SJ Chamber of Commerce--get this--aligns with local Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) on woebegone transit tax

First, our local chamber raised eyebrows when they lined up with DSA on Prop 5. That was just the start; they're teaming up again in support of a regressive sales tax bid to bail out floundering transit agencies. Proletaires de tous les pays, unissez-vous!

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christopher escher
☆ SJ Chamber whiffs with questionable RTM endorsement

Former governor candidate Thunder Parley unpacks the Chamber's weak claims supporting RTM and finds a whole lot of deflection and double talk, in this exclusive q and a. 

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christopher escher
Uh-oh, data centers actually lower energy prices

Counter-narrative result: data center buildout between 2015 and 2024 *reduced* electricity prices in America 

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christopher escher
☆ Rosenberger: trust in governance starts with trust in elections

In an Opportunity Now exclusive series, we’re asking thought leaders about the bigger picture behind this fall’s election, and what direction California is heading in. Manhattan Institute fellow Tim Rosenberger opines: 

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Ellenberg's tax pitch sinks under scrutiny

Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg wrote an op-ed for the Merc complaining about Prop 43, a November ballot measure that would make “citizens initiative tax increases” harder to pass. Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Ass'n Susan Shelley daylights how Ellenberg's oppo to voter thresholds for new taxes reveals governance and historical illiteracy

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christopher escher
☆ Dieguez: “what are taxpayers receiving for the taxes they already pay?”

In an Opportunity Now exclusive series, we’re asking local leaders what the November 2026 election tells us about where Silicon Valley and Bay Area are headed. Gregg Dieguez of Fixes Before Funding asks some uncomfortable questions: 

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christopher escher
☆ Moses: bloated government will keep looking for revenue

What does this election cycle say about which way Silicon Valley is heading? As part of an Opportunity Now exclusive series, municipal finance expert Mark Moses situates the role of local governments at the heart of affordability:

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☆ Smith: what kind of city do we want to be?

In an Opportunity Now exclusive series, we’re asking local leaders what this election cycle reveals about the bigger issues shaping Silicon Valley’s direction. Irene Smith of United Housing Alliance wonders if SJ’s Land Use Planning debate is asking the right questions.

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christopher escher
☆ Ring: taxing and spending “shall continue”

In an exclusive series before the November 2026 election, we’re asking local leaders what this cycle tells us about where we’re headed in both Silicon Valley and the state. California Policy Center’s Edward Ring weighs in on the fraught relationship between affordability and ever-increasing taxes.: 

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christopher escher
Your tax dollars will not save local transit

Transit expert Marc Joffe unpacks all the over-the-top doom-mongering being peddled by SPUR, SF Chronicle, and Transit Industrial Complex. His conclusion: their alarmism regarding RTM doesn't withstand serious examination

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christopher escher
Experts say: banning self-checkout lines ends up boosting prices at the market

San Jose could become the first city in the Bay Area to place new limits on self-checkout at grocery stores and pharmacies, including a requirement to keep at least one staffed checkout lane open, under a proposal promoted by councilmembers David Cohen and Domingo Candelas. 

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christopher escher
Opinion: Automated checkout line bans (like CMs Cohen's and Candelas' for SJ) = wild local government overreach

SJ's proposed regulation of checkout lines at local grocery stores strike many as an extreme example of gov't meddling in business. Leaders in other states and cities that have considered similar moves are similarly dubious.

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christopher escher