Legislatures Challenging Initiative Process in Federal Courts
Those who don’t like the initiative process may have found a powerful ally in the United States Constitution. I write “may” because precedent is not on their side. But that hasn’t stopped initiative critics from making the effort to enlist the court’s support — and the courts are at least listening. On this page, I […]
Will Hollywood Tax Credits Pay for Criminal Defense?
I’ve previously written here about the new $1.5 billion-plus tax incentive giveaway to Hollywood, and how such tax credits don’t pay for themselves. But there’s another potential problem with such programs: corruption. I recently spent three days in Louisiana, which has had perhaps the country’s most generous incentive programs for Hollywood. The state has become, […]
Los Angeles: Rail for Others
A few years ago, the satirical publication, The Onion ran an article under the headline “98 Percent of US Commuters Favor Public Transit for Others.” The spoof cited a mythical press release by the American Public Transit Association (APTA), in which Lance Holland of Anaheim, California said “Expanding mass transit isn’t just a good idea, […]
Californians Vote for More Taxes and More Borrowing
It has been argued that California’s voters defy their political stereotype when it comes to taxes. California’s property tax revolt in 1978 resulted in the passage of the historic Prop. 13, which limits property tax increases to 2% per year. As recently as 2009, California’s legislature joined with Gov. Schwarzenegger to place Propositions 1A through 1E […]