Technology Pulls Back the Political Curtain
When I left the legislature 18 months ago, I confess I left feeling unsatisfied. I felt this way for conflicting reasons. On one hand, my experience behind the curtain gave me such insight, clarity and passion about where I wanted to focus my policy and reform efforts. But at the same time, the pointless institutional […]
‘Job Killer’ Bill Rightly Rejected
The Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee did the right thing by rejecting an unfair, discriminatory split roll bill that would have raised rents and costs for all businesses, especially small businesses. SB 1021 (Wolk) sought to allow a school district to impose a parcel tax on property used for commercial purposes as opposed to residential […]
‘Sharing’ Companies Promise to Transform Everything but They Could Turn California Into a Battleground
I have learned the hard way, as father to three small boys, that sharing causes conflict. Ask humans to play with the same toy at the same time, and it won’t take long for a fight to break out. The smart move is to find duplicates of that toy or, if that’s impossible, to urge […]
California’s Tax-Cutting Legislature?
Drop by the California State Capitol at just the right moment and you might be surprised to hear liberal legislators sounding like tax-cutting conservatives. In support of a multi-million dollar tax cut for business, one liberal lawmaker argues, “We need to send a message to New York… and other states competing for our jobs and […]
Can Latino Voters Change The Political Landscape?
It is February 12, 2028 and the President of the United States is standing at the podium of the U.S. House of Representatives, about to give his maiden State of the Union Address to the joint session of Congress—much of it in Spanish. Is such a scenario plausible? Quite possibly, if Congressional reforms are adopted […]