Rooting for the Court to Uphold Redistricting Commission
I’m not a fan of the redistricting commission. I don’t hate it either. I think of it more as a waste. So much time and money was spent establishing the commission that should have been spent on reforms that would have made a significant difference in the state. That’s why I’m rooting for the U.S. […]
Let’s Brag About California’s Weather While We Still Can
One of the little joys of being Californian is the opportunity to taunt folks Back East about their terrible winter weather. Hey, Boston, how does it feel to have been colonized by Eskimos? But this winter, we seem to be overdoing it, sending out a blizzard of social media postings of palm trees and blue skies. It’s enough to […]
Why I’m Going to Tunisia and You Should Too!
Many of you reading this were part of the 2010 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy, a five-day long summer gathering in San Francisco, that looked at the state of direct democracy in California, the U.S., and the world. These every other year gatherings have continued, under the leadership and management of friends in Europe. […]
Dear Uncle Bob
Dear Uncle Bob, You’re back!!! You told a number of our mutual friends down here in L.A. that you were trying to make a quiet start in the State Senate, and keep your head down for a while. And that strategy made a ton of sense. You didn’t want to be at the center of […]
One More John Mockler Lesson for the Road
The obituaries for John Mockler are focusing on his role in crafting California’s school funding guarantee, Prop 98, and the funding regime around it. That made sense—Prop 98 had a huge impact, and his command of the complicated measure was so great that I once suggested in print that California needed a constitutional amendment requiring […]
Antonio Villaraigosa is Quintessential California
It shouldn’t matter much to Californians whether Antonio Villaraigosa gets to be a U.S. senator or governor someday. We have no shortage of ambitious politicians, after all. But what should matter to us is whether Antonio Villaraigosa gets to be Antonio Villaraigosa. Villaraigosa didn’t get that opportunity over the past six weeks as he pondered, […]
Is Texas Gov. Greg Abbott California’s New Best Friend?
The new governor of Texas seems intent on making California more competitive with his own state – even though he may not realize it. Greg Abbott, as both a candidate last year and a governor this year, has been warning Texans against efforts to “California-ize” the Lone Star state. Those warnings were broad and rhetorical, […]
Will the 2016 Tax-apalooza Force the Chargers Out of California?
Two stories, one statewide and one local, are about to intersect. The statewide one is the now familiar scheming and debate over what sorts of tax-related initiatives and measures should go on the November 2016 ballot. One way or another, California voters are going to be asked whether they want to raise and reform various […]
Pope Francis, Skipping California is a Big Mistake
Dear Pope Francis, You may be infallible, but your scheduler? Not so much. The itinerary for your highly anticipated trip to the United States this September defies belief: You are only visiting the Northeast. I guess it’s understandable that you’d attend a major conference on families in Philadelphia, and no one can begrudge you a […]
I Am Not Running for Senate
I will not be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2016. I have all the respect in the world for the federal government, and its wars, its failure to pass rational immigration policy, and its gross violations of my privacy. But my life and work are in California, not Washington (though I do have […]