Every parent knows: if your child wastes their allowance, it’s time for better money skills—not a bigger allowance. Yet CA SB 63 proposes we add a half-cent sales tax for bailing out transit agencies like VTA. Perhaps it’s time for fiscal accountability across local gov’t projects. An Opp Now exclusive with Pacific Research Institute’s Tim Anaya and Evergreen Elementary SD’s Jim Zito.
Read MoreLocal political commenter Denise Kalm says that local gov’ts mis-label the real issues with our homeless community, ignoring the upstream problems of mental health and addiction. She says this “infantilizes” our unhoused neighbors, and leads to bad policy. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreHJTA spokesperson Susan Shelley warns that despite Prop 13’s safeguards against runaway taxes, the state has aggressively chipped away at the voter’s intent. The courts even pulled a taxpayer protection act off the ballot last year. But she’s confident that in 2026, Californians and SV residents will get a chance to put the brakes on local tax hikes. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreSPUR’s Urbanist gathers local leaders to consider what it would take to achieve thriving San José, San Francisco, & Oakland downtowns, buzzing with pedestrian malls, green spaces, and tech-driven equity. From car-free streets to student hubs, could this vision blends Silicon Valley innovation with community soul to sidestep the urban doom loop?
Read MoreDespite taxpayer protections enshrined in Proposition 13, the state has ramped up all kinds of taxes through legal loopholes and questionable court rulings. So says Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Assn’s Susan Shelley, who points out that Californians—especially Silicon Valley residents—pay some of the highest sales tax in the nation. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreWhether we’re talking CEQA, licensing req’ts, gas mandates, or sales taxes, CA congressional candidate Peter Coe Verbica and SF Libertarian chair Starchild argue that less is more—and would empower folks to stay in the Bay. Not flee to other, more cost-effective states. An Opp Now exclusive roundup.
Read MorePer our annual Opp Now tradition, we hit replay on a beloved short essay by Peter Coe Verbica. He reflects, below, on those inexplicable moments of renewal and recovery we might experience during the holidays—prompted by the loveliness found in ordinary activities, objects, and surroundings. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreIt was a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago. On December 4, 1965, the Grateful Dead's first gig playin' in the band as the Dead took place in a large house that once stood on the current footprint of San Jose City Hall. On December 4, 2025, a commemorative plaque (thanks to SJRocks.org) will be placed to mark this legendary site. Public welcome; rings on your fingers and bells on your shoes appreciated.
Read MoreCounty officials are still snapping at each other regarding the proceeds from the “bait-and-switch” Measure A. At the same time, underdog Assessor finalist Rishi Kumar gains the support of local political leaders with his aggressive tax reform platform. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreCalifornia may have okayed ADUs; and duplexes are technically legal in Cupertino, Palo Alto, and beyond—but only in narrow zoning pockets, leaving most of the map frozen in single-family exclusivity. Tennessee’s zoning atlas model could expose the gap and push Bay Area suburbs toward gentle density. From Beacon Center of Tennessee.
Read MoreHow can local gov’t fix affordability for residents? Retired attorney Ted Stroll and Purissima Hills Water District director Brian Holtz recommend a simple—but sweeping—prescription: no more rent control, no more traditional property taxes, no more single-family zoning, or sales taxes. And—to look to Argentina. An Opp Now exclusive in our ongoing affordability roundup.
Read MoreOne of the biggest problems baked into Silicon Valley progressive governance is the systemic inability to consider the impacts of the high costs of their pet projects. District 5 Supervisor Margaret. Abe-Koga provides a classic example of metrics-free thinking. We unpack. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read More
