Explain the rules
One-screen breakdowns of the actual laws governing gifts, conflicts, and disclosure — minus the legalese.
Resident-led · Nonpartisan · San Mateo, CA
Accountability
you can actually see.
We turn the dense parts of city government — disclosure forms, gift rules, conflict-of-interest votes — into plain-language explainers anyone can read in a minute and share in a tap.
- 1 minto understand a rule
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Mission
Good government isn't a mystery. It just reads like one.
Most people support honest local government. Almost no one has time to parse a 40-page disclosure filing. That gap is where bad habits hide.
We're a group of San Mateo residents — not a party, not a campaign, not a PAC. We read the filings, the agendas, and the rules so you don't have to, then we hand it back to you in language a neighbor would use.
Our test for everything we publish: could someone understand it waiting for coffee, and care enough to send it to one friend? If not, we rewrite it.
What we promise
- Sources linked on every claim — read it yourself.
- No candidate endorsements, no party line.
- We name the rule, not just the outrage.
- Corrections posted in the open when we get it wrong.
What we do
Four things, done well.
Watch the votes
We track who voted on what, who had a stake in it, and whether they said so. Receipts attached.
Survey candidates
Same questions, every candidate, every cycle. Their answers, unedited, side by side.
Make it shareable
Every explainer ships as a vertical card built for Stories, Reels, and TikTok. Screenshot and go.
Help keep the lights on at City Hall.
Get the explainers in your inbox, or pitch in to keep them free and independent. No account, no political asks.