☆ Joffe: Silicon Valley is the center of innovation. Could that all change in 2026?
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Our region is synonymous with success. But Marc Joffe warns a raft of tax measures this year could prove “existential,” forcing voters to decide whether Silicon Valley rewards innovation, or punishes it. One major ticket to savings, he argues, is driverless buses and trains. Will voters agree? Or will they keep funding a legacy system? An Opportunity Now exclusive forecast for 2026.
2026 is shaping up to be an existential for Silicon Valley. With the billionaire wealth tax and numerous other state and local tax and bond measures likely to be on the ballot, voters will have an opportunity to decide whether the Valley is a place that rewards or penalizes success. If the latter, I expect more capital and brainpower to leave, endangering our position as the center of innovation.
The issue I follow most closely is transportation. In November we’ll see whether voters double down on the legacy system of union-member-operated trains and buses by taxing ourselves more to support that system. As 2026 progresses, I expect voters around the Valley will see evidence that driverless transportation is the future.
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