Oil Severance Tax Would Hurt Economy and the Middle Class

San Francisco Chronicle writer Joe Garofoli recently wrote that California appears to be taking the lead in President Obama’s agenda to address “economic inequality.”  But this is bad news for California’s middle class families because, in actually, such a foolish pursuit will put a greater burden on their pocketbooks and stunt economic recovery. This November, […]

Reduced Expectations and the California Budget

Shortly after Jerry Brown was first elected governor, nearly 40 years ago, he famously said, “This is an era of limits and we all had better get used to it.” In keeping with this theme, it is now taxpayers who look at Governor Brown’s proposed 2014-15 budget with reduced expectations. In fairness, there are aspects […]

Brown’s Budget is Incomplete

We are pleased that Governor Brown’s budget reflects a fair measure of fiscal restraint and austerity. His desire for no new taxes, protecting Proposition 13, continuing to pay down the ‘wall of debt’ and establishing a prudent reserve is commendable. However, it is what the Governor did not say that concerns us. CalSTRS huge unfunded […]

Who’s Looking Out for the Middle Class?

Thirty years of political engagement in California politics has led me to the realization that the middle class is woefully underrepresented in this state. Not only that, but this injustice seems amplified with every passing year. This column has covered the lack of meaningful representation for ordinary citizen taxpayers for more than a decade. Indeed, […]

Ronald Reagan Would Be Smiling

Because Ronald Reagan left office almost 25 years ago we shouldn’t be surprised that most young adults do not remember him. But the real question is whether his views about America and its place in history retain any relevance at all to today’s Millennial generation. When Reagan, after his presidency, spoke to a meeting of […]

Court Rules Against Bullet Train Authority

Taxpayers received good news yesterday when Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny denied the State permission to put taxpayers in debt another almost nine billion dollars, which the California High Speed Rail Authority wanted to use on a project not even remotely close to what the State pitched to California voters when they approved high […]

Riddle Me This

Riddle me this: Why do government projects never seem to be completed efficiently, on budget and on time? Currently, national attention is focused on the failure of the ObamaCare website. Not since the launch of the Titanic has so much gone so wrong. After three and a half years and a $1 billion investment, most […]

Why Higher Business Property Taxes Would Hurt Homeowners

Efforts to increase taxes on business property put homeowners in peril; here’s why. Sacramento can never get enough tax money to satisfy the political class. Although California has the highest state sales tax, highest marginal income tax rates, and highest gas tax in all 50 states, we rank only 14th highest in per capita property […]

Prop 13 Protects Against Yo-Yo Effect

Even for those who aren’t in the market, it’s hard to ignore all the news about rising home prices. According to the California Association of Realtors, median home prices are up nearly 30 percent over just the last year. California has not seen this big of a one year increase since 1977 when it jumped […]

Government Insiders Threaten the Initiative Process

Are you and your neighbors fed up with the policies of your local officials? For over one hundred years, disgruntled Californians have had the option of responding to onerous local ordinances or other government decisions by using the initiative to affect change, but a recent appellate court decision may mean the end of the voters’ […]