From San Francisco to San Diego, voters are done writing blank checks

Summary

Voters across California's bluest cities rejected tax measures in June, defying decades of successful progressive ballot strategies. The author, chairman of the Los Angeles County Taxpayers Association, describes how sales taxes wrapped in crisis language and backed by labor unions once sailed through with 10-to-1 spending advantages. San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles all saw voters reject new taxes this cycle, marking a rare reversal in liberal strongholds where such measures had become nearly automatic. The rejection suggests fiscal fatigue may be eroding the traditional coalition supporting tax increases, even in Democratic bastions.