“Avoiding layoffs is not in the interest of the taxpayers,” says Mark Moses, and it’s “too late to find savings from efficiency gains this year.” Instead, he argues, San Jose should begin a long-term approach to financial health: management should slowly regain control of the workforce, and sunset wasteful programs. An Opportunity Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreA recent Spotlight article frames San Jose’s $65 million shortfall as a short-term balancing act, but nobody’s asking how to solve the structural deficit. So says municipal finance guru Mark Moses, author of The Municipal Financial Crisis. An Opportunity Now exclusive Q&A response.
Read MoreLower tariffs combined with an improved regulatory environment could be good for business this year, says Shane Patrick Connolly. Locally, however, he wonders if voters will finally push back against Santa Clara County’s “moribund” yet tax-ravenous government. An Opportunity Now exclusive forecast for 2026.
Read MoreRealtor Mark Burns worries Santa Clara County will keep hiking taxes instead of containing expenses, while realtor Gina Tse-Louie argues that voters’ rights have been systematically dismantled by the state government. She hopes an initiative to address the “death tax” will make it on the ballot this year. An Opportunity Now exclusive look ahead to 2026.
Read MoreUnelected transit and housing bodies are scheming for more control, but the Plan Bay Area 2050+ has serious problems. So says Former Palo Alto Mayor Lydia Kou, who argues that along with its 37 negative environmental impacts, the PBA 2050+ can’t be paid for without more borrowing and higher taxes. An Opportunity Now exclusive 2026 forecast.
Read MoreAs the Bay Area’s most vulnerable are pushed further to the brink by a fraying safety net this year, regional planners will flail about for unworkable fixes. So says Susan Kirsch of Catalysts for Local Control, who argues that, instead of supporting Plan Bay Area 2050+, which uses fantastical population predictions, local leaders should restore local control. An Opportunity Now exclusive 2026 prediction.
Read MoreSacramento and local governments have long relied on the glories of the Golden State to get away with “unpredictable” tax policy: HJTA’s Susan Shelley asks if Silicon Valley tech founders have finally had enough. In this Opportunity Now exclusive prediction, she warns of a “bumpy ride” in 2026 that could “shake up the status quo.”
Read MoreWhile New York’s dubious political pivot threatens compounding deterioration of basic civic services, Manhattan Institute fellow Tim Rosenberger argues that SF is enjoying a “quiet return of talent and capital.” But is The City’s “renewed seriousness about law and order” real? An Opportunity Now exclusive 2026 prediction.
Read MoreSanta Clara County is poised to set fees far higher than in LA and SF, says Cupertinoo Vice Mayor Liangfang Chao. Having opposed Measure A as “good money after bad,” she’s once again calling for a “more prudent approach” to revenue seeking. An Opportunity Now exclusive comment.
Read MorePublic transport ridership has tanked in the Bay Area, but spending has more than doubled, inflation-adjusted, since 1980. So says former transit executive Tom Rubin in an Opportunity Now exclusive op-ed. The RM4 dragon-slayer calls on voters to insist on improvements first, before considering new taxes.
Read MoreBy helping his neighbors improve their quality of life, local grassroots organizer Tony Guan learned that change comes at a cost. In this Opportunity Now exclusive Q&A, he highlights hard-fought campaigns: after successfully reducing airline noise, he continued to organize. His campaign to protect racial equality took him to the steps of the US Supreme Court.
Read MoreEdward Ring says California may remain robust for now, but warns an ideological extremist could win the race for governor. Meanwhile, A is for Average author Gus Mattammal says voters are “blown away” when he tells them how badly CA’s school districts are performing. He also wants Bay Area media to break from one-sided coverage of the regional transit tax. An Opportunity Now exclusive look forward to 2026.
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