Prop 2: A Bag Full of Whips and Chains for the Budget

Let me be clear, I don’t want to judge anybody, especially not the supporters of Prop 2, who are legion among the state’s media and good government elites. I believe that what people do within the privacy of their own homes should be up to them, at least as long as it doesn’t involve plastic […]

Mr. President, Please Stop Visiting California

Bad news: President Obama is coming to California again. Mr. President, I realize such a statement may seem jarring to you and your strongest supporters. After all, our state (and this columnist) voted for you twice, and you and California are a near-perfect match on the issues. Heck, when you were first running for president, […]

Why Not Drug Test Legislators?

Republican gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari called a few days ago for mandatory drug testing for all California legislators and statewide officeholders. Then, some hours later, he said he had been joking. My first reaction, before he recanted, was that this was a terrible waste of money, given the abundant evidence we already have about politicians’ […]

What Should State Do With Those Tesla Millions?

Don’t tell us you don’t have the money, Jerry. Gov. Brown and the legislature were perfectly willing to give a single company, Tesla, $500 million, mostly in tax credits, to build a battery plant here. But now that Tesla took a better deal in Nevada, state leaders are dropping the subject of that $500 million, […]

Other Things That Need a Kill Switch

New state legislation requires a kill switch on Smartphones, so they can be turned off when they’re lost or stolen. Not a bad idea, but why stop there? California’s system of governance is broken in large part because it’s so inflexible. In other words, too many things are locked in and can’t be turned off. […]

Would Arkansas Have Saved Six Californias?

Tim Draper’s Six Californias measure won’t be on the ballot, because just two-thirds of signatures in a random check were valid – meaning that there weren’t enough signatures to qualify. If Draper had been collecting signatures in Arkansas, that wouldn’t have been the end of the story. California initiative law is inflexible, and designed to […]

Why Are They Distancing Themselves From Your Party, Mr. Brulte?

How clueless are the top officials of the California Republican Party? Even more clueless than you might have imagined. In a must-read story full of unintentionaly hilariousness, the Sacramento Bee reported on emails between California GOP chief Jim Brulte and other key players in the party. In the email, they whine about the two strongest […]

Kashkari Represents Another Failure of the Top Two

Neel Kashkari should be the embodiment of what backers of the Top Two (it-is-not-a-primary, don’t call it a primary) promised us. He is moderate. He is willing to depart from the doctrine of his own party. He presents himself as less partisan. He talks all about working together. Trouble is, the top two makes it […]

Kashkari’s Jerry Maguire Moment

Much of the commentary about Neel Kashkari this fall is laughable. He’s constantly being advised that he needs to do certain things – raise more money, attack Brown, hit a home run in the date, etc. Let’s face it: Neel Kashkari doesn’t have to do a damn thing. One of the privileges of being Neel […]