll get it driving again.

When it came time to figure out which car to bring to the event, Mandell looked around his collection, saw the Solyto that had been collecting dust for 10 years and thought: “that one’s a piece of junk, that would be good!”

Monterey Classic Car week: Celebrating the BPR racing series

PEBBLE BEACH >> As if Jürgen Barth, Patrick Peter and Stéphane Ratel had nothing better to do, the trio of automotive experts combined their talents 30 years ago and started a racing series.

Barth, a German former race car driver who was part of the winning 24 Hour of LeMans team in 1997, joined Peter and Ratel, both long-time motorsport event promoters, and introduced the BPR Global GT Series in 1994. The collective concept took iconic supercars and adapted them to race on the track.

The iconic vehicles included the McLaren F1, Ferrari F40, Bugatti EB 110, Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR and Porsche 911 GT1. And there were exotics like the Lotus Elise GT1 and Dodge Viper.

The 1990’s BPR and FIA GT race cars will be one of the featured classes at Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

The eight-race series was held globally from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to China, Japan and throughout Europe. The international endurance racing series replaced the World Sportscar Championship which had ended in 1992.

Teams were required to have two drivers per car, with each driver being required to drive a minimum amount to score points. Some teams, mostly amateurs, used three drivers.

“When we launched the BPR, there was really nothing else like it,” said Ratel on the SRO Motorsports Group website, an international organization he founded. “GT racing had been forgotten by most organizers, but the end of the FIA World Sportscar Championship in 1993 created a vacuum that the BPR was able to fill. You could say that we came along at the right time, but we had to build it all from scratch.”

The series changed its name to the FIA GT Series in 1997, but it remained a testament to the comparison of street and racetrack vehicles until 2009.

During the 1950s and 1960s, iconic sports cars such as the Jaguar E-type, Ferrari 250 GT and Shelby Cobra transitioned from road to race course vehicles with few changes.

“Basically, it’s street cars that were then converted into race cars,” said Martin E. Button, a Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance selection committee member. “We’re displaying the street car next to the race car together on the green.

“People will be able to say, ‘Ah, there’s the street car,’ and next to it will be the full-blown race car. It will be a great class because you will be able to see the difference between race cars and street cars.”

A rare Bugatti EB 110 Super Sport, one of 139 produced from 1991-1995 in Modena, Italy, will be included in the class among eight street cars and their race car counterparts.

The EB 110, a two-door, rear-engine, all-wheel drive coupe, had a six-speed manual transmission matched to 3.5-liter quad-turbocharged V12. The short-lived machines were succeeded by the further iconic Bugatti Veyron.

“We struggled to get the guy from Austria to send us his EB 110,” said Button. “But he did and he’s coming over. It was kind of a last-minute thing. So we are very excited about that.”

Following the end of FIA GT Series, the three BPR founders continued their passions for racing and iconic cars.

Peter created a new series in association with the French FFSA motorsport organization, known as the FFSA GT Championship.

Ratel helped launch the GTR Euroseries in 1998. It allowed privateer teams to avoid the large manufacturer involvement now seen in FIA GT.

In June, Ratel announced the return of Suzuka 1,000km during the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa press conference in Belgium. After a six-year hiatus, the event will join the Intercontinental GT Challenge calendar in 2025.

Barth is co-author with Gustav Büsing of “The Porsche Book: The Complete History of Types and Models.” The three-volume set is a technical history of all Porsche cars and designs, from the most famous sports cars to the most obscure prototypes.

Originally published in 1977, the first English-language edition of “The Porsche Book” in 25 years, was issued in 2002. Complete descriptions of each model’s specifications, from 1948 through the present day are complemented by details of upgrades and major options.

Why supper swapping is the new meal delivery trend

By Ksenia Prints

In an era of rising food costs and busy schedules, a growing number of Americans are turning to an innovative solution: Meal swapping. These modern-day meal swaps are revolutionizing how people approach their daily meals, with participants taking turns to prepare dishes for their entire group.

