While Other Nations Fear The “Silver Tsunami,” The Golden State Should Learn To Surf The Coming Aging Wave
It’s time to finally ditch the “Silver Tsunami” label about longevity. By 2020 one in five Californians—about 8 million residents of America’s nation-state—will be aged sixty years or older. That ratio will climb to one in four by 2030. But it’s not like some huge wave of gray-headed folk is going to inundate Fresno. Having […]
California’s Reading Challenge
This summer, Californians of all ages and ancestries are reading. Some are reading for work. Some are reading for fun. Either way, reading is good for us in all kinds of ways. California’s 1,100 libraries are challenging themselves to sign up 1 million readers for summer reading programs between now and August 31. The California […]
After The Transportation Money’s Gone…
In its assessment of California’s budget for the current fiscal year, which began July 1, the Legislative Analyst says this about state highway spending: “Proposition 1B, a ballot measure approved by voters in November 2006, authorized the issuance of $20 billion in general obligations bonds for state and local transportation improvements…. The budget appropriates $258 […]
Brown Saying “No” More Than Twice As Much as He Used To
Of the 896 bills lawmakers approved in 2013, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed 96 of them – just under 11 percent – the lowest percentage of his current term, according to How Often Do Governors Say No?, an annual tabulation by the Senate Committee on Governance & Finance. In 2012, the Democratic governor was sent 996 […]
Tim Donnelly, Possible GOP Contender for Governor
The Assemblyman from Hesperia wants Californians to tell him whether he should enter the fray of the 2014 gubernatorial election for a chance to be thrashed by whomever the Democrats nominate. Despite being posted on Facebook, the following is unlikely to resonate with enough of the California’s 3.7 million regitstered independent voters — even more […]
That Day in Court May Take a While
Resolving a divorce, a custody tussle, a contract dispute, a landlord tenant fight, an unpaid debt or any number of multimillion-dollar or small claims civil issues takes longer and costs more than it used to. And it’ll get costlier and even more time-consuming, experts say, because of the steady diet of state budget cuts force […]
Seeking Equity in Public School Funding From the Ancients
No press conference by Gov. Jerry Brown seems to be complete without some reference to ancient Greek or Roman philosophy and literature – often declaimed in the original Latin. The Democratic governor’s unveiling of his proposed $139 billion spending blueprint for the fiscal year rbeginning July 1 was no execption. Generating the most media attention […]
California’s Other Deficit: At $10 billion, it’s Big Bucks
Crossposted on Capitol Weekly It’s California’s other deficit. The one that doesn’t get talked about much. At just under $10 billion, this deficit is a bigger financial hole than the one in the state’s General Fund. But Gov. Jerry Brown and the federal government have a plan for erasing the deficit, which will take more […]
Got a Calculator? Rival Tax Plans Complicate Ballot
Crossposted on Capitol Weekly Five groups and counting – including Gov. Jerry Brown – aim to help California by convincing voters next November to approve billions in tax increases. It’s difficult to say how many of the nearly 15 million Californians who file state tax returns would be digging into their wallets – and how […]
Schwarzenegger’s Education Cabinet Secretary to Step Down
Veteran educator Glen W. Thomas is resigning as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s education cabinet secretary in order to care for his ailing mother.
Schwarzenegger appointed Thomas, 63, to the post – the primary education advisor to the governor — in January 2009. The date of Thomas’ departure has yet to be set.
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be Secretary of Education,” Thomas said. “With the governor’s leadership, we accomplished a lot more than some people thought possible. Things like Race to the Top and digital textbooks.”
A triumvirate of entities shape public school policy in the state: the State Board of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and, to a somewhat lesser extent, the governor’s education cabinet secretary.