☆ Guan: deceptive ballot language to fuel tax hikes across California
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Media and politicians feast on voter confusion, playing the national polarization playbook to sneak through tax measures that defy voters’ self-interest: in an Opportunity Now exclusive comment for our series on the election, Silicon Valley Chinese Association VP Tony Guan predicts we’re headed toward bigger government with a billionaire’s tax very possible, and only cautious hope for voter ID reform.
The defining meta-issue of California's 2026 election is money: the size of government and the ever-expanding scope of taxation. The Hilton–Becerra gubernatorial debate put it on full display — corruption and wasteful spending have driven the cost of living to crisis levels, yet Californians will likely keep electing Democrats anyway, largely as a reflex against Trump. The trajectory is clear: government grows, taxes rise, and ordinary people foot the bill.
What sustains this cycle is, frankly, deception. Californians have been confused by ballot language for decades, and according to Reform California, politicians have placed 328 local tax hikes on this year's ballots — many hidden behind deceptive titles. Even if only a third pass, the cost of living climbs higher. Voters keep approving measures against their own interests while the media helps politicians blame Trump and run the same playbook every cycle.
Two propositions will tell the story. The so-called "billionaire tax" (Prop 40) may pass despite strongly organized opposition from tech leaders — a lesson for them: think twice before enabling leftist politicians, and be careful who you support before it's too late. Voter ID (Prop 39) has a real chance, but only if the election is guarded thoroughly — by federal poll watchers or CAGOP lawyers, something that hasn't happened in decades, so I'm not holding my breath. If federal voter-integrity enforcement helps pass it anyway, that will be a beautiful story to tell for years.
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