Newsom’s Budget is a Roadmap – with a Vision and the Right Next Steps
Governor Newsom’s first budget is not only an early indicator of how he will govern, but Exhibit A in how California can be governed. In a week when the nation’s capital is shrouded in hopeless rancor, Newsom’s budget proposes a responsible path forward. Credit is the sweet dessert of politics, and Newsom gets credit for […]
Voters Want The Choice Top Two Provides
Let’s be perfectly clear about how California adopted the Top Two primary system: Voters approved it. And it won a majority vote in every county but two – Tulare and Orange. Voters want the freedom to choose. In this case, a majority of voters want to choose from among all of the candidates because they […]
Let’s Not Forget the Medium Wage
While lawmakers were cutting themselves up over the thorny minimum wage bill this week, a powerful conversation took place three blocks away from the capitol. Industry, union and college leaders were working through the pragmatic next steps on a modest proposal to move more Californians from minimum wage to medium wages and higher. The agenda […]
A Time for Bipartisan Deals
With three weeks left in this year’s legislative session, California has entered the “Top Two” season. With the Capitol in the twilight of its annual calendar, a number of seminal bills requiring compromise – especially those requiring bipartisan votes – will come to the floors in the Assembly and the Senate. Most notably this year […]
What You Can Do for California
In the good times, it is important to remember the bad times. One of California’s most serious governance challenges is the volatility of General Fund tax revenue. No other state has a revenue system that produces higher booms and bigger busts. As a result, everything from schools to services for the elderly are subjected to […]
How To Build A Winning Water Bond
Six months ago, few people seriously thought there would be talk about a 2014 water bond, except the need to remove or postpone again the controversial measure now slated for the November ballot. But last fall, public opinion polling showed that voters were starting to renew their trust in lawmakers when it came to spending […]
Senator Yee’s Arrest Again Challenges Public Trust
California State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) was arrested on charges of political corruption and bribery tied to a larger sting underway by the FBI. This marks the third (of just 40) sitting California State Senators to face legal troubles in the past year. The arrest of another state Senator is a setback for California’s progress toward […]
Budget Breakdown: This is What Recovery Looks Like
More than a spending plan, Governor Brown’s proposed 2014-15 budget seeks to advance and refine critical reforms to how California is governed. The budget would improve fiscal management, bolster the delivery of community services and invest in critical infrastructure. For better or worse — and CA Fwd thinks better – the Governor’s plan is doubling […]
CA Legislature Notches a Winning Season
Legislative sessions begin like baseball seasons: lots of time and chances to swing the bat, hundreds of bills and dozens of hearings. There is always tomorrow. But the end of session feels more like football: lots of huddles, last-minute gimmicks, blitzes and sacks. Naturally there are winners and losers, but even the victors walk away […]
No Longer Waiting for California to Change
Many Californians seem to be wallowing in a collective depression – and not just of the economic variety. For many, the California Dream seems to have taken on the patina of the new Greek tragedy. Somewhere on the emotional scale – just beyond cynicism and just before surrender – is a kind of irrational c’est […]