Voters Need to Fix California’s Government Pension Mess
It’s great to finally see the pension reform debate on the front page. Last week Governor Jerry Brown unveiled a pretty good proposal. It didn’t go nearly far enough to solve the problem, but he certainly went further than most people expected. Also last week, the Legislature held its first hearing on the issue. No […]
Pension Reform Strategy Echoes Workers Comp Reform of 2004
As a proponent of a tough workers compensation reform initiative, I sat in the gallery of the State Assembly in 2004 to watch the final vote on a legislative version of reforming the workers compensation system (the no-fault system of insurance for workplace injuries.) I heard over and over again from legislators who rose to […]
The Non-Financial Problem With High-Speed Rail
The high-speed rail debate may begin and end with the price tag: $98.5 billion. But there’s another fundamental problem with the plan. It doesn’t fit California or Californians. And to say it doesn’t fit the state is to say this also: the high-speed rail plan treats California as if it’s one state. It isn’t. California […]
Political Footballs: L.A.’s Misguided Plans for a Downtown Stadium
Crossposted on New Geography Over the past decade Los Angeles has steadily declined. It currently has one of the highest unemployment rates (roughly 12.5%) in the U.S, and there’s little sign of a sustained recovery. The city and county have become a kind of purgatory for all but the most politically connected businesses, while job […]