Kashkari Proves Brown Wrong, At Last
More than a year after the gubnernatorial campaign of 2014, we finally have a definitive answer to one of that contest’s questions. Is Neel Kashkari a tool of Wall Street? The answer is decidedly no. Yes, Gov. Brown endlessly recycled that talking point, linking Kashkari relentlessly to Wall Street. It was exaggerated then, given Kashkari’s […]
Who Is Our Bernie?
You look at the growing list of contenders for the California governorship in 2018. And then you look at presidential race, and it feels like there’s something missing here. Where is our Bernie? There are plenty of Democrats who look like contenders. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is already running. Former L.A. Mayor and Assembly Speaker […]
Foreign Municipal Officials Are Coming to California—And You Can Meet Them This Week
Perhaps because I persist in the delusion that Californians might want to learn some lessons about governance from overseas (given our globally nutty governance system), I find myself hosting foreigners in California again. The wrinkle this time is that they are locals – municipal officials from European cities – Vienna, Austria; Falun, Sweden, and San […]
Schools Aren’t Giving California Kids Enough Screen Time
California teachers, you should be showing your students more movies. And not for babysitting purposes, or to fill holes in your lesson plan. As our state considers new frameworks for the history and social science taught in each grade, now is the time to incorporate that signature California art—film— into classes at every grade level. […]
Why the 2018 Governor’s Race Is Starting So Early for Democrats
In a top-two world, the two major parties can’t have too many candidates for the most important offices, like governor. Or it can risk splitting the vote into pieces so small in the first-round that it is shut out of the top-two runoff. That’s gotta be a real concern as at least five strong Democrats […]
S & P Undermines The Argument That Budget Spending Is Up
Facing Democratic demands for more spending, the Brown administration has been at pains to show that it’s been spending more. The governor’s State of the State speech included lists showing boosts of spending, emphasizing education spending and Obamacare. An assessment of the budget from Standard & Poors, the credit rating agency, undercuts the idea that […]
Meet the Toughest Mountains in California
Don’t mess with the Tehachapis. California has taller mountain ranges, more famous mountain ranges, even more beautiful mountain ranges. But no mountains here are tougher—or more important—than the Tehachapis. A mishmash of mid-sized peaks that extend some 40 miles across southern Kern County and north Los Angeles County, the Tehachapis effectively form the wall that […]
Did Rocky Just Sink Loretta?
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez’s best chance in the U.S. Senate race – the theory goes – is to grab the second spot in the June first round of the top two contest, and then rally against the frontrunner, Attorney General Kamala Harris, in the November runoff. This Sanchez path to victory looked viable when there were […]
Death to the PUC!
I’m not sure the state’s Public Utilities Commission deserves to die. But I’m glad the death penalty has finally been put on the table. That’s the real import of a proposal from three legislators to ask voters to strip the PUC of its constitutional authority and allow the legislature to redistribute its power to other […]
How to Know Your City Isn’t Super
A riddle: how do you know your city isn’t super? Answer: If it’s hosting the Super Bowl. Does that seem harsh? Well, I’m sorry. So let me put this another way. Congratulations, Santa Clara, California! You’ve just joined a club that includes such notable municipalities as East Rutherford, New Jersey; Pontiac, Michigan; Miami Gardens, Florida; […]