The generation that got to buy cheap houses thanks to a postwar construction boom, then blocked new housing construction to juice their asset values is now whining that they have to pay taxes on their unearned wealth. Just breathtaking selfishness.

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Every time I learn about a Mills Act tax exemption in Berkeley I become incandescent with civic rage. $37k per year subsidy to this 7,700-square-foot mansion that occupies 4 parcels.

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A woman accidentally dropped her keys as she was rushing out of a BART train just now and didn't notice! Half the train yelled as a teenager ran to catch her, returned her keys and jumped back on the train before doors closed Trains are every 20 minutes at this hour so this was a total hero move

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I voted against Prop 45 but I still want legislative CEQA reforms. I am still mad about the 420MW solar power plant that got downsized to 130MW after being sued by the Sierra Club on behalf of a lot of rich San Francisco people with vacation retreats and hobby ranches. CEQA was the problem here.

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Updated this chart for 2026: property taxes paid by year parcel developed in Berkeley, California. Buildings from this decade pay more taxes than everything Berkeley built in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s combined. Note: Tax data is current but building data ends in 2025.

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