Johnny Khamis, prez of leading local biz group, aligns with Merc, says transit tax bailout latest in long parade of unaccountable new levies.
Families & Homes, San Jose's leading citywide neighborhood advocacy group, contends that City staff is misreading the plain language of San Jose's Housing Element (state-mandated housing planning for current and future housing) in an effort to deliver an irreversible increase in housing density citywide. F&H's letter to city leaders, below, along with commentary from Pat Waite, Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility.
What does this November’s election say about where California is going? As part of an Opportunity Now exclusive series, we caught up with SVGOP Chairman Dave Johnson, who warns the state is turning further toward “an economic model of failure” based on unsustainable tax increases:
Santa Cruz County is asking taxpayers for another half-cent sales tax for five years—an estimated $27 million a year, or roughly $135 million over the life of the tax--on top of the taxes residents already pay. Local candidates Verbica and Pefley critique the proposal. An Opp Now exclusive.
Will voters elect candidates to rein in the destructive public policies that cripple California? In an ongoing Opportunity Now exclusive series on November’s election, SVBA’s Pat Waite makes the case that state-level dysfunction in energy, housing, and education are rooted in bad governance. When will the electorate realize the solution is not more government?
Local Labor/Left and SJ city gov't keep looking for ways to slow down and regulate what is turning out to be a big local jobs engine.
Just weeks before the election, the Merc editorial board has completely transformed the Regional Transit Measure (RTM) debate by coming out with a vigorous rejection of the transit bailout tax in today’s (Sunday) op-ed.
As part of an ongoing Opportunity Now exclusive series leading up to this fall’s election, we’re asking local leaders what bigger issues are shaping the region and the state. SHIFT-Bay Area President Gus Mattammal weighs in:
Is there a “silent majority” that is tired of the tax hikes? California financial expert Tom Rubin joins an Opportunity Now exclusive series exploring where we’re headed this November. He warns local governments it might soon be much harder to keep raising taxes.
