The number one concern for Californians is the homeless crisis. One of the chief concerns expressed by homeless advocates is that many people on the streets need help with mental health issues. Governor Gavin Newsom put in money to help confront the mental health issue in his new budget, yet, at the same time, the […]
The new Public Policy Institute of California poll shows a continuing trend in voters moving their top priority in state spending from K-12 education to health and human services. The homelessness issue is undoubtedly fueling that movement. Looking at the current PPIC poll issued yesterday, there is little space between voters’ choosing the top two […]
At his budget press conference, Gov. Gavin Newsom was asked what he plans to do about tax reform. According to one account, the governor said that the state desperately needs to change the tax structure and added, “I can be stubborn. I can be pragmatic. Here, I’m stubbornly pragmatic.” He can be stubborn in demanding […]
The governor’s Council of Regional Homeless Advisors called for a legal obligation for local governments to provide housing for the homeless under the threat of penalties. But, it should not be just the local governments that are held accountable under such a legal mandate. The homeless themselves must cooperate in such a program and the […]
While recognizing the emergence of an evolving economy and new ways of working, Governor Gavin Newsom’s second budget both promotes and raises obstacles to these circumstances. With all the news about spending increases in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed record $222 billion budget introduced Friday, there is a nugget buried in the document for reduced revenue–a […]
Traditionally, Republican voters turn out in higher percentages relative to their registration numbers compared to Democrats in primary elections. That may not hold true when California voters go to the polls on March 3. With all the attention on the Democratic presidential nomination race in California and Republican voters prohibited from asking for a Democratic […]
Among the proposals Governor Gavin Newsom is pursuing in dealing with the homelessness crisis is to open state owned land to be used for temporary homeless shelters. While temporary sites close to city centers may appeal to the homeless as a temporary residence, it is a question whether lands away from locations the homeless currently […]
With the one-party dominance of the Democratic Party in California leading to more government controls on business, companies are turning to the courts for relief from legislative mandates. As new laws were set to kick in on January 1, a number of lawsuits were filed by businesses seeking protection from the new laws. Many of […]
Three hundred years ago, a map of North America dedicated to John Lord Somers, Baron of Evesham, depicted California as an island, separated by water from the North American land mass. In a rhetorical sense, the state of California stands as an island today—politically and ideologically and in other ways—separated from more mainstream attitudes throughout […]
Choosing the winner of Fox and Hounds Daily’s annual Black Bart Award for a leading figure in California politics is often a close call because the nominations cover a wide field. And, while many deserving candidates were mentioned in the columns this week by our nominators, two clearly stood out. Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez and state […]
