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Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher. All across the country, the consistent theme of this presidential year has been turmoil. A confusingly huge field of candidates vying to take on a norm-busting incumbent was just the start. The normally boring rules for conducting elections have been in high-profile upheaval since the coronavirus outbreak took hold in the spring, as most states grappled with how t

This is an independent opinion. Have one of your own? Email it to hoa@ivn.us The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing recession have forced Californians and San Diegans to grapple with a new reality. Daily ways of life – sending kids off to school, being able to safely go to work, and seeing and caring for aging family members – all looks very different these days. All this change also brings opportunities to make choices about how we govern our schools, create better access to health, housing, a

When the Iranian Revolution broke out in 1978, Sassan Rahimzadeh’s family made its way to the U.S., escaping the violence that killed thousands of people and toppled the regime of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Just a few years later, his family opened its first dry cleaning business in San Diego County. “It was your typical mom and pop shop,” said Rahimzadeh, owner of Arya Cleaners. “Over the years we opened more locations from Horton Plaza to Del Mar.” Today, his business has shrunk to just f

This is an independent opinion. Have one of your own? Email it to hoa@ivn.us The first time I met City Council President Pro Tem Barbara Bry was on March 3, 2019 in the Council chambers. I was immediately impressed by her. When you listen to Barbara and hear her speak, you know exactly where she stands. Barbara  is the competent, honest, independent, new, refreshingly strong voice in San Diego politics — not another career politician compromised by corrupt, incestuous relationships with longs

First-time voter Fernando Villarreal is looking forward to participating in the upcoming presidential election. “I think it’s a really important election for democracy and I think young people have a lot at stake when it comes to education, healthcare and a lot of other issues,” said the Palomar College freshman. But that doesn’t mean the process is straightforward for Villarreal, who registered to vote just a few months ago while applying for a business license for an apparel company he recen

When Californians approved Proposition 13 in 1978, critics of the landmark ballot measure say voters did not foresee many of the unintended consequences of capping property taxes on both residential and commercial land: lower school funding, cash-strapped cities, major corporate tax benefits. Forty-two years later, Californians are about to vote on Proposition 15, which proponents say will solve many of those problems by raising taxes on commercial properties. But opponents, and even some supp

Sarah Rivas was barely making rent since she’d moved to the city of Sunnyvale, in Silicon Valley, California. When, three months into the pandemic, she woke up to an email from her school announcing a nearly 7% cut in teachers’ pay, she gave up a three-year battle. “I moved into my parent’s house,” said Rivas, who’s been teaching her class of twelfth graders from Sacramento, three hours from their high school. “Not what every 26-year-old wants to do.” Rivas makes above the median household inc

This is an independent opinion. Have one of your own? Write it! Email it to hoa@ivn.us Think fast. Can you name an idea that is supported by both Democrats and Republicans in 2020? In an era of extreme partisanship, finding common ground is increasingly hard. But there is one proposal on the November ballot that has gained support from across the political spectrum. Measure E has earned rare bipartisan endorsements from both local political parties, as well as the backing of environmental adv

With less than 20 days left until Election Day, millions of voters feel trapped in a two-party doom loop. Yet, NANR members continue to make inroads against the perils of partisanship and policy paralysis. We are showing voters what fairer elections, more inclusive debates, and an unrigged political system look like. And our work won’t stop on November 3. Stay tuned for the details of our virtual conference in December, where reformers from across the country will take a deep dive on our acco

‍ Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has added his voice behind the growing movement for systemic political and electoral reform in the US. Yang joined FairVote Senior Fellow and author David Daley for a webinar to discuss his support for ranked choice voting and why he believes it will lead to greater competition, fairness, and policy diversity in elections. Andrew Yang’s bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination was considered a long-shot from the start. However,