☆ Election roundup (10/14): To all the bonds we've loved before...
In Netflix hit To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018), Lara Jean writes long, emotional letters to her crushes, without intending to send them. One day, her sister mails them all out herself—leaving Lara Jean to confront the messy consequences.
Continuing our exclusive analyses, Opp Now contributors feel disappointed that voters signed gov't's (pretty grandiose) love letters to tax hikes and bonds—like SJUSD's Measure R, passing with 63.9%. Could voters' well-meaning “yes's” end up breaking their hearts the bank for everyday Californians? Comments below from: Susan Shelley, Tom Rubin, Mark Burns, and Pierluigi Oliverio.
Biggest disappointment of the election?
Susan Shelley, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association VP of communications: Measure A passing in Los Angeles County. It's going to raise the sales tax, which is very harsh on people; and it's going to entrench this current program of dealing with homelessness through these nonprofit organizations that are not fully accountable, right at a time when we're in the middle of an audit in the city of Los Angeles to see where the money went that went to these same groups.
Tom Rubin, government surface transportation auditor and consultant: California Democratic Party continuing with “we need more taxes/fees” even after the election results—disappointing, but hardly surprising. They really don’t have any options if they are going to keep their bosses happy.
Mark Burns, Bay Area real estate agent: Biggest disappointment was Ash Kalra and Alex Lee getting back in [California Assembly] with such wide margins. I guess people just look for the word incumbent after a candidate’s name and say, “Well, he's been there before. He knows what he's doing. Let's do it.”
Best campaign?
Pierluigi Oliverio, SJ planning commissioner, Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association board member: Well, the most effective was the pro-SJUSD Measure R because they never mentioned how much the measure would cost. I guess that's what politics is—because when there's a bond measure, people won't always understand how it correlates to the taxes they pay, and especially how much more people pay in bond repayments than they do in taxes, say, to the City of San Jose. Notably, not a single San Jose City councilmember or the mayor endorsed Measure R.
Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity
Related:
Opp Now enthusiastically welcomes smart, thoughtful, fair-minded, well-written comments from our readers. But be advised: we have zero interest in posting rants, ad hominems, poorly-argued screeds, transparently partisan yack, or the hateful name-calling often seen on other local websites. So if you've got a great idea that will add to the conversation, please send it in. If you're trolling or shilling for a candidate or initiative, forget it.