☆ Election roundup (6/14): Local pols overlooked voters' actual wishes when falling for Prop 5
Because Tom's so obsessed with Summer, he ignores her insistence that she doesn't want a relationship with him—and imagines he has a chance. Spoiler alert: Summer marries someone else. From (500) Days of Summer (2009).
In Election '24, elected officials were so infatuated with tax-raising Proposition 5 that—um—they didn't realize the proposal would get an “I'm not interested” from 55.5% of CA'ns. Below, more Opp Now exclusive post-election analyses from Tom Wolf, Tom Rubin, Jon Coupal, and Pierluigi Oliverio.
Biggest loser of the election?
Tom Wolf, Recovery Education Coalition founder: In California, the biggest losers were harder-left progressives. They didn't get their way with ballot propositions: enacting rent control (Prop 33 lost), ending what they call “slavery” inside prisons (Prop 6 lost), and Prop 36 (which voters approved). I think this shocked them. They didn't see it coming.
At the local, state, and national level, Democrats were caught flat-footed this election. They were so sure that the message they'd been pumping out the last three or four years would resonate with voters, but it clearly didn't. Take San Francisco: the Board of Supervisors will remain a progressive majority, but they fired their mayor and elected a political outsider instead. This shows an appetite for change, and a swing back towards center-left, more moderate views on certain issues.
Tom Rubin, government surface transportation auditor and consultant: MTC and the planners.
Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association president: Zuckerberg for wasting $5 million supporting Prop 5.
Biggest winner?
Pierluigi Oliverio, SJ planning commissioner, Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association board member: People in CA that want to maintain current tax levels and want more accountability and safety. Californians denying Prop 5 (lower new tax voting threshold) and Prop 6 (prison labor)—as well as passing Prop 36 (more aggressive approach to crime) spoke in a manner that is not typical for us.
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