Monterey Shale and the Future of California
As the debate over the practice of hydraulic fracturing to reach deeply embedded oil heats up, listening to a discussion on the topic sponsored by Los Angeles’ BizFed Institute last week, I have the feeling we will see it happen. Or should I say continue to happen since fracking, as it is called, has been […]
Unions and Howard Jarvis Join Forces to Keep Democracy Private
(Editor’s Note: UPDATE. The original article reported that Common Cause was part of the pro-SB 594 effort but moved to neutrality. At the request of the author, Common Cause was removed from the article’s title.) California’s system of direct democracy is a thoroughly private business. Initiatives are written privately. They’re sponsored privately. They’re shaped by […]
Elon Musk’s Hyperloop, Part 2, Musk and Hyperloop
I noted in Part 1 that Elon Musk doesn’t plan to actually build Hyperloop. Rather, he has thrown down a gauntlet to other visionaries—in technology, business, finance and in government. Musk has “crowdsourced” his dream. Traditional power centers find this absurd, but it may be a brilliant guerilla strategy against entrenched CAHSRA bureaucrats, unions, crony […]
Should the Governor and Lt Governor Run as a Ticket?
(Editor’s Note: Recently, I posted an article that revisited the California Constitution Revision Commission’s recommendation that the Governor and Lt. Governor run as a ticket. Garry South, then Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Gray Davis, testified in front of the commission raising questions about that notion in December 1995. His commission testimony is re-printed […]
Californians Willing to Pay for Infrastructure Improvements
Californians not only believe infrastructure is critical to the economy and quality of life, they are willing to pay for it. So says a recently completed online survey from California Forward which chronicles Californians’ sentiments on priorities and financing options for our state’s infrastructure needs. The information gleaned from the survey was invaluable. Despite its […]