Initiative Process Faces Test in U.S. Court of Appeals
A case has reached the United States Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit, challenging the initiative process as a violation of the United States Constitution’s Article IV Section 4 that reads in part: “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government.” California’s famous Proposition 13 made its way […]
Continuing the American Dream With Immigration Reform
The United States is a nation of immigrants. For 500 years, we have experienced a constant flow of people from around the globe. My family came from Germany in 1860 and was part of the westward migration of hardworking families who settled the plains of Nebraska and converted what early explorers called “the great American […]
Blue States Double Down On Suicide Strategy
Whatever President Obama proposes in his State of the Union for the economy, it is likely to fall victim to the predictable Washington gridlock. But a far more significant economic policy debate in America is taking place among the states, and the likely outcome may determine the country’s course in the post-Obama era. On one […]
Tax Opposition Crosses Aisle
Maybe the most difficult task in America is to achieve bipartisan agreement. But California’s Franchise Tax Board appears to have pulled it off. Democrats and Republicans alike hate the board’s recent decision that not only revoked a state tax break for small-business investors, but is making everyone who claimed that break in the last five […]
K-12 Schools Key to East Bay’s Economic Future
Last month Contra Costa County Supervisors were briefed on the region’s future job outlook by representatives from the Contra Costa Community College District, the county’s Workforce Development Board and the Contra Costa Council. These groups work with leaders from local industry to develop job training programs to meet employer needs. The discussion focused on job growth in the context of developing Contra Costa’s […]