Trump and California
Now that Donald Trump has won the Nevada caucuses by a convincing margin, it’s time to ponder what will happen in neighboring California. Out-of-state pundits often misjudge our political climate. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the most recent Republican to hold statewide office, they reason, so the state GOP will tend to favor more mainstream candidates. They […]
Like Magic, the Property Tax Initiative is Gone
What made an initiative measure seemingly on its way to the ballot suddenly disappear? The Making Poverty History campaign pulled the plug on its property tax increase measure that would have dedicated funds to numerous anti-poverty programs. Despite raising well over a million dollars and having hundreds of thousands of signatures in hand to qualify […]
Shedding Light on California’s Gas Prices
While California drivers have been enjoying the recent drop in gas prices due to slumping global oil costs, you might be surprised to learn that only Hawaii has higher fuel prices. According to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report, the national average is currently around $1.71 per gallon while the California average is nearly 60 cents […]
No City Is Immune From an Identity Crisis
Can you imagine Southern California without Hollywood? Or the Bay Area without Silicon Valley? No? History suggests that the identities of cities and regions are more fragile, and their central industries more perilous, than we care to admit. (Just ask former Detroit autoworkers.) So it’s well within the realm of possibility that Los Angeles’ entertainment […]
Arrested Development?
When we reflect on the remarkable revival and development that’s occurred in such places as Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood and Venice in recent years, we seldom think of this: Dramatically lower crime rates made that gentrification possible. If you’re younger than, say, 35, you probably don’t remember the so-called crack epidemic. That’s when urban areas […]