From lunch swaps in office settings with delicious soups and sandwiches to supper swapping among neighbors featuring easy one-pan meals, these arrangements are not only saving time and money but also fostering a sense of community and culinary adventure. As this trend gains momentum across the country, it’s reshaping how we think about meal planning, cooking and sharing food with others.

What is meal swapping?

Meal swapping is a collaborative approach to meal prep where participants in a shared community take turns preparing and exchanging meals with a group. Meal swapping is gaining traction in different forms, each tailored to different settings and lifestyles.

Lunch swapping has become an office favorite, where co-workers alternate bringing homemade lunches for the group. This approach ensures that everyone has access to a delicious home-cooked meal with reduced pressure to meal prep daily. It also fosters camaraderie amongst the group while promoting healthier and more cost-effective eating habits relative to takeout.

Supper swapping represents the dinner alternative, wherein neighbors in residential areas coordinate to cook and share easy dinners on a rotating basis. Not only does this enhance social bonds within the community, it offers the opportunity for diverse and various home-cooked meals with a more manageable cooking schedule.

Meal trains are the third variation, often organized to help those who may need the support. Whether recovering from surgery or welcoming a new baby to the family, this can be a generous and practical way for friends and community members to support their neighbors

How it works

First and foremost, you must begin by curating a group to meal swap with. Reach out to friends, neighbors or colleagues who you think may be interested. You can also use social media platforms, community bulletin boards or even group chats to gauge interest in your community. Consider also sharing introductory resources like articles or videos to provide more information about the nature and commitment of meal swapping.

When you’ve created an initial group, schedule a meeting to set ground rules and expectations from the get-go. An important starting point is establishing a rotation schedule based on everyone’s preferences and availability. Whether weekly or monthly, the key is establishing an achievable schedule that works for everyone involved. Consider creating a message group chat and a shared Google Calendar to map out the schedule for easy access and smooth coordination.

Additionally, discuss any dietary restrictions and preferences, explicating any allergies or conditions related to food preparation or consumption. Also establish guidelines for portion size, meal types and ingredient quality. It can also be helpful to rotate the types of meals prepared, such as alternating between vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, to provide variety.

Planning, coordination and open lines of communication are crucial for a successful meal swap. Consider creating a shared document where participants can enter the meal they plan on cooking and the key ingredients to avoid repetitiveness. For example, you could include recipes like sheet-pan paprika chicken and veggies in your plan, which are easy to scale and share. By including a recipe, participants can stay informed about any food restrictions. By prioritizing open communication and being flexible with each other, you can address any issues that arise and keep the meal swap running smoothly.

Benefits of participating

Meal swapping is on the rise, with several factors contributing to its success. The most prominent reason is it saves a lot of time. By distributing the cooking load, you might only need to cook once or twice a week, knowing you’ll receive ready-made meals on the other days. According to MarkNtel Advisors, the meal kit market is set to double to $305.68 billion by 2032. This underscores a broader shift towards convenient and ready-to-eat meal solutions, reflecting the appeal of meal swapping.

Cost effectiveness is another critical factor driving this trend. With food prices continuously on the rise, meal swapping allows you to stretch your grocery budget further. By cooking in larger quantities and sharing, you’re able to buy more ingredients in bulk, reducing your overall cost per serving, making this a budget-friendly option.

In sharing food with the people in your community, you are also increasing your awareness and exposure to other diverse cuisines. It can increase your cultural awareness of culinary traditions from around the world, and each participant brings their own culinary background to the table. Dishes like baked salmon with potatoes can inspire you to try new ingredients and techniques, expanding your culinary horizons.

Moreover, meal swapping fosters a sense of community and connection. As you participate in these exchanges, you build strong relationships with your neighbors and colleagues. Sharing meals often becomes more than a convenience but rather adds a social dimension to your daily routine – offering a rewarding experience.

