If Measure A is supposed to address Medi-Cal limits, it’s “premature” says SVTA Board Member Elizabeth Brierly: why not let funding shake out in the state legislature—before making Santa Clara County take one for the team? But is this even about the hospitals? Brierly says the county's wanted a new sales tax for “quite a while.” An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreWhen business leaders think they need to do everything themselves, own everything, and decide everything (sound familiar, Santa Clara County Supes?), trouble usually ensues. IENYC explores how to create a partnership model that shares expertise and risk.
Read MoreFollowing critiques from Rishi Kumar and Dawn Davis, HJTA VP Susan Shelley says “there’s no such thing as a temporary tax in California.” SCC GOP Chair Dave Johnson agrees, noting the rapid special election means residents “won’t even know what hit them.” An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreHJTA’s Susan Shelley questions why Santa Clara County would raise sales taxes on struggling residents. If the issue is a 4–5% Medi-Cal shortfall, SCC GOP Chair Dave Johnson asks, is that really an “emergency”? He notes supervisors had no problem doubling hospital funding in recent years—now 50% of the county budget. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreDave Johnson, chair of the SVGOP and Tracey Enfantino, leader of the SV Biz PAC, call out the SJ Chamber of Commerce for its "neutral" stance on county's 5/8-cent sales tax increase. Previously, the Chamber actually endorsed the anti-business, tax-raising Proposition 5 (which was rejected by statewide and county voters).
Read MoreSC Supes say the sky is falling on the county hospital system, and the only way out is yet another tax hike. But SVTA Board Member Elizabeth Brierly wonders how catastrophic this so-called funding emergency really is. She warns that Measure A is a “regressive sales tax on the working poor who don’t rely on the county, who have insurance, and who follow the rules.” An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreAlan Henry, in Lifehacker, notes how it's common for people to feel like their local gov't isn't giving us time of day. But foot-stomping won't work, he says. Follow a respectful, data-driven approach that aligns with how your local government thinks.
Read MoreNational Federation of Independent Business Josh McLeod discusses how lack of compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) by gov't agencies leads to numerous rigid, overbroad regulations that don't take into account the unique needs of local merchants.
Read MoreStephanie Reich, Senior Vice President at Stateside, unpacks how city and county governments are increasingly moving into the space previously filled by state and federal agencies regarding business regulation. And it's making business ever harder for local merchants. Reich provides some useful countermeasures for small businesses at Stateside website.
Read MoreMeasure A money can be spent on anything. But even if it does get sunk into SC County’s health system, well, why? SVTA Board Member Elizabeth Brierly asks why the county overleveraged into failing facilities when 94% of CA hospitals are private. There’s a market if the Supes wanted to trim the fat. Instead, they recently rejected an offer on O’Connor. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreSo say Gregg Dieguez (SHIFT-Bay Area) and Jan Soule (Silicon Valley Association of Conservative Republicans)—especially when it comes to “virtually bankrupt” yet overcharging local water, sewer, and transit agencies. Perhaps deficits aren’t—and shouldn’t be—inherent to the public sector, after all? More below in this Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreTransit ridership is limping along--usually below pre-Covid levels--yet Bay Area lawmakers want another half-cent sales tax under SB 63. Decades of rising costs, union-driven wages, and pricey “green” megaprojects mean Silicon Valley residents are footing the bill while getting less service in return. Marc Joffee (Visiting Fellow at California Policy Center and President of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association) and Athan Joshi (CPC intern and Opp Now contributing editor) untangle the mess.
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