Dramatic Turn in Quest for a Spending Limit
With the legislature attempting to push the rainy day fund/spending limitation (ACA 4) off the 2012 ballot with SB 202, the effort to put a spending limit initiative on the 2012 ballot is heating up. Previously, there had been discussions about a tighter spending limit than ACA 4 provided. But the pace quickened now that […]
Is It Time to Abolish the Single-Subject Rule?
I’ve spent the past year traveling the state, talking with Californians about their government and why it doesn’t work. By far, the most frustrating thing about these conversations – from my end – is the Californian obsession with the ballot initiative as the solution to all our problems. My book California Crackup, which I wrote […]
Hispanic Voters Have a Choice; GOP Campaigns Don’t
As the Republican presidential campaigns begin to take shape and the political community gets its first glimpse of new redistricting maps, one of the most frequent questions I get from reporters, consultants, and independent expenditure groups is this: What is the absolute cut-off date to begin a Hispanic program? If you really have to ask, […]
The Enduring Proposition 13
Cross-posted at CityJournal. Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is a man in search of a new résumé entry. A former city councilman and Speaker of the California Assembly, Villaraigosa—who in 2005 became the City of Angels’ first Hispanic mayor in modern history—has less than two years left before he’s term-limited out as chief executive of […]
Adult Leadership in Irvine for the Nation to Follow
I witnessed firsthand on August 30 an amazing display of calm, deliberative and ultimately decisive leadership by Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang. The only agenda item was a major development project-Great Park Neighborhoods by FivePoint Communities. At stake, nearly 5,000 homes surrounding the Great Park, transportation improvements, bringing 16,500 jobs to the City and contributing more […]