From “Girlie Men” to “Man Up” to the Prop 25 Ruling – California Legislature’s Image Problem
Looks like the legislature’s majority got away with a fast one now that a judge’s tentative ruling declared the legislature can sit in judgment of its own actions when it comes to verifying that a valid budget was passed and legislators can get paid. All a majority of legislators have to do is pass any […]
Do We Need Rain Now?
All the speculation about moving ballot measures has focused on the possible delay of the water bond. But what of the rain? There are good reasons to push the oft-delayed rainy day fund measure back up to November. Politically, a real rainy day fund – the state already has such funds but they don’t work […]
Brown Ducking Pensions is Smart Politics
Crossposted on KOVR This week the California Legislature will consider over 650 bills in committee, the last opportunity for bills to be heard this year. Incredibly, Governor Brown’s modest pension reform package will not be one of them. In a letter released today, the committee responsible for acting on his plan now says it is […]
As Filmmaking Surges, New Orleans Challenges Los Angeles
Crossposted on New Geography For generations New Orleans‘ appeal to artists, musicians and writers did little to dispel the city’s image as a poor, albeit fun-loving, bohemian tourism haven. As was made all too evident by Katrina, the city was plagued by enormous class and racial divisions, corruption and some of the lowest average wages […]