Two Terrible Ideas, One Ballot Initiative
Many ballot initiatives are built around a big, bad idea. Bob Huff and George Runner have distinguished themselves by filing a ballot initiative with two big, bad ideas. Their innovation, and I use that term in a Hindenburg-esque way, is to combine those two bad ideas. Reversing the high-speed rail project that’s already under way, […]
Contradictions in Tax Philosophy on Cigarettes and Marijuana
Isn’t there something odd about the tax arguments tied to the proposed initiatives on cigarettes and marijuana? One of the arguments for raising taxes on cigarettes is to discourage their use. Raise the tax and fewer people will want to buy the product. Of course, some will seek cigarettes in the black market or online. […]
Golden Blues: Brown and the Oligarchs Love Green Energy
Good morning, California, and welcome to this week’s edition of Golden Blues. On tap today is a green boondoggle; later this week we’ll cover a blue one. Governor Jerry Brown is in Paris working to encourage provincial leaders from other nations to sign a memorandum “promising to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.” […]
Tech Titans Want To Be Masters Of All Media We Survey
The rising tech oligarchy, having disrupted everything from hotels and taxis to banking, music and travel, is also taking over the content side of the media business. In the process, we might see the future decline of traditional media, including both news and entertainment, and a huge shift in media power away from both Hollywood […]