Should It Really Be Easier to Remove Local Officials?
The LA Times’ George Skelton argues in a recent column that the case of San Diego Mayor Bob Filner is evidence that California local governments need more tools for removing officeholders. Filner, in his view, was too hard to remove from office, given the expense and difficulty of recalling mayors in San Diego. Skelton wants […]
With Filner Reportedly Out What’s Next for San Diego?
Let’s review the special election calendar in San Diego’s city charter (Article XV, Section 265(e)). Upon the creation of a vacancy, the council will call a special election within 90 days. If a candidate does not receive a majority (50%+1) of votes in that election, the special runoff election will be within 49 days of […]
California Business Roundtable Launches the Center for Jobs and the Economy
The California Business Roundtable announced today the launch of the California Center for Jobs and the Economy. The Center will provide a comprehensive view of California’s employment picture by region as well as by demographics and industry sectors. The website provides a new data tool that allows users to visually see what is occurring in the state […]
Elon Musk’s Hyperloop, Part 3, Newsom or a GOP initiative?
In Part 1, I compared Hyperloop to other ETT (evacuated tube transport) systems and note that in 2011 a Chinese prototype achieved a 700 MPH model speed, proof of concept. In Part 2, I considered Musk’s crowdsourcing strategy, his stick in the eye of CAHSRA and the tech geek kids who are already building the […]
Litigation is Destructive in Communities’ Attempts to Solve Wastewater Dispute
Litigation between neighboring communities is a lose-lose for all parties. Public officials are tasked with working together, not against one another, for the benefit of their communities. The city of Riverside, unfortunately, seems to have forgotten this. We at the Jurupa Community Services District (JCSD) have had a longstanding, mutually beneficial relationship with the city […]