Steinberg’s Initiative Proposal and Prop 13

At his Sacramento Press Club appearance last week, Senate President Pro Tem, Darrell Steinberg, denied that his proposal to change the initiative process would nullify Proposition 13. However, the Steinberg proposal allows for a majority vote by the legislature to put taxes on the ballot, which undermines the Prop 13 philosophy. Proposition 13 was an […]

Book Review: Power Concedes Nothing by Connie Rice

Editor’s Note: In recognition of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books that takes place on the campus of the University of Southern California this weekend, I am posting my review of Connie Rice’s book, Power Concedes Nothing.  Rice will appear on a panel at Bovard Auditorium, Sunday at 11 am, discussing the Los Angeles […]

You Can’t Build High Speed Rail with No Money

The Legislative Analyst’s “concern” that funding is not available for the High Speed Rail (HSR) comes at the same time that the federal government – a source counted on for HSR funds — appears to be turning against the High Speed Rail. Yesterday, the subcommittee on Transportation under the Appropriations Committee of the United States […]

Molly Munger’s New Ad Doesn’t Mention the “T” Word

Molly Munger, proponent of the tax initiative that would raise taxes on all income taxpayers except the poor, has a new ad promoting her initiative … but it doesn’t mention the “T” word — Taxes. The ad says that money is directed to classrooms and bypasses politicians who have not acted to fix the schools. […]

The Buffet Rule, Reagan, JFK, and Tax Fairness

President Barack Obama beats the drum for his tax hike on the rich emphasizing the “Buffet Rule,” named for investor Warren Buffet, in which no millionaire should pay a higher tax rate that his secretary. It’s all about fairness, the president declares. President Obama quoted former President Ronald Reagan, a Republican icon, in fighting for […]

Small Biz’s BIG Influence in Tax Initiative Debate

When it comes to the influence of different entities on the tax initiatives debate, small business topped a recent poll by the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. The poll was conducted online. Those responding to the poll listed small business as the greatest influence in the tax debate, at 56%, the only […]

California Flying Higher on the Back of the F-35 Fighter

In the early 1990s California went into an economic tailspin with the end of the Cold War. Reduction in defense spending on aerospace, one of the state’s prime economic engines, slowed resulting in an economic downturn causing a big hit to the state budget. To a lesser but significant degree, funding decisions involving the F-35 […]

Proposition 13 Opponents Home in on Business

Originally published in the Los Angeles Business Journal Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa may not have known it, but when he went to Sacramento last month with calls to amend Proposition 13’s protections on California businesses, he was calling for almost 400,000 Californians to lose their jobs. A new study released by Pepperdine University professors […]