SC County Supes warn funding changes threaten county hospitals. But Dawn Davis, plaintiff in a suit against Measure A, points to chronic waste and degradation in the system. She marvels at O’Connor Hospital’s long wait times, despite county employees’ $1 million salaries and lavish artwork at SCVMC. Rather than squeeze the taxpayer, she asks, why not cut the fat? An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreWill SB 63 disenfranchise San Mateo County and Santa Clara County residents, and heap more of their hard-earned tax dollars onto unaccountable transit agencies like the MTC? After another BART meltdown, SHIFT-Bay Area's sustainability director Gregg Dieguez argues against continued wasteful spending. He says the agencies need outside oversight, and the region needs a competitive transit marketplace. An Opp Now exclusive op-ed.
Read More“It was prejudicial and misleading,” says long time Santa Clara County resident Dawn Davis of the Measure A ballot label. She and three other plaintiffs victoriously sued to remove some of the partisan terms from the ballot summary. Although the hasty tax hike election will proceed, Davis believes the more honestly worded ballot might improve trust in local government. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreCognitive distortion. Dichotomous thinking. Erasing the gray area. These are the terms shrinks use to describe the psychological maladies that derive from All-or-nothing mindsets common among politicians and those addicted to politics. Big takeaway: the syndrome can lead to pessimism, social alienation, and depression. Manhattan Center for Cognitive Therapy explores.
Read MoreLiving in the Bay Area, in California, it's often hard to grok that there are states and areas that are as reliably red as we are blue. Governing website explores how the All-or-Nothing syndrome has translated into partisan electoral politics.
Read MoreJust build more houses. Just pass yours down to your children. Just run a profitable business. Easy, right? Not exactly, argue former Palo Alto councilmember Greg Tanaka and real estate broker Gina Tse-Louie—saying we need radical rewrites in building/business regulations and tax policy. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreThe Santa Clara County BOS says this latest sales tax increase is for an “emergency,” but County Assessor candidate Rishi Kumar argues it smacks of opportunism. Even though the changes don’t fully take effect till 2027, he says the Supes rushed it onto November’s special ballot before voters get a chance to see the bigger picture: a tsunami of tax proposals in 2026. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreCounty residents are promised that Measure A sales tax is only “temporary” and will have plenty of oversight. But County Assessor candidate Rishi Kumar argues neither is the case. He says Measure A is a regressive sales tax that won’t go away, can be spent on anything, and could even preclude the county from state healthcare funding. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreSanta Clara County’s public health system is poised to lose $3 billion yearly by 2030. So says County Assessor candidate Rishi Kumar, who argues the $330 million that Measure A is meant to raise each year will only pay a fraction of the shortfall. “Where’s the plan for the rest?” he asks, “more tax increases?” An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreFor the Valley to stop pricing residents out of housing, former Gilroy mayor Marie Blankley and SV Biz PAC’s Tracey Enfantino point to needed property tax exemptions; impact fee code revisions; and a straightforward, efficient Community Development Department to process building applications. An Opp Now exclusive in our affordability series.
Read MoreChecks and balances. Separation of powers. Citizen empowerment. This is how to design a go-slow decisionmaking system—from Santa Clara to D.C. Liberty Belle website explores.
Read MoreMaybe we actually want gov't to be careful and deliberative because--let's be honest--we kind of don't trust it. Katie Smith and Nathaneal DeSantis of Simple Civics podcast explain.
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