Challenges and solutions

While meal swapping offers some advantages, it also presents some challenges that need to be addressed early to ensure a smooth experience. One of the primary and most significant challenges is dietary restrictions and preferences. After sharing these in your initial meeting, create a shared document that everyone can easily refer back to, the link for which can be pinned in your group chat. Also take note of common allergens like milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans and try to avoid them if possible.

Ensuring food safety and quality is an essential aspect of a successful meal swap. At the onset, establish guidelines for food preparation, storage and transport, encouraging participants to follow proper hygiene practices while cooking. When it is your turn to cook, offer clear, written instructions, sending them in your group chat for quick reference on how to store and reheat food to maintain quality.

Managing schedules and commitments can be tricky, especially when dealing with busy lifestyles. Encourage open communication to address any changes or conflicts promptly. Flexibility and understanding are key; be prepared to make adjustments as needed to accommodate unexpected events or changes in participants’ schedules.

Ultimately, it is important to remember that meal swapping is not for everyone. It is a great system that offers many advantages. However, when putting together a meal swap group, everyone must understand the expectations and commitment to avoid disillusionment and frustration later.

Let’s get cooking

Meal swapping can revolutionize how you approach meal planning and prep, offering a practical and community-centered approach. While the initial task can feel daunting, the advantages are endless, creating a seamless and rewarding opportunity for everyone involved.

So why not give it a go? Whether starting your own small group or seeking out a larger community initiative, embrace the opportunity to connect with others, explore new cuisines and make your life a little easier. Try it out and see how meal swapping can enhance your everyday life.

Ksenia Prints is a writer, blogger, photographer and recipe developer from Montreal, Canada. She blogs over At the Immigrant’s Table, writing about food and drink for adventurous home cooks.

Ballot questions tackle high property taxes that come with rising home values

By Elaine S. Povich, Stateline.org

No state illustrates this year’s flurry of ballot measures to cut property taxes better than Colorado. There, the results of two likely voter questions could reduce funding for schools, roads, emergency responders and other local government services.

Colorado’s ballot measures are just two of nearly a dozen upcoming questions dealing with property taxes in states across the country, including in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, North Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming. While varying in scope, the measures all aim to reduce taxes for some or all property owners.

One Colorado question is already certified for the ballot, and another appears to have many more signatures than necessary to qualify. (A third Colorado property tax ballot question, which is less controversial than the others and has qualified for the ballot, would expand the amount of tax exclusion that can be claimed by disabled veterans.)

“Property taxes are a deeply unpopular, but a fairly efficient, tax,” said Jared Walczak, vice president of state projects at the Tax Foundation, a conservative tax analysis group that advocates for lower, more broadly based taxes. “So they have always pitted economists and policy wonks against ordinary homeowners who get very frustrated with their property taxes.”

Property taxes are generally assessed at the local level, and the money raised helps pay for schools, public safety, fire response and roads. The ballot measures being considered across the country could have significant effects on the money raised by those taxes — which could mean cuts in services or pressure on state lawmakers to make up the difference.

Local governments periodically assess the value of property and then set tax rates based on those assessments. Nationwide, home market values have increased about 50% since August 2019, according to Zillow, the real estate data company.

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“(Many homeowners) are paying dramatically more for the same property, and they don’t feel they are getting better government,” Walczak said. “That’s driving the discontent that is showing up in ballot measures and pressure on state lawmakers to provide relief.”

Experts say that because property taxes often are paid in a large lump a couple or so times a year — as opposed to income taxes or sales taxes, which are paid in dribbles — they tend to leave a bigger impression on taxpayers.

In Colorado, one ballot initiative would cap annual state property tax revenue growth from residential and commercial properties at 4%.

Another, which also is expected to qualify for November’s ballot, would cut residential and commercial property tax assessment rates. Since that reduction would bring in fewer dollars, that initiative, if passed, would require the state to reimburse local governments for the revenue losses — an expected $3 billion.

