Complete the Rainy Day Fund Deal

I’ve long been a supporter of a strong rainy day fund to help get California off its roller coaster budget ride – surpluses in good times, deficits in bad economies. In recent history, the rainy day fund proposal itself has also had its ups and downs. In 2009, I was on the Yes side of […]

Toyota to Texas: It’s About Climate — Business Not Weather

Toyota is moving a big piece of its U.S. headquarters from California to Texas and Fritz Hitchcock, past chairman of the California Chamber of Commerce and owner of three Toyota dealerships thinks he knows why. “Thank you Mary Nichols (chairwoman of the Air Resources Board) for the (excessive and expensive) environmental regulations in California, thank […]

Democrats for Donnelly as a Campaign Strategy?

Some Democrats fervently believe that Tim Donnelly as Republican Party standard-bearer could further damage the Republican brand and hurt Republican candidates in other races. Under the top two primary, voters can cast a ballot for any candidate. With Jerry Brown’s commanding lead in all polls in the governor’s race might Democrats concoct some mischief to […]

Local Govt Tax Competitions

As reported in the Los Angeles Times, a battle is brewing between Los Angeles City authorities and county transportation leaders both of whom want a shot at dipping into the taxpayers pocket for transportation needs. This battle could portend future clashes of multiple agencies reaching for tax dollars at the same time, especially if state […]

Oil and Gas Industry a Pillar of California’s Economy

When thinking of the industries and businesses that drive the economy and image of the Golden State, Hollywood, the Silicon Valley and Agriculture come immediately to mind, but looking at hard numbers, oil and gas exploration and production have to be included in this group. The Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation conducted a study commissioned […]

Boston Strong Helped by a California Champion

In Boston, I watched the emotional running of the 118th Boston Marathon. Following the awful events of last year that drew this city and the country together behind the slogan “Boston Strong,” an American won the men’s race for the first time since 1983 — and he was a Californian. Meb Keflezighi from San Diego […]

The Cost of Driving in California

Feeling the pain of gasoline prices? In California the average price of gasoline is about $4.20 a gallon. That’s second highest in the nation behind Hawaii. Some of the recent jump in state gas cost can be attributed to refinery troubles. But California also leads the nation in taxing gasoline. According to a chart prepared […]

Local and State Politics Will Spark LA’s New Newspaper

Increasing the voices of political diversity is one of the missions of California’s newest newspaper, the Los Angeles Register. Did I just write that a new newspaper is opening in this digital age? The owners of Freedom Communications, publishers of the Orange County Register and other newspapers, launched their swim against the tide Wednesday when […]

Prop 13 Poll Question Not About Split Roll

Advocates for a split roll property tax probably hailed the results of the Field Poll question about business property changing ownership. Trouble is, the question wasn’t about a split roll property tax in which all business property would be taxed differently from residential property. The question was about certain commercial property transfers of ownership. Here […]

On Tax Day, Taxpayer Advocates and their Adversaries are Thinking Ahead

On Tax Day 2014, California is creeping toward a point that the issue of taxation may once again be selected as the main concern for the state’s voters. That might seem an irrational statement when you consider that in the most recent Public Policy Institute poll, taxes as a concern were ranked sixth behind, in […]