Many free market-minded Bay Areans see wins in Nov. '24's rejection of tax-increasing Prop 5, passing of Prop 36, and more—but one local issue we can't vote away: extreme ideological divides. For this Opp Now exclusive, political science professors (UC Berkeley, Stanford, and University of SF) share insightful book recommendations on why we're so polarized today, what this means for local politics—and, yes, how to get back on track.
Read MoreSJ Council voted Tuesday to honor residents' preference for democracy and hold a special election to replace D3 CM Torres. Dissenting CMs Jiminez & Cohen worry about low turnout favoring wealthier candidates—but a Governing.comstudy (explained below) finds that special elections tend to indicate regular election outcomes, accurately representing constituents' picks.
Read MoreMayor Sheng Thao’s opponents campaigned on her devastating policy choices that bathed The Town in red ink and high crime. Thao fired a popular police chief and somehow missed the deadline for a retail theft grant worth millions. Oaklanders have resoundingly rejected Thao, inviting speculation that Barbara Lee could face off against Loren Taylor in the April special election. KTVU’s Lisa Fernandez reports.
Read MoreAs we reported last year, SJ City Council has a long history of taking stances on ballot propositions that voters then clearly contradict. This cycle, Council endorsed Prop 5—which soon got rejected both county- and state-wide. Alexander Furnas' study (discussed below) may explain this disconnect: political elites, of all partisanships, believe their policy opinions align more with public opinion than they actually do.
Read MoreThe fed’s unsustainable financial house may not yet be affecting Californian voters as they decide just how much they want to let their state government borrow. Economist Mike ter Maat says Prop 5 likely failed because it would have enabled indescribable future debt that affects voters' taxes directly. Yet Props 2 and 4 sailed through, because proponents made a case for borrowing more billions—on top of our state deficit. An Opp Now exclusive Q&A.
Read MoreProposition 33 tried—making this the third attempt in CA—to undo Costa-Hawkins' rent control limitations (which housing providers cite as keeping them profitable). Below, housing policy expert Christian Britschgi says No on 33's pivot from “landlord rights” to “housing affordability” messaging is what resonated with SCC voters (60.5% voting “no” this Nov. to expansive rent control). From Reason's Rent Free newsletter.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreThe rejection of Prop 5 this November is a victory for democracy, communities, and the rights of property owners. So says 2024 Libertarian VP candidate Mike ter Maat, who argues that you don’t even have to be that fiscally conservative to shy from excessive borrowing. In this Opp Now exclusive Q&A, the Virginian economist also questions why a proposition to amend the CA Constitution could have been allowed to pass with only a bare majority.
Read MoreIn this exclusive installment of a special Opp Now Election '24 series, our contributors aren't dancing around the issues: they unpack, below, some key City/County election results—including how “low information voters” impact which candidates are, or aren't, given a whirl in office. From Tobin Gilman (SJ community leader), Gus Mattammal (Midcoast Community councilmember), Mark Burns (local real estate agent), and Pierluigi Oliverio (SJ planning commissioner).
Read MoreWelp, it happened: 69.8% of Bay Areans (and 68.9% CA-wide) voted “yes” to reinstating felony charges for certain property crimes and establishing “treatment-mandated felonies” for some repeat offenders. But why was Prop 36 so overwhelmingly supported? In this exclusive, we trace back Opp Now's Prop 47 & Prop 36 coverage, beginning in January 2022 and up 'til Election Day.
Read MoreEven though County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg (in a bizarre rant) opposed Prop 36, it passed with over 70% approval on Election Day. (Prop 36 called for increased punishments for many drug and theft crimes and created a new treatment-focused court process for some drug possession crimes.) SJ Mayor Matt Mahan proved more in touch with local voters, and was an enthusiastic proponent of Prop 36. CA Globe reports.
Read MoreGov. Newsom campaigned fervently against Prop 36, but it passed—with 68.9% voting “yes” (69.8% in SCC). SJ Council endorsed Prop 5 (8–2), but most County/State voters (respectively, 54.3% and 55.5%) couldn't stomach it and voted “no.” In this Opp Now exclusive, SJ community leader Tobin Gilman and HJTA's Susan Shelley analyze this startling disconnect—between local politicians and the people they are supposed to represent.
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