In May, the Colorado Legislature passed a bill to lower property assessment rates, in a hard-fought $1.3 billion compromise. The new law includes short-term assessment rate cuts and long-term structural changes to the property tax code, and it prioritizes school funding over other government services. The law also caps revenue growth from property taxes at 5.5%.

But conservative groups wanted more, and they worked to get stricter property tax limits onto November’s ballot.

“The bill that passed was a good start,” said Sean Duffy, spokesperson for Advance Colorado, a conservative advocacy group and main proponent of the initiatives.

“But many Republicans and many taxpayers and people around the state were thinking it would be really important to do a more significant and permanent cut,” Duffy said.

The other organization backing the referendums is Colorado Concern, a conservative group begun by Larry Mizel, who founded one of the nation’s largest homebuilding companies and has been a key fundraiser for former President Donald Trump.

Duffy said voters still have concerns about property taxes despite the Legislature’s action.

“Home values in Colorado have gone up like a hockey stick,” Duffy said, a trend mirrored in many other states. “It’s not, ‘I don’t want to pay for my schools or fire department,’ it was just a huge bucket of water in the face.”

But Colorado Democratic state Rep. Chris deGruy Kennedy, who co-sponsored the bill that became law, said the ballot initiatives would go too far.

He said the proposed 4% increase cap on property tax revenue wouldn’t allow for inflation or regional variation — or new construction, which tends to reduce individual property within a jurisdiction.

DeGruy Kennedy, who is term-limited, this summer became president of the Bell Policy Center, a left-leaning research and advocacy nonprofit that backs upward mobility for middle- and lower-income individuals.

Florida, too, has a ballot measure that could save homeowners money while cutting local tax revenues. The initiative would allow an annual inflation adjustment to the homestead exemption for people whose properties are their primary residence. It’s backed by a group of Republican legislators but opposed by the state’s League of Cities.

In Arizona, a property tax ballot measure has more to do with the hot-button issues of homelessness and vagrancy, said Ryan Byrne, managing editor of the ballot measure project at Ballotpedia, a nonprofit that tracks every candidate and referendum across the country.

If approved, the measure would allow property owners to apply for a property tax refund if the municipality does not enforce laws against illegal camping, loitering, panhandling, public urination, public consumption of alcohol and possession of illegal substances. It was referred to the ballot by the Legislature on split votes, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed. The League of Cities also opposes this measure.

In North Dakota, former Republican state Rep. Rick Becker is leading a referendum drive to eliminate property taxes altogether.

“Do you really own your property if the government can take it away?” he said, referring to cases in which people who don’t pay their taxes might have their homes foreclosed upon.

“In North Dakota, not unlike many other states, people hate property taxes,” he said. He argued the Legislature has lots of other pots of money from which to replace the revenue.

A nonpartisan legislative research agency estimated that ditching the property tax in North Dakota would cost the state $1.3 billion per year.

Georgia’s ballot measure would allow localities to create a homestead exemption for homeowners whose property is their primary residence.

New Mexico’s and Virginia’s measures would extend more property tax breaks to veterans.

Wyoming’s ballot initiative would set up a new class of property for taxation, putting owner-occupied dwellings in a separate category from rental property.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization focused on state policy.

©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Global immigration crackdown ensnares students studying abroad

By Swati Pandey, Randy Thanthong-Knight and Alice Kantor, Bloomberg News

International students — long the golden goose for universities and colleges in advanced economies — face an increasingly uncertain future as governments seek easy targets to rein in surging immigration.

In the United Kingdom, one of the world’s biggest destinations for foreign students, the Labour Party while in opposition vowed to retain a ban on international students bringing dependents to Britain — the largest source of migration since 2019. In the Netherlands, a far-right coalition has proposed restricting foreign students’ access to Dutch universities.

In Canada, where one in 40 people is an international student, a government clampdown is forcing “puppy mill” colleges to shut down programs. And in Australia, where that ratio is even greater at one in 33, the government has proposed caps on foreign enrollments in universities and is targeting “dodgy providers.”

