Notes from the Prop 13 Informational Hearing
Proposition 13, the iconic property tax measure passed in 1978 has received a lot of attention recently, no doubt because the new make-up of the legislature allows a two-thirds majority to put changes to Prop 13 on the ballot. Eight bills have been introduced to lower the vote requirement to pass local, special taxes and […]
Innovation in Tax Increases
Stealth taxes have been part and parcel of public finance in Sacramento ever since Proposition 13 required a two-thirds legislative vote to raise new taxes. Hidden taxes and dubious fees became so rampant that voters adopted Proposition 26 in 2010 to bring transparency and accountability to legislative (and local government) revenue raising. Prop 26 simply […]
Rocketspace and the Next Generation of Tech Accelerators
The three story brick building at 181 Fremont Street in San Francisco’s South of Market area stands out among the surrounding high rise office and residential towers. The building, with a fading advertisement from the 1930s for “Highest Grade Coffee” on its north exterior, is one of the last remnants of the area’s industrial past—built […]
Latest Audit Report Proves Mismanagement Continues at Caltrans
The latest troubling audit report released two weeks ago unveiled yet again gross mismanagement and irresponsibility at the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans). This report follows three years of scathing audit reports and media stories that Governor Brown and the Democratic super-majority have ignored. The latest report sheds light on Caltrans employees falsifying data of […]