Some Scary Propositions
Ever since Gov. Hiram Johnson in 1911 instituted the right to initiative, recall, and referendum, California has embarked on an unparalleled level of direct democracy — something that has turned elections over propositions into more heated affairs than elections over candidates. Although such majoritarianism is the centerpiece of century-old progressive politics, conservatives often have embraced […]
California’s ‘Net Neutrality’ Bill is About National Politics, Not Policy
California legislators make a good point about “net neutrality” – the concept that the Internet should remain open and that Internet providers shouldn’t use access to their services to favor particular worldviews, products or websites. But, as is often the case at the state Capitol, state lawmakers are using their power to make a national political statement […]
California Should Copy New Jersey’s Union Fund Takeover, but With One Caveat
New Jersey’s police and fire unions have demanded that the state give them control over their own pension destiny, and have convinced the Legislature to transfer management of their pension fund to a union-controlled board of trustees. Some Garden State residents have denounced the plan as the equivalent of giving unions a “blank check,” given […]
Burdensome Licensing Law Turns Shampooers into Criminals
SACRAMENTO – Let’s say you’re hoping to one day open a beauty salon but have yet to acquire all the skills or capital necessary to achieve that goal. You like to shampoo people’s hair and have developed quite the flair for dressing, arranging and curling it. Perhaps you’d like to gain experience by working at […]
Bill to unionize Capitol staffers is ridiculous, but cynics might find a bright side
If you believe that mandatory unionization is a solution to almost every state problem rather than the prime cause of California governmental dysfunction, then you’ll love an idea that one of the Legislature’s most union-friendly lawmakers is touting. “I will be introducing a bill this year to allow our legislative staff to unionize,” wrote Assemblywoman Lorena […]
City services slashed to fund pensions, and now your taxes are going up, too!
In the coming months and years, California voters can expect to see a variety of tax increases pop up on their local election ballots. They will be called “public safety” taxes to hire more police or firefighters or “parks” or “library” taxes to pay for those popular public services. But don’t be fooled. Any new […]
Will Bay Area political crowd trump LA yet again?
It’s been a fait accompli that Gavin Newsom, the former San Francisco mayor and current lieutenant governor, will be California’s next governor after the iconic Jerry Brown heads off into the sunset next year. Moonbeam is a hard act to follow, having served as the state’s youngest and oldest chief executive, but it’s too bad […]
Realtors’ initiative could boost home sales, limit property taxes
Property-tax-limiting Proposition 13 has long been viewed as the “third rail” of California politics given its continued popularity among the home-owning electorate. Public-sector unions occasionally talk about sponsoring an initiative to eliminate its tax limits for commercial properties, but the latest Prop. 13-related proposal would actually expand its scope. The influential California Association of Realtors is launching a signature […]
Some of Gov. Brown’s Vetoes Get Praise from the Right
California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed only 118 of the 957 bills that came before his desk in the recently concluded legislative session, but some of his final vetoes earned a great deal of attention and praise – even from conservative Republicans. That’s an interesting turn of events given that Brown signed into law most of the main Democratic priorities […]
Optometrists eye government to shut down app-based competition
Here we go again. Every time an innovative new industry pops up to take advantage of the boundless opportunities offered by phone applications and the internet, some threatened old-line profession responds with lobbyists and political donations. Those who can’t keep up with the upstarts turn to government to shut down the competition. The brick-and-mortar firms […]