A Berkeley homeless encampment infected with leptospirosis—a disease associated with underdeveloped countries—went uncleared for 16 months as courts blocked cleanup efforts, illustrating how bureaucratic and legal paralysis can turn policy failures into public health crises. Meanwhile, San Francisco's "equity" chief was just arrested on 19 felony counts for allegedly steering $8.5 million in public funds to her live-in partner's nonprofit, and California's own auditors confirm the state lost at least $20 billion to outright fraud during the pandemic—with the state still carrying a $21 billion unpaid federal debt. From Oakland's council seeking a 125% raise despite a $100 million deficit to SFO exile of Waymo while protecting Uber and Lyft's 800,000 monthly trips, California's governance crisis is less about isolated bad actors than a system that consistently rewards insiders and resists accountability.
BART knew about the encampment, had legal authority to clear it, and asked Oakland nicely. Then it burned.
Fareed Zakaria just said the quiet part out loud: blue cities are out of control. But San Francisco might actually be charting a different course.
Forbes celebrates her as history's greatest giver. But without stewardship, the outcomes are spotty at best.
We proved local politics is winnable. Now we're recruiting the next wave—and you need to apply to get in.
We’re starting a citizen’s union for people who care about what works
Instead of fixing endemic graft, overtime abuse, and union-protected waste, they're holding your commute hostage for a November tax bailout.
Teachers and parents have a common enemy—and it isn't each other. It's a pension system running a 20-year scam.
A Seattle frontline worker exposes what we all see in the encampments—and why California banned the cure.
The Robinhood CEO says he loves this state. That's why his warning should terrify Sacramento.
Joe Gebbia went from selling cereal to fund a startup to becoming the nation's first Chief Design Officer. Now he's fixing government.