Discussing Reagan’s Legacy
We are living in the age of Reagan said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley at a panel discussing Ronald Reagan’s legacy Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Richard Reeves, author and historian, was more succinct. “Ronald Reagan is still president,” he said, meaning the country is living with a political philosophy set out by Reagan. In the same way, Reeves continued, Franklin Roosevelt was president for 30 years.
Reeves said Reagan changed American politics by reversing the populist political attitude of one that believed business was the villain to making government the adversary. Reeves called this an “incredible political achievement”
As part of the celebration of Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday on February 6, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation has partnered with four universities around the country to examine the life and times of the 40th president. The first session was coordinated with USC’s School of Policy, Planning and Development.
Green Jobs Or Tax Reform?
Cross-posted at CalWatchdog.
A day of extremes at the state Capitol on Wednesday led to very different budget crisis resolution angles – green jobs or tax reform? From a press conference announcing a green jobs initiative to a panel discussion about how to implement tax reform, the extremes were arresting, and even comical.
In one corner was the Democratic team, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John Perez, proclaiming their “Green Jobs Initiative,” which amounts to another group of bills that push even more state subsidized “green jobs” and “clean energy” subsidies, and includes curriculum provided to high schools to educate students and prepare them for employment in clean energy field.
In the other corner was Republican Sen. Sam Blakeslee, together with a panel of tax reform experts discussing strategies to permanently reduce the volatility of state revenues, with the goal of making California a competitive job creator. There was no hype, and no reason to persuade anyone present of the need for tax reform.
California Forward Survey Finds Voter Hope Amid Gloom
This week California Forward
released the results from the first in a series of "California Viewpoints" surveys
on Californian’s attitudes toward state government, reform, and how they might address
the problems we face. The most striking finding is that Californians believe
our state’s problems can be solved and that California is governable. This is a
far cry from the doom and gloom we consistently hear from public surveys.
Although Californians
believe we can solve our state’s problems, mistrust and a lack of
accountability over many years stand in the way of major reform. So while we
are optimistic, we don’t trust our leaders. The politicians in Sacramento must
listen to their constituents and engage them, to regain their trust. In fact,
according to this survey, one of the major problems with state government is
that our leaders simply don’t listen.
The California Channel Celebrates 20 Years
We
don’t think of them as TV stars, but for two decades California Assembly
members have been on live TV via The California Channel every day they’re in
session. On Friday, February 4, 2011, The California Channel will celebrate its
20th anniversary by replaying some of the most memorable moments
from the Assembly floor.
During
my 18 years as President of The California Channel, I have seen moments that
were amazing, unique and sometimes uncanny. I remember a particular instance
when several Republican Assembly members began singing The Beatles’
"Revolution" in the middle of a proceeding. Another unusual moment was former
Assembly member Diane Martinez’s wedding on the Assembly floor while they were
in session.
Operating
in a C-SPAN format, today The California Channel is dedicated to providing
unbiased and uncut gavel-to-gavel proceedings for all three branches of state
government.
Pseudoscience Plagues the Health of Our Nation
Many
Baby Boomers, who were spared leg braces and iron lungs thanks to polio
vaccines, were the first to eschew immunizations for their own children as part
of a misguided back-to-nature movement.
Today, sons and daughters of the Boomers are following a similar road.
Encouraged
by the admonitions of celebrities like Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, they
subscribe to the theory that childhood vaccinations can lead to autism, despite
scientists’ adamant repudiation of the only study to ever link the two and the
recent finding that the study was a fraud.
Celebrity-endorsed
pseudoscience has gained credibility via Internet websites and interactive
media, with pollsters now reporting that four in ten parents believe
vaccinations cause childhood autism and other illnesses.