State of the State: Fat Times While Waiting for the Thin Cows
Governor Jerry Brown did a bit of crowing over his political successes while laying out an aggressive agenda in his State of the State speech. The governor declared the state fixed – premature at best when you consider the unfunded liabilities and the state’s still high unemployment. While I leave it to others to analyze […]
Brown’s Speech Had Something for Everyone
Oliver Wendell Holmes. Genesis. FDR. King Charles III of Spain. Montaigne. William Butler Yeats. Gee, Jerry Brown must be giving a speech. Add to those quotes a rapid-fire summary of 250 years of California history, a locker room pep talk and shout outs to legislators, voters, unions, business leaders, teachers and students and you have […]
Beware Initiative Reform
Many California leaders and groups want to make this the year for reforming the initiative process. You’d think I’d be one of them. I’ve written two books that dealt in detail with the initiative process. I help run a global forum on direct democracy. I teach a class on the subject. I write about it […]
State of the State: Leading Toward a More Effective Government
California Governor Jerry Brown outlined an increasingly optimistic view of California in his State of the State speech today (Wednesday). He spoke of an improving California economy; indeed, it does seem that California is on the mend. He also pointedly spoke to what our state government should be, for which he must be congratulated. He […]
In a Way, Judges Rule on Partisanship at SoS…
In the intriguing December article, “Election Officials Defend their Partisan Status,” in the left-leaning American Prospect, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen defended Party affiliations for the statewide office meant to defend the civic voice of all voters: “It’s better for voters to know and to be able to hold their secretaries of state accountable.” […]