Our weekly interview podcasts are free for all subscribers — but if you want the full experience, including exclusive content and deeper analysis, you’ll need to be a paid member. About 35% of everything we produce is reserved for paid subscribers. It’s priced well below what Substack recommends — and during a critical election cycle, that access matters.
Paid subscribers get our exclusive “One More Thing” extra segment with our guest. Susan talks about something near and dear to her heart…
🎙️ Straight Talk: Susan Shelley On Tax Revolts, Steve Hilton, And The Fight For California
Few people follow California public policy as closely as Susan Shelley.
As Vice President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and a longtime columnist for Southern California News Group, Susan has built a reputation for digging into the details of complicated policy debates and explaining what they actually mean for taxpayers, homeowners, businesses, and voters.
With California’s June election now behind us and November’s ballot already taking shape, I invited Susan to join me for a conversation about what voters may have been trying to tell Sacramento.
We discussed the defeat of several local tax increase measures, why voters appear increasingly skeptical of government requests for more money, and what the results could mean for the growing list of tax and bond measures headed toward the November ballot.
We also examined the controversial billionaire tax proposal, concerns about future wealth taxes, the implications of Proposition 19, and whether taxpayers are finally reaching a breaking point after years of rising costs and expanding government spending.
Finally, we turned to politics. Susan shared her thoughts on Steve Hilton’s first-place finish in the governor’s race, Spencer Pratt’s surprising impact on the Los Angeles mayoral contest, and whether California voters may be more open to political change than many observers believe.
As always, Susan came prepared with facts, context, and plenty of strong opinions.
Topics Covered
0:00 — Introduction and Susan Shelley’s background
2:10 — Why Election Day was a surprisingly strong night for taxpayers
3:00 — Los Angeles Measure ER and the politics of tax increases
4:15 — The streetlight assessment controversy
8:20 — Tax measures defeated across California
9:15 — The reality behind claims of federal healthcare cuts
10:45 — San Diego’s vacant homes tax and other local tax battles
12:20 — Why San Francisco voters rejected the CEO tax
15:00 — The billionaire tax proposal and its broader implications
17:10 — Hidden provisions that could pave the way for future wealth taxes
19:00 — Prop. 19, inherited property, and tax policy
21:10 — Steve Hilton’s strong finish in the governor’s race
22:10 — November ballot measures and the taxpayer battles ahead
22:50 — The financial risks of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
24:00 — Spencer Pratt’s impact on the Los Angeles mayoral race
26:00 — Karen Bass and the road to November
27:00 — Will Democrats run against Trump instead of defending their record?
28:30 — Susan’s prescription for fixing California’s affordability crisis
29:10 — Where to follow Susan’s work
A Few Links:
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association website.
Susan’s Southern California News Group columns. ($)
Susan on X.
And always: Jon Fleischman on X
Listen To This On Your Favorite Podcasting App!
You can also listen to this post — along with my California Our morning content is free for all subscribers and guests! You can also listen to this post — along with my California Post column — on our podcast feed, So, Does It Matter? PODCAST. It’s available on your favorite podcasting app. You can listen directly here.
Or play it here:
Oh, here’s this episode on YouTube!
Wait, there’s more!
Below the paywall, for our paid subscribers, is “One More Thing” with Susan Shelley. You don’t want to miss this!
