We caught up with Susan Shelley of Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Ass'n to explain why it's just basic logic to close the inequitable and economically misguided mistakes (like the Upland Loophole) in the CA tax code.
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This Tuesday, SJ Council looks ready to oppose a November statewide ballot initiative that would bring reason and sanity to CA's tax code. Specifically, the initiative would close loopholes to Prop 13 that allow cities to sneak in certain tax increases with deceptive messaging and just a 50%+1 approval, even though the state Constitution and voter results have said there should be a 2/3ds threshold for new taxes. SJ Council has a long and sorry history of voting contrary to citizen will on new taxes: it opposed Prop 13 back in 1978 and endorsed a Prop 13-killer, Prop 5, in 2025, even though local voters (along with the rest of the state) decisively rejected it. An Opp Now exclusive.
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SJ City Council is considering yet another assault on Prop 13, which remains wildly popular with local residents. Peter Verbica unpacks the disconnect. An Opp Now exclusive.
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In the recent primary election across our fair state, county and city ballot measures raising levies are trailing or have been defeated. WSJ reports.
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SJ says it has solved its budget shortfall for the coming year. But can anyone explain how raising new taxes does anything other than make SJ even less affordable? And did we just hear the sound of the can being kicked down the road--yet again? An Opp Now exclusive.
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In which Mahan's even modest pushback on labor's financial demands prompts bigtime counterpunch in gov. race.
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Our Cristabel Cruz takes a (not very fond) look back at media coverage of the CA 2026 primary, and finds more horses than candidates. She explains why. An Opp Now Exclusive.
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We ask some psychoanalysts to provide tips to local politicians on how to be a good winner and a good loser.
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Maybe the way to make San Jose more affordable isn’t by demonizing gas appliances, single-family homes, and urban sprawl—say CFR’s Pat Waite and SVGOP’s David G. Johnson. Perhaps local elected officials should reconsider what’s proven effective and reasonable, not environmentally virtue-signal at the expense of (our) cost of living. An Opp Now exclusive.
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And why SJ City Council's stubborn refusal to withdraw support for the preposterous boondoggle is deeply, deeply misguided. Nat'l Review opines.
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A dive into the data reveals a Progressive Activism monoculture is taking over journalistic--and other--job centres in the U.K. Ethical Systems explores.
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Claims of Japanese government pressure and manipulation of journalism persist, as the media's dependency on access journalism and business interests have contributed to self-censorship and poor coverage of crucial public issues. David A McNeill of the University of the Sacred Heart explains in East Asia Forum.
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