In 1978, a huge majority of SCC residents voted in favor of Prop 13, which requires two-thirds voter approval of new special taxes. In 2023, SJ's City Council is eager for an about-face: they've enthusiastically green-lighted an amendment to revert the requirement to 55%. State representative Diane Dixon warns local taxpayers to be wary of ACA 1's “subtle” undermining of Prop 13 safeguards. From the OC Register.

The City of San Jose resisted pressure from some advocacy groups to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Rather, the City opted for a generalized statement calling for peace and unity within the community. This decision aligned with many statements from local citizens, who recently reminded Councilmembers of what is—and isn't—within their jurisdiction. A handful of comments below.

Santa Cruz City Council shot down a Gaza ceasefire resolution on 1.10, superseding it with a more neutral call to “peace.” To reach their 5–2 vote against the original resolution (and 5–1 for the alternate peace decree), Council endured 10 hours of aggressive public feedback that grew violent at times. Now, many are wondering if approving a resolution on foreign affairs—during a period of heightened antisemitism—is a productive, safe move for city councils and their residents. Lookout Santa Cruz reports.

The latest proposal to dive into evil rich people's wallets was killed in the Assembly Committee on 1.9, reports Tank Town Media. The bill would have added a net worth tax of 1.5% for local billionaires, likely prompting CA's economy-boosting wealthy residents to make their exit.

Since October, 15 U.S. cities (4 in California) have passed resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. San Francisco recently joined the list, on the heels of a heated Board of Supervisors public forum. Below, the Bay Area's Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) warns cities against schismatic foreign policy resolutions that sow discord and discrimination, but don't impact foreign politics.

Even pro-Palestinian folks around the Bay Area clapped back quickly and definitively when Rupa Marya (medicine professor at UC San Francisco) tweeted a brazen, unequivocal, Woke-coded condemnation of Jewish doctors. The National Review recaps.

On 1.9, SF's Board of Supervisors decided to try their hand at global politics when—after hearing hours of impassioned and some inflammatory public comments—they approved a resolution imploring a ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution's lauded a “compromise” by mainstream media, but others (including SF's Mayor London Breed and the Bay Area's own Jewish Community Relations Council) argue it's imbalanced, divisive, and extraneous to the Board's jurisdiction. Excerpted comments below.

Local mom-and-pop housing providers are now caught in a double bind between ignoring nonpaying tenants (or paying them to move out) and actually evicting them (which can rack up tens of thousands in legal fees). Below, California Insider surveys the issue: how landlords are hurt by unpaid back rent, how they're creatively attempting to make things work, and why rental relief hasn't even dented the problem.

The Post Millennial reminds that soon after the Israel–Gaza war began in October, UC Davis professor Jemma Decristo tweeted that “zionist journalists... have houses w addresses, kids in school / they can fear their bosses, but they should fear us more.” After social media uproar, Chancellor Gary May “wholeheartedly” castigated the prof's remarks encouraging violence against Jews—but promised only to “carefully review” Decristo (who, yep, remains employed at UC Davis to this day).