Who Wants to be on the Redistricting Commission? You May be Surprised. Or Not.
So far, the Citizen’s Redistricting Commission looks like it could be made up of a whole bunch of white guys from Sacramento. And there’s a good chance they’re Republicans. Statistics on the commission’s website indicate those are the principal characteristics of the plurality of those who have applied for the job of drawing California’s assembly and senate districts during the first two days applications were submitted.
Sure, it’s early and things could change. The period for submitting applications to the Citizens Redistricting Commission created by Proposition 11 opened Tuesday. The commission has set up a website and will report daily on the number of applications and break down statistics into categories of Ethnicity, Political Party, Region and County.
California Has Many Problems, but Prop. 13 Isn’t One of Them
Proposition 13 has been under attack ever since Californians approved the historic property tax reform initiative, and this year is no exception.
The argument is more of the same, a rehash of the complaint that the property tax system is unfair – a claim that has been rejected repeatedly by the courts and the voters.
Those who are pushing to end Proposition 13’s taxpayer protections claim that California’s property tax system gives businesses a tax break at the expense of homeowners. They allege that Proposition 13 caused a shift in tax burden from businesses onto homeowners.
The California Taxpayers’ Association decided to put this claim to the test. We looked at the property tax data published annually by the State Board of Equalization, and compared property taxes on homeowners to the taxes on all business and non-homeowner property subject to Proposition 13 assessment.
Burton and the Gift Horse
The best of John Burton, the former legislator and now California Democratic Party chairman, is his commitment to fighting for the poorest and the neediest.
The worst of John Burton is the sort of tribal partisan nonsense he recently offered up to the San Francisco Chronicle in explaining why he’s against confirming Lt. Gov-designate Abel Maldonado. Burton doesn’t want Maldonado confirmed no matter what. “Why give his seat to another party?” he recently told the San Francisco Chronicle. He added a few other partisan swipes — “There’s a reason why some people are Democrats, and some are Republicans. And Democrats don’t vote for Republicans” – and a blast at the notion of bipartisan compromise — “The only thing in the middle of the road is a yellow stripe and a dead skunk.”
Well, a yellow stripe, a dead skunk and the independent California voters who decide statewide elections.
Burton’s thinking runs contrary to the interests of his own party.
Traffic Problems Costing California Drivers
It’s one thing to hear that California is looking at a $20 billion-plus budget shortfall next year. It’s another to realize just what isn’t getting done in the state because of the financial mess.
A report released this morning by TRIP, a national transportation research group, said the state’s crummy roads are costing California drivers about $40 billion a year from traffic accidents, higher vehicle operating costs and just plain delays from highway gridlock.
The road troubles will do far more than inconvenience drivers stuck on Southern California and Bay Area freeways.
“With an unemployment rate of 12.5 percent … and with the state’s population continuing to grow, California must improve its system of roads, highways, bridges and public transit to foster economic growth, avoid business relocations and ensure the safe, reliable mobility needed to improve the quality of life for all Californians,” the report stated.
Put power over California’s schools in hands of parents
Originally published in the Los Angeles Times
Let me tell you about my recent trip to Sacramento. It is a story about why we need a revolution.
Earlier this month, Senate leaders introduced a "parent trigger" into California’s "Race to the Top" education reform legislation.
Under the policy, parents at a systemically failing school could circulate a petition calling for change. If 51% of the parents signed it, the school would be converted to a charter school or reconstituted by the school district, with a new staff and new ways of operating. The concept recognized a truth that school officials often discount: Parents are in the best position to make decisions about what’s right for their kids.
Last week, the parent trigger legislation moved to the Assembly Education Committee, chaired by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica). Thousands of parents sent letters, made calls, staged protests and showed up to testify before her committee about the importance of parents taking back power over our schools.