While the Proposition 13 property tax cut measure of four decades ago still enjoys a two-to-one advantage in polls, the Proposition 13 on the March 3 ballot for a $15 billion school bond is barely hanging on according to the new Public Policy Institute of California poll.  The poll found “slim” support for the big […]

In the State Capital, Governor Gavin Newsom gave his State of the State speech yesterday boasting about California as an economic powerhouse. While at the same time down south, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) revealed its annual economic forecast predicting that the rosy picture will likely pale. In announcing the economic forecast, […]

A new business plan has been issued for California’s high-speed rail and the only thing that is moving fast is the bullet train moving away from the promises made to voters when the bond supporting the train was on the ballot. The promises made to California taxpayers and voters  in 2008 about costs and completion […]

Frustration with the homeless crisis was pervasive with the public officials who have wrestled with the problem and attended the Unhoused: Addressing Homelessness in California conference at the University of Southern California yesterday. The danger words “emergency,” “crisis,” and “urgency” were echoed in many talks and perhaps a hard-nosed solution arose.  Declare an emergency to […]

The coming March 3 California primary election is not simply about the presidential contest and legislative races, it’s also about taxes—big time. Voters will decide on a record 231 local tax and bond measures (backed by taxes) across the state. The California Taxpayers Association amassed a listing of the 231 measures, which cover the gambit […]

It was inevitable that other states would push back against California’s moralizing by legislation. California passed legislation to ban official travel to states that, in the view of legislators and the attorney general in one way or another discriminate against the LGBTQ community. In retaliation, Tennessee and Oklahoma issued travel bans to California and now […]

A government takeover of Pacific Gas & Electric Company could cost  billions of dollars for the buyout and a big loss in property taxes for the governments that want to become the new utility proprietors. As a government owned utility, a state or local government run operation would no longer be required to pay property taxes.  According […]

Recently, Dan Walters in CalMatters gave an excellent summation about how California builds its budget on the backs of rich taxpayers and the inherent dangers of doing so when the economy turns down.  Within the article Walters suggested the Trump tax cut that caps state tax deductibility on federal tax forms may not be removed […]

Freelance writers and photographers challenged AB 5 in court as a violation of their First Amendment’s rights to freedom of speech.  A second line of attack could come from those who hire the writers and photographers. The way some publishers run their publications, whether print or digital, could be drastically altered and potentially put out […]