☆ Rubin: November’s tax-heavy ballot could lead to a “revolt”

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.

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Local Labor/left AI doom-mongering fizzles

Silicon Valley non profits and union groups are make wild claims about how AI hurts working people. Only problem: the opposite is true.

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christopher escher
☆ Khamis: “I haven’t seen a wolf”

In an Opportunity Now exclusive series, local leaders weigh in on what this election cycle reveals about the bigger issues shaping Silicon Valley’s direction. We caught up with former SJ Councilmember and SVBA President Johnny Khamis, who marvels at voters’ trust in government no matter how dubious a tax hike may be:

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Residents along Coyote Creek call for Valley Water & City of San Jose leaders to work together on Coyote Creek blockages & debris

A group of neighbors and friends have discovered several major dangerous wood blockages that have been allowed to build up in Coyote Creek.   However, because of different property owners (sometimes the City of San Jose, sometimes Valley Water, sometimes private individuals, etc) – as well as differing opinions about whether the blockages constitute a flood threat and who is responsible for flood control  — none of the parties are willing to take responsibility for clearing these blockages.

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christopher escher
☆ Kalm: California’s survival depends on cutting taxes

CoCo Tax VP Denise Kalm joins an Opportunity Now exclusive series looking at the bigger issues behind this November’s election. She warns of how persistent tax hikes move the state further away from affordability, and the devastating costs of wasteful government:

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christopher escher
☆ Coupal: a pivot to collectivism might devastate California

What does this November’s election say about where the state is going? As part of an Opportunity Now exclusive series, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association President Jon Coupal warns that a move toward even higher taxes and regs could further hollow out the middle class. He says an electorate so under informed by California’s struggling school system only perpetuates the downward spiral:

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SJ Chamber of Commerce--get this--aligns with local Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) on woebegone transit tax

First, our local chamber raised eyebrows when they lined up with DSA on Prop 5. That was just the start; they're teaming up again in support of a regressive sales tax bid to bail out floundering transit agencies. Proletaires de tous les pays, unissez-vous!

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christopher escher
☆ SJ Chamber whiffs with questionable RTM endorsement

Former governor candidate Thunder Parley unpacks the Chamber's weak claims supporting RTM and finds a whole lot of deflection and double talk, in this exclusive q and a. 

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christopher escher
Uh-oh, data centers actually lower energy prices

Counter-narrative result: data center buildout between 2015 and 2024 *reduced* electricity prices in America 

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christopher escher
☆ Rosenberger: trust in governance starts with trust in elections

In an Opportunity Now exclusive series, we’re asking thought leaders about the bigger picture behind this fall’s election, and what direction California is heading in. Manhattan Institute fellow Tim Rosenberger opines: 

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Ellenberg's tax pitch sinks under scrutiny

Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg wrote an op-ed for the Merc complaining about Prop 43, a November ballot measure that would make “citizens initiative tax increases” harder to pass. Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Ass'n Susan Shelley daylights how Ellenberg's oppo to voter thresholds for new taxes reveals governance and historical illiteracy

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christopher escher
☆ Dieguez: “what are taxpayers receiving for the taxes they already pay?”

In an Opportunity Now exclusive series, we’re asking local leaders what the November 2026 election tells us about where Silicon Valley and Bay Area are headed. Gregg Dieguez of Fixes Before Funding asks some uncomfortable questions: 

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christopher escher