San Francisco's political class is in rare form this cycle, and your wallet should be nervous.

Let's start with the headline number: $5 million. That's what a former AOC staffer has already dropped in the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi — and reportedly plans to spend more. This contest is shaping up to be the most expensive in the entire June election cycle. Five million dollars. For a single House seat. In a district where the general election outcome is essentially predetermined because no Republican has a prayer.

Let that sink in. The real competition here isn't ideological — it's financial. This is Democrats outspending Democrats to see who gets to sit in a very blue chair. Whatever your politics, you should find it a little unsettling that the price of entry to represent people now sits comfortably in eight-figure territory by the time all candidates' spending is tallied up.

Meanwhile, the Bilal Mahmood saga continues to be the most entertaining subplot in city politics. Mahmood rode a wave of moderate support to oust one of the Board of Supervisors' most progressive members. Victory lap, right? Not so fast. Now some of those same moderate backers — particularly folks in the C-suite — are upset that he's pushing a tax on companies with highly compensated CEOs. The man who was marketed as the sensible alternative is suddenly "too progressive" for the people who helped elect him.

Here's a radical thought: maybe voters should stop treating candidates like products and start reading their actual policy positions before writing checks. Mahmood didn't hide his views. People just heard what they wanted to hear.

And in the "you can't make this up" department: layoffs are hitting the Department of Emergency Management, because apparently the city's approach to emergency preparedness is to cut the people responsible for it. There are also whispers that former Mayor London Breed may have been passed over for a post-mayoral gig, which — given the musical chairs nature of SF's political establishment — is at least mildly satisfying evidence that the revolving door occasionally jams.

The through-line in all of this? San Francisco politics remains an extraordinarily expensive, deeply insular game where accountability is optional and self-awareness is scarce. Five million dollars to win a primary. Moderates shocked that their candidate governs differently than they assumed. Emergency management staff getting pink slips.

Your tax dollars and democratic norms, hard at work.