Tesla Going Outside CA to Build Batteries
Electric car manufacturer Tesla is going to build a massive 10-million-square foot battery producing Gigafactory and create 6500 jobs – but not in California. The company headquartered in Palo Alto has narrowed its choice for the factory to four states: Nevada, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Another blow to California’s business reputation? When you consider […]
Warning: This Piece is about Warning Labels
State senator Bill Monning thinks adding warning labels to sweetened drink containers will help reduce obesity and Type 2 diabetes. If his bill, SB 1000, becomes law it probably won’t be the last bill to create a warning label on goods and products. One thing is certain, SB 1000 adds more regulations and more headaches […]
California Election Reforms Going National?
Will the California election reform movement that brought the state the top two primary and citizens redistricting soon be moving to other states? Not an unreasonable assumption if one listened to the opening discussion at the Schwarzenegger Institute’s conference on political reform at the University of Southern California yesterday. Former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger argued in […]
An Old Story – Another Oil Tax Proposal
Stop me if you’ve heard this story before — there is a proposal to tax oil coming out of the ground in California. Of course, you’ve heard that before – there have been oil severance tax bills introduced in the legislature every few years since the 1990s. One oil tax proposal even made it to […]
The Six States of California — New Laws or Old?
The Attorney General’s office yesterday released the title and summary for Tim Draper’s initiative proposal to divide California into six states. Whether the Silicon Valley entrepreneur is serious about pursuing this idea we will soon find out. However, it’s interesting to contemplate which current California laws these new states might adopt or abandon when officials […]
A Dickens’ California
Are we Californians living through a Charles Dickens novel? “It was the best of times it was the worst of times.” Consider: A balanced state budget; unfathomable debt obligations. A winter climate that makes the rest of the country jealous; a catastrophic drought that cripples the agriculture economy. Boom in the high tech zones; record […]
For President’s Day – Another Presidential Mystery
As most people kick back and take a day off for President’s Day, I’ll take the opportunity to offer a shameless self-promotion for my mystery series that deals with American presidents. The second book in the series is now available. FDR’s Treasure is a modern day mystery that spins off from the actual visits President […]
Faulconer Victory and Voter Turnout
San Diego City Councilman Kevin Faulconer captured an impressive victory in the San Diego mayoral special election boosting him immediately as a high profile Republican in a Democratic state. Despite heavy spending against him by public unions who backed Democratic City Councilman David Alvarez and even poll numbers over the last week, Faulconer captured a […]
No Republican Candidates for AG?
One of the oddest stories about the forthcoming elections so far is that no credible Republican candidate has yet emerged to run for Attorney General. Sure, there are other statewide races in which a Republican has yet to step forward, and yes, Kamala Harris, the current AG is a Democratic incumbent in a heavily Democratic […]
Goodnight to “Tonight” as California’s Star Shines Less Bright
This evening, the legendary Tonight Show with Jay Leno will have its last hurrah in “Beautiful Downtown Burbank” before packing for New York. Another entertainment show that is leaving Southern California and taking with it about 160 jobs. As Deadline.com reported, when Leno replacement Jimmy Fallon as a guest on the show recently “naively joked […]