Job Creators
With the news that California’s economy is now the sixth largest in the world and that the state’s economic growth last year exceeded nearly all other states, it is worth celebrating the state’s economic standing. Still, no one should lose focus on the number one issue for Californians—job creation. The May Public Policy Institute of California […]
Worlds Apart: California’s Partisan Divide and the 2016 Election
With the June 7 primary behind us, it’s time to reflect on what we have learned about California’s likely voters as we look ahead to the November 8 election. The December 2015 PPIC Statewide Survey reported a profound schism between Republicans who wanted “new ideas and a different approach” and Democrats who favored “experience and […]
Budget Deception: Weird Accounting Diminishes Accountability
This week, after reaching agreement with Governor Brown, the California Legislature will pass the state budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year. In so doing, it will meet its Constitutional deadline of June 15th. A few weeks ago, this column attempted to provide some clarity to ordinary citizen taxpayers on basic state budget issues. This included […]
The House Unveils Task Force Solutions to Grow Our Economy and Help Small Business
Long before I was elected into public office I was a small business owner. My very first business I created was the age of 20. It was a small deli in the city of Bakersfield, California. With every business I had I learned three lessons: As a small business owner you’re the first one to […]