By Dave Johnson, Chair, Silicon Valley GOP
Despite all the talk of "common sense" and "transparency and accountability" this election season, Sacramento's majority party has elevated another one of its own. Congratulations to Governor-elect Xavier Becerra, who read his acceptance speech from the teleprompter with real conviction. Just smile and wave…
Tuesday stung. But here's the thing about a one-party state: when one party owns every outcome, it also owns every result. For the next four years there's no one else to blame, and we'll be keeping score. So instead of a list of gripes, here's a list of what to watch for, plus what SVGOP will do and what you can do about each one.
1. Spending without receipts. In 2024 the State Auditor found California put nearly $24 billion into homelessness and housing over five years without consistently tracking whether those programs worked. For three of the five programs it reviewed, the State hadn't even collected enough data to tell. [1]
Our plan: SVGOP will track city, county, and state homelessness and NGO grants in Santa Clara County and publish what we find. You can: go to one city council or Board of Supervisors meeting this year and ask a simple question: "What did we get for it?"
2. Transparency and accountability (did I say that already??). We'll keep saying it until Sacramento listens.
Our plan: Public-records requests, budget explainers in plain English, and calling out results that never show up. You can: sign up for our watchdog team. Bring curiosity, not a law degree.
3. Still no train. Maybe some track, but definitely no train. The 2026 High-Speed Rail Business Plan now puts the Merced–Bakersfield segment alone at $35.7 billion, with service targeted for 2033. Getting from San Francisco to L.A. is estimated at $126 billion to $231 billion, and the State's own Inspector General flagged that the "savings" came from shrinking the scope. [(Environmental review delays will no doubt continue, thanks to the newly discovered and very rare Liberamole, a blind, nocturnal burrowing creature found only in the Central Valley. It's VERY dangerous. That's satire, folks. Mostly.)
Our plan: Push our legislators for hard milestones and independent oversight before another dollar goes out. You can: share the Inspector General's findings with friends who still think the train is "almost done."
4. The cost of living: gas, water, and power. California regularly has the highest gas prices in the country, and utility bills keep climbing.
Our plan: Back candidates and policies that put affordability first, and make every vote on a fee or rate increase public knowledge.
5. Small businesses under pressure. High costs and heavy regulation keep pushing employers and families to look elsewhere.
Our plan: Spotlight local owners and their stories, and recruit them to run for office. Nobody understands red tape better. You can: buy local, and tell us about the regulation that's hurting your business.
6. More taxes, less service. Every new program comes with a price tag, and healthcare expansions are no exception. Ask what it costs and who pays before it passes.
Our plan: Score every new tax and bond on our ballot against what it actually delivers.
7. Schools that deserve better. Families want results, not just bigger budgets.
Our plan: Recruit and support parent candidates for school boards across the valley. You can: attend a school board meeting and get to know who's on the ballot.
8. Election Integrity. Nothing gets fixed till we have confidence in our elections. Clean, accurate voter rolls and transparent procedures are something every voter, in any party, should want.
Our plan: Continue to track the data and legislation to hold Sacramento accountable, and look towards the 2028 cycle.
This is not an exhaustive list. It could easily be twice as long, but the point is made: power without checks needs watchdogs, and a one-party state needs a loyal opposition more than ever. That's us.
So no, we're not going back to work just to pay more taxes. We're going back to work to win. 2028 starts today. Volunteer, register voters, recruit candidates, and show up. Join us at svgop.org.
— Dave Johnson, Chair, Silicon Valley GOP