Continuing our exclusive analyses, Opp Now contributors feel disappointed that voters signed gov't's (pretty grandiose) love letters to tax hikes and bonds—like SJUSD's Measure R, passing with 63.9%. Could voters' well-meaning “yes's” end up breaking their hearts the bank for everyday Californians? Comments below from: Susan Shelley, Tom Rubin, Mark Burns, and Pierluigi Oliverio.
Bonds can double repayment costs, burdening property owners for decades, especially in today's higher interest rate environment. So says Silicon Valley realtor Mark Burns, who sat on two school bond oversight committees. Prop 5 and RM4 promised similar oversight bodies, but Burns says they’d only pay “lip service” to the idea of accountability. Prevailing wage requirements, for example, force districts to pay astronomically inflated prices. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreVoters rejected Prop 5 this cycle, which would've opened the door to unrestricted gov't borrowing. Yet, other expensive ballot measures like Prop 2 and Measure R (both nobly dressed up as “saving our schools”) were passed. More Opp Now exclusive analyses—of what some perceive as Election 2024's biggest disappointments—below from SVTA's Mark Hinkle, HJTA's Jon Coupal, and CFR's Pat Waite.
Read MoreTransit consultant Tom Rubin warns that MTC’s BAHFA could give birth to another ill-conceived prodigality in the billions of dollars. On the 2026 ballot, they may also ask Bay Area voters for a transit tax. Statewide, the legislature could try to amend the constitution just to thwart taxpayer protections, while Sac targets cities who don’t want to stack ‘n pack themselves into dissipation. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreWhy did Prop 5 suffer such a bruising defeat? Voters understood it bypassed Prop 13 and would reduce the threshold for local bonds from two-thirds to 55% of the electorate. Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Ass’n President Jon Coupal credits his organization’s underdog campaign to educate voters. He counts SHIFT Bay Area (né “$20 Billion Reasons”) as one of HJTA’s most effective partners in the fight against wasteful borrowing: seven of nine Bay Area counties voted "no."
Read MoreOut-of-touch housing activists failed to broaden their appeal to the everyday taxpayer—could that explain why Prop 5 got “slapped down?” Tom Rubin, co-founder of the grassroots group that likely nudged RM4 off the ballot earlier this year, points out MTC/BAHFA still haven’t gotten the message. They insist on bond money going to prevailing wage contracts, thus inflating the cost of “affordable” housing. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreFormer Palo Alto mayor Lydia Kou and Recovery Education Coalition founder Tom Wolf find it near-inconceivable that many local gov’ts endorsed Prop 5, while opposing Prop 36. Whether they're just out-of-touch, trying to line their pockets, or listening to the wrong stakeholders (all of the above?)—they've got to start prioritizing what Bay Area voters need. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreAlthough the East Bay’s Alameda County hues bluer than the bay itself, residents had had enough. They don't feel safe. As Californians statewide reversed a permissive stance on crime via Prop 36, Alamedans for the first time in history recalled their prosecutor—a progressive who just wouldn’t prosecute enough. KTVU’s Lisa Fernandez reports.
Read MoreContinuing our exclusive Election '24 analyses, Opp Now contributors argue that local/State gov't's tax mania ultimately brought the chandelier down on themselves this cycle (so to speak) via misguided measures RM4 and Prop 5. Featuring comments from: Cato Institute's Marc Joffe, HJTA's Jon Coupal, transit expert Tom Rubin, and real estate agent Mark Burns.
Read MoreMany free market-minded Bay Areans see wins in Nov. '24's rejection of tax-increasing Prop 5, passing of Prop 36, and more—but one local issue we can't vote away: extreme ideological divides. For this Opp Now exclusive, political science professors (UC Berkeley, Stanford, and University of SF) share insightful book recommendations on why we're so polarized today, what this means for local politics—and, yes, how to get back on track.
Read MoreSJ Council voted Tuesday to honor residents' preference for democracy and hold a special election to replace D3 CM Torres. Dissenting CMs Jiminez & Cohen worry about low turnout favoring wealthier candidates—but a Governing.comstudy (explained below) finds that special elections tend to indicate regular election outcomes, accurately representing constituents' picks.
Read MoreMayor Sheng Thao’s opponents campaigned on her devastating policy choices that bathed The Town in red ink and high crime. Thao fired a popular police chief and somehow missed the deadline for a retail theft grant worth millions. Oaklanders have resoundingly rejected Thao, inviting speculation that Barbara Lee could face off against Loren Taylor in the April special election. KTVU’s Lisa Fernandez reports.
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