Legislature Must Go All-the-Way with Pension Reform
The safest bet in Sacramento is that legislative Democrats will pass a package of modest pension changes this week that they will sell as “reform” in an attempt to convince voters to approve a $50 billion tax hike in November. The problem is that the Governor’s relatively low threshold for reform is much further than […]
Another Legal Misfire Against Prop. 13
The legacies of Howard Jarvis and Hiram Johnson are in the crosshairs in a lawsuit that was heard by a state appellate court last week. So is your pocketbook. Filed by former UCLA Chancellor Charles Young, the suit aims to open new spigots of cash for government by cancelling one of Jarvis’ great bequests to […]
Jerry Didn’t Do Wrong. The System Did.
Molly Munger is right to bring suit to challenge manuevers that permitted Gov. Jerry Brown’s temporary tax initiative to leap up the ballot. Whether she wins or loses in court, it’s good politics to point out when your competitor is tweaking the rules to his advantage. But, please, hold the outrage. Because Brown, as near […]
Stop Loss Bill Will Hurt Small Businesses and Their Employees
Now that the Supreme Court has upheld health reform, California officials will be moving at top speed to make changes to put the law into effect. Regardless of your opinion of health reform, there is one change California lawmakers are considering that should be scrapped in its current form. I’m referring to SB 1431, which […]
Revote the High-Speed Rail: An Initiative to Put the Boondoggle Back on the Ballot
Crossposted on California Political Review Gov. Jerry Brown, alongside a number of lawmakers, continues the push to build the nation’s first high-speed rail, despite a hefty $68-98 billion price tag, an immediate negative environmental impact, and widespread opposition to the project. In 2008, voters were promised a rail system that would “link all of the […]