Has California’s Greatest Filmmaker Lost His Focus?
Has Hollywood’s foremost interpreter of California lost his touch? That may seem a strange question to ask now that said interpreter—the writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson—is up for a screenwriting Oscar at this Sunday’s Academy Awards. But Anderson’s work often poses strange questions. Anderson matters because, at age 44, he’s already the greatest California filmmaker ever. […]
A Very Early Start is Appropriate for Governor
It may seem a bit strange that Gov. Gavin Newsom has already declared he is running for governor in 2018, more than three and a half years before the actual election. Or it may just seem strategic, given the advantages of getting out in front in a state that doesn’t pay much attention to politics. […]
Will State Appeals Court Correct Its Very Basic Mistake In Top Two Case?
I don’t disagree with the conclusion that the California State Court of Appeals reached in a recent challenge by minor parties to our state’s top two election system. Top two is a bad system that undermines democracy and discourages participation, but I think the judges were right to find the system was constitutional. Still, it’s […]
The Moment to Take on Prop 13 Is Over
Some tax reformers hold onto the hope of changing Prop 13 via ballot measure next year. But a new PPIC poll suggests that the moment for big reform is over. The PPIC poll showed a record high percentage of Californians – 61 percent – saying Prop 13 had been mostly a good thing for the […]
Were California and Poland Separated at Birth?
California, I’d like to introduce you to the sister you never knew you had. Her name is Poland. No joke. I see by the look on your face, California, that you are a bit shocked at this news. I realize that, when you think about your place in the world, you compare yourself to other […]
Who Cares What Voters Think?
A new PPIC poll finds that more Californians think their elected officials are doing a good job. But what do Californians know? Not much, as the same poll found. Indeed, it’s hard to give much credit to the opinion of Californians when it comes to government since they don’t know the first thing about their […]
Brulte for Governor in 2018?
There is a new form of punishment for those who dared to chair the California Republican Party: you have to run for offices that you know you can’t win. This take-one-for-the-team reality has become a trend. Former party chair Ron Nehring made a no-hope run for lieutenant governor last year (and wrote some interesting emails […]
To Improve L.A. Voter Turnout: Experiment
Like a man who bangs his head against the wall to cure a headache, Los Angeles will hold more municipal elections this March. The certain result: another low-turnout embarrassment that draws the usual lamentations about how our democracy is in peril. Enough with the crying. If California’s civic leaders are so sure that Los Angeles […]
Team Educate Runs Up Big Lead on Team Medicate
When you watch a California budget season, the best way to understand what you’re watching is as a game between three teams. Those three teams represent the three major functions of the state: Educate, Medicate, and Incarcerate. These days, this is really a two-team race, however. Because Team Incarcerate is in the penalty box, forced […]
A Question for All The Born-Again Democratic Poverty Fighters
Who knew there were so many poverty fighters among Democrats in the legislature? Heck, who knew that there were Republican poverty fighters too? And why are so many coming out of the woodwork now, in the wake of yet another austerity budget from Gov. Jerry Brown? I share many of the concerns about the need […]