The impact is already being felt — aggregate visa data for the first quarter of 2024 showed volumes to the UK, Canada and Australia down between 20% and 30% from a year earlier, according to Sydney-listed student placement services and testing company IDP Education Ltd., which operates in all three markets.

“Students are the easiest group to control in terms of numbers, that’s why they’re No. 1 on the chopping list and universities aren’t particularly powerful constituencies so they’re probably also a reasonable political target,” said Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy at the Australian National University in Canberra.

Keir Starmer’s Labour Party last month ended 14 years of Conservative rule in the UK and hasn’t settled on its immigration policy since the July election landslide. Canada and Australia have elections due in the coming 14 months.

Governments are framing the moves as a way to improve the quality of education and stamp out rorting. But critics of the measures say they’re also politically motivated as a cost-of-living squeeze and housing shortages since the COVID pandemic sparks a backlash against rapid immigration rates.

International education is a roughly $200 billion global business, according to data company Holon IQ, with the UK, Canada and Australia three of its biggest players. The industry is considered a services export and generates economic benefits beyond tuition fees as students fork out for accommodation and living expenses and often go on to work and pay taxes in the countries they studied.

The United States is shaping up as winner from the crackdown in other markets. It surpassed Australia to become the preferred study destination for international students, according to an IDP survey of more than 11,500 prospective and current international students.

International student enrollments in the U.S. rose 11.5% in 2022-23 from the year prior, taking the total to more than 1 million for the first time since the pandemic. Vying to return to the presidency, Donald Trump has said he supports giving a green card to every noncitizen graduate of a U.S. college, though his campaign later said the program would include a strict vetting process.

But elsewhere, economic arguments about the benefits of a booming international education sector are taking a back seat to political ones as the electoral tide swings against immigration.

UK closes a ‘gateway’

Measures by the former government to ensure the sector is used for education and “not as a gateway to immigration” are being reviewed by the new Labour government.

During the campaign, Labour shadow minister Chris Bryant assured that the party — if elected — wouldn’t reverse a ban on foreign students bringing dependents to the country. But more recently, UK Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson asserted that “for too long international students have been treated as political footballs, not valued guests,” and that this will stop. “Be in no doubt: International students are welcome in the UK,” she declared.

The UK has seen a growing number of foreign students in the past decade, especially from China and India, with the academic year of 2021-22 showing a record 679,970 overseas students.

That’s contributed significantly to universities’ funding, making them increasingly reliant on Chinese-British diplomatic relations and on Indian economic growth. The total economic benefit of the 2021-22 cohort was estimated to be 41.9 billion pounds ($53.5 billion), according to an independent study.

The Office for Students, the sector’s independent regulator, said even a small reduction in student numbers could push 202 institutions, or 74% of the total, into deficit. A review was commissioned by the former government to study visa abuse by foreign students, but found little evidence of it.

Companies have also stressed the need for foreign talent. Executives at Anglo American Plc, Rio Tinto Plc and Siemens AG were among signatories to a letter warning the previous Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that Britain’s migration policies may weaken the university sector. UK universities have stressed that international enrollment doesn’t come at the expense of domestic students.

Dutch restrictions

While across Europe anti-foreign sentiment keeps rising, limitations on foreign students are perhaps nowhere more striking than in the Netherlands, where a far-right coalition has pushed a policy to restrict foreign students’ access to Dutch universities.

Dutch universities were famously favorable to foreign students, with most classes offered in English and foreign students making up a quarter of the higher education student body. But a lack of new housing and the tripling of foreign student numbers in the past decade have contributed to a serious shortfall in student accommodation.

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Universities facing overcapacity decided in February to limit the number of English-taught degrees and reduce international enrollment.

The universities’ decision is supported by a bill, currently under discussion in parliament, to cap the number of foreign students in the country, restrict non-European students from certain programs and forbid active international recruitment at student fairs except for sectors with significant labor shortages.

