Grappling with California’s Housing Crisis

We see California’s housing crisis every day as the homeless permeate our streets, businesses and neighborhoods. To address that, I participated in the joint informational hearing of the Senate Transportation & Housing and Governance & Finance Committees on October 2. The title: “Housing for Working Families: How Do We Pay for It?” The video and […]

Stealth Gas-Tax Increase Hits Today

Call it the Stealth Gas-Tax Increase. Today California’s gas tax increases about 12 cents a gallon to pay for the newly budgeted $5.2 billion a year in supposed road repairs which the Legislature passed and Gov. Jerry Brown signed last April. But few motorists will notice it. That’s because every Nov. 1 the state switches […]

‘Cap and Tax’ Would Slam High-Tax, High-Poverty California

The craziest story of the moment is the Governor’s insistence on passing even more draconian legislation on the topic of climate change in the form of extending what is known as cap and trade (or, in this iteration, cap and tax) (also see MOORLACH UPDATE — Surprise! — July 11, 2017). Gov. Brown believes that “climate change is real” […]

Excessive Climate Policies Could Damage California Economy

The topic of climate change, or anthropogenic global warming (AGW), has somehow been linked – directly or indirectly – with nearly every policy area debated at the State Capitol. While I am not a scientist, I recognize there are many differing views on what the climate-related scientific research actually means. I have been and continue […]

Prepaying on CalPERS Massive Unfunded Liabilities

Governor Brown wants to prepay the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) with $6 billion beyond what most had expected. The source of the funds is the Surplus Money Investment Fund.  Don’t ask me why a state with a $169 billion unrestricted net deficit has some $50 billion in a low interest bearing account with […]

Free Speech Conundrums

Regarding the suspension of an Orange Coast College student for secretly filming a teacher in class making anti-Donald Trump comments as covered in the Orange County Register article. In this day and age, having a policy that prevents the recording of a community college instructor seems a bit antiquated, especially when so many institutions of higher […]

Resist the “Pothole Tax”

Last week, Will Kempton, Executive Director of Transportation California and former Director of Caltrans published a response to Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, in a Fox & Hounds piece stating that, “…in spite of all the recent audits and criticism, the organization [Caltrans] employs competent people who want to serve the public well.”  In […]

Analyzing the Governor’s Coming May Budget Revision

Evaluating our state’s fiscal condition requires checking key vital signs to determine where our focus must be moving forward. Here are 5 key metrics you need to know about the status of our state’s fiscal house as we anticipate the Governor’s May Revise: 1. California’s Net Financial Position California has a $170 billion “net” financial position […]