Big UC Changes May Come from Private ‘Committee of Two’ Meetings
Ironically, in the midst of Sunshine Week, designed to create more open government and freedom of information, the “Committee of Two” considering the financial situation of the UC system – Governor Jerry Brown and UC President Janet Napolitano – are not forthcoming in revealing details about their negotiations. Despite protests to the contrary, this may […]
Sunshine Week: Ushering Public Records into the 21st Century
Monday marked the beginning of the 10th Annual Sunshine Week, a week dedicated to promoting the importance of civic transparency and the value of unrestricted access to public information. Founded by the American Society of News Editors, Sunshine Week underscores the simple idea that open government is good government. Unfortunately, the State of California is […]
The Only Thing Worse Than Scandals Are California’s Attempts to Stop Them
Did we win in Bell? There is no greater symbol of local California corruption than Bell, a city of 35,000 people, 2 ½ square miles, and many gas stations in southeast L.A. County. For years, Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo and his minions exploited every dark corner of California’s convoluted systems of local governance and […]
Drought Watch: Priorities for Cities and Farms
A spate of recent news articles have reinforced what most Californians already know: the state is locked in a grim drought, with unusually warm temperatures and near-record low snowpack. Since this is the fourth consecutive dry year, reserves are low and water scarcity will be acute in some farming regions and watersheds. In our new […]