Republican Voters Supported the Top-Two Primary Ballot Measure
Under California’s recently adopted top-two primary system the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the primary advance to the general election, creating the new phenomenon of general election races between members of the same party. This year, 25 of the 158 legislative and congressional seats will entail intra-party contests. Today, four […]
Kashkari’s Jerry Maguire Moment
Much of the commentary about Neel Kashkari this fall is laughable. He’s constantly being advised that he needs to do certain things – raise more money, attack Brown, hit a home run in the date, etc. Let’s face it: Neel Kashkari doesn’t have to do a damn thing. One of the privileges of being Neel […]
Ward Cleaver’s Job World (Los Angeles 1957)
(A longer version of this posting will be appearing in the journal of the California State Library, which houses the collected papers of Mr. Bernick). Over the past few months, I have been researching the job world in 1950s California for an essay in our California State Library journal. As part of the research, I […]
R.I.P. Pete Schaafsma
Pete Schaafsma and I crossed paths quite a few times over the last 30-odd years. When you work on tax, budget and economic issues you want to learn from someone who knows the ins and outs — the minutia and details. Pete Schaafsma was a go-to guy on that score. The news of his passing […]
Another Tax That’s Really Just For Pensions
The city of Watsonville lies nestled among some of the most verdant farmland on earth. Just a few miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, the moderate, moist air nurtures endless fields of strawberries, apples, fresh flowers, cauliflower, broccoli and artichoke. Fragrant forests of redwood carpet the Santa Cruz Mountains to the north; some of the most […]