Californians Have No Idea How Important Public Universities Are
Californians, I regret to inform you that your diploma is being held up. You won’t be able to graduate. You flunked higher education. Another state budget, accompanied by an eight-month-long controversy over the University of California, demonstrated once again that we Californians don’t have a clue about what our public universities mean to the state. […]
With Court Decision to Block Gay Murder Initiative, Its Time to Kill Initiative Fee Hike
There’s good news from the courts about the initiative process. Will that good news stop bad news in the legislature? To that good news: a judge effectively stood up for reason when it comes to ballot initiatives, ruling that that Attorney General Kamala Harris did not have to circulate a measure requiring the murder of […]
Which California Woman Will Be the Most Important Figure in 2016 Presidential Election?
Yes, America may elect a woman as president next year. But she’s from Illinois. The good news for us California provincials: a Californian could become the second most important woman in next year’s elections. The question: which one? Here are five candidates, in ascending order: 5. Anne Gust Brown. If she wakes up one day […]
What’s the Fastest Way from Berkeley to Bakersfield?
Just flip to the second disc of the album. California’s disparate regions are nearly impossible to connect. But over the past two years, two music bands—with overlapping members—have pulled off the trick, issuing three albums that examine today’s state, thoughtfully and lovingly, from its coast to its inland deserts, from north to south. It is […]
I Love the Smell of Consolidated Local Water Agencies in the Morning!
More good news for which we can thank the drought. Now it’s not just that we’re using less water and taking steps to reduce water usage long term. Late in the budget process, Gov. Brown is pushing to give the state new powers to consolidate local water agencies. The details involve letting the state shut […]
A Reply to Supporters of Prop 218
I made the case against Prop 218—and for repealing it – a few weeks ago in this space. My friend Jon Coupal wrote forcefully against my argument and for Prop 218. We’re not going to agree on Prop 218. But there is one point in his rebuttal I want to respond to. It has to […]
Let’s Play the Drought Blame Game
I hate to play the blame game, but let’s face facts: This drought is all your fault. You are watering outdoors too much. You kept your lawn when you should have taken it out. You tore out your lawn—and put in hard surfaces that will contribute to the heat island effect, making the drought even […]
Is Jerry Building Another Obscene Surplus?
It’s an article of faith among the state’s media and political elites that Jerry Brown is very different this time. The budget argues otherwise. In his fourth term as governor, Brown’s supporters and critics can agree on one thing. He is very good at not spending money. And by not spending money, he is good […]
Democrats Seek a Tax on Political Participation
Do only people without money have hateful or silly ideas? That appears to be the logic of Assembly Democrats. They recently passed a bill to increase the filing fee for ballot initiatives from $200 to $8,000. The logic, as laid out by Assemblyman Evan Low, was that a higher cost “will deter frivolous proposals from […]
The Real Fault of San Andreas Is How It Maligns Californians
After sitting through a matinee of the new earthquake disaster movie San Andreas, I experienced my own dark seismic fantasy: as the Big One hits California, a giant hole opens up in the ground under Burbank, and Warner Bros. disappears into it forever. I had been prepared—by the foreshocks of advance publicity—for Warner’s San Andreas […]