Will California Republicans Be Defined as Anti-Vaxx?
California Republicans want to bring back childhood diseases that killed millions. That’s not a wild opinion. It’s a fair allegation, based on the facts. And that’s a huge problem not only for public health but also for the party, which already has too many huge problems. The party has positioned itself firmly against legislation to […]
Ballot Title Won’t Deter Pension Reform
Costly government pension deals are devastating our public services – and this simple initiative gives voters the ability to stop sweetheart and unsustainable pension deals that politicians concoct behind closed doors with government union bosses. That’s why the politicians and union bosses oppose this initiative – and why they continue to try to mislead the […]
Pensions as Economic Stimulus? Breaking Windows Works Better
Chuck Beckwith’s column competently lays out all the usual public employee arguments justifying their opulent pensions. A cursory review of the logic reveals just how breathtakingly flawed this reasoning is. First and foremost: His core point is that pensions provide economic stimulus. This is the classic “Broken Window Fallacy.” Essentially, “If I break your window and […]
Coming Clean on Energy Costs
When the Obama administration revealed a plan last week to force power plants to dramatically cut carbon emissions, some Californians gloated. “Climate plan should be a breeze for California,” read a front-page headline in the Los Angeles Times. The thrust: California has been throttling carbon emissions for years. We’re way ahead in all this. Well, […]
What’s Missing From California’s Transportation Special Session
Most of the attention in the special legislative session tasked with finding money for transportation infrastructure has focused on how state agencies (Caltrans) and local governments (cities and counties) could use new funding streams to repair local roads and state highways. With existing revenues (exhibit A: the gas tax) failing to keep pace with transportation […]