Large Dutch companies, which rely heavily on skilled foreign talent, have raised alarm bells about these restrictions, saying they might move their offices out of the country if a number of these anti-migrant policies pass.

The nation’s central bank chief also warned that foreign students contribute significantly to the Dutch economy. Non-EU students, for example, contribute up to 96,000 euros ($105,000) each to the Dutch economy over the course of their studies, according to the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.

Canada’s crackdown

In Canada, foreign students contribute more than C$22 billion ($16 billion) to the economy and support some 218,000 jobs.

New regulations — including a 35% reduction in student visa issuance this year and removal of incentives like the postgraduation work permit eligibility — are targeted at the subsector predominantly occupied by lesser-known, smaller colleges.

Munira Mistry, 43, fears losing her teaching job at a college in Toronto by December as the government clampdown prompts a cost-cutting drive.

“It feels like all the doors are closing,” said Mistry, a project management instructor who arrived as an international student from India in 2020 and is still struggling to gain permanent residency. “I’m back to square one.”

At the end of last year and before the crackdown took effect, 10 small institutions had more international study permit holders than the University of Toronto, the country’s highest ranking institution.

Like in Australia and the UK, rents surged and reports of students cramming into apartments or using food banks to get by became commonplace. Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has said that he would tie the pace of population growth to home construction, which could result in an even larger drop in international student entries and overall immigration levels.

Colleges Ontario, an association representing the province’s 24 public colleges, said it experienced a “collapse” of the spring cohort, which represents a quarter of total college enrollment. It expects a “severe impact” on the fall term, with revenue losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

“No organization can absorb such losses without significant cuts to operations,” it said in a statement in March, adding that the consequences include “immediate program suspensions and a pause on capital investments.”

Australia acts

The stakes are even higher for Australia, where international students contributed A$48 billion ($31.6 billion) to the economy in 2023, becoming the country’s top services export. Roughly 55% of that amount is spent on goods and services outside universities — with significant benefits for local small businesses, according to policy think tank Committee for Sydney.

Australia’s universities rely on international students for more than a quarter of overall operating revenue, according to S&P Global Ratings, making them among the most dependent in the world.

The government’s plans — which include enrollment limits for individual universities and housing construction requirements — haven’t been through parliament yet. But international students are already facing tougher English language standards, visa rejections are becoming more common and some private colleges are being told to stop recruiting fake overseas students within six months or they’ll lose their licenses.

International student visa application fees in July more than doubled to A$1,600, the most expensive in the world, according to Group of Eight Universities, which represents the country’s leading research universities.

Australia’s plan risks crimping universities’ revenues, curbing funding for research and potentially hurting their international QS World University Rankings. Business lobbies say the move will leave a shortfall of workers in key industries.

Insolvencies in Australia’s education and training sector have already responded, jumping nearly 90% in June from a year earlier — the highest for any sector — according to data from Creditorwatch Pty Ltd., with the rate expected to increase in the next 12 months.

Australia’s opposition has promised even stricter limits, without specifying its policy proposals. Australian voters are due to go to the polls by May 2025 with sentiment swinging against rapid immigration — a survey in May showed 66% of respondents said 2023’s migrant intake “was too high” with 50% wanting the government to make deeper cuts to immigration.

A parliamentary inquiry into the proposed legislation is due to report back this month. Given the proposed legislation has bipartisan support, analysts expect it to pass parliament this year, though universities might yet be able to persuade the government to water down some proposals.

“Migration is shaping up as a key battlefront in the lead-up to the federal election and the university sector is shaping up to be the fall guy,” Vicki Thomson, chief executive of the Group of Eight, said in her opening statement to a parliamentary hearing reviewing the proposed legislation on Aug. 6. “This rushed and poorly framed legislation is a classic example of retrofitting policy to suit dubious politics.”

With assistance from Ben Westcott, Carmeli Argana and Helen Yuan.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.