The LA Election Is California’s Future
“The world is made for people who aren’t cursed with self-awareness.” – Annie Savoy says of Nuke LaLoosh in the film Bull Durham Nuke Laloosh, the minor league pitcher who lacked such self-awareness, has nothing on California pundits. Since the Los Angeles mayoral election in early March, the state’s good-government-oriented pundits have been lamenting the […]
Neighborhood Legislature could Restore Accountability
Big spending on California politics has become one of the state’s largest industries. But the return on investment is lousy. California’s political system has become so heavily manipulated by labor unions and other big money interests that the system is broken. Legislators have become professional fundraisers instead of managing public policy. And the individual voter […]
Is Bankruptcy Right For California?
California leads the nation in many categories with the state claiming first place trophies for highest pension debt and largest budget debt. California’s debt problems, however, may only get worse as Washington’s “cliff” trickles down to the Golden State. Pension promises that cannot be fulfilled, expensive union contracts and unsustainable government growth have stretched many […]
Re-Thinking the “Skills Gap” in California
In California workforce circles, a main 2013 meme regards the “skills gap”, by which tens of thousands or more of skilled jobs are going unfilled in California, even as our employment rate is 9.8%. Local and firm-based skills gaps are present in California, presenting targeted opportunities for our local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) and community […]