An Offer for the LAO’s 75th Anniversary It Won’t Want
Here’s my salute to celebrate the 75 years of the Legislative Analyst’s Office—I think it should be put in charge of ballot titles and summaries. Probably the last thing that office wants but its a sign of my respect for an office that does diligent, fair work and can avoid political questions as a non-partisan […]
Memo to Prop 53 Boosters: Curt Schilling Doesn’t Play for California
Struggling to justify their claims that Proposition 53 plugs a “loophole,” proponents have launched a nationwide search for victims. This would be laughable if the consequences of fundamentally eroding local control, creating new litigation threats, and stalling needed infrastructure projects weren’t so serious. (Prop 53 would demand a statewide vote to approve large revenue bond issues.) Their latest […]
Infrastructure Report Card: The Continued Importance of Conventional Fuels
The American Society of Civil Engineers recognized oil as an element of “infrastructure” in California in its 2016 Infrastructure Report Card. That report card clearly documents the fact that there are no easy answers to our complex energy and transportation challenges for the future. Fossil fuel permeates every aspect of our daily lives. It has driven an […]
ACLU Joins Unions to Attack California Charter Schools
About 6.2 million students attend California’s K-12 public schools. Of those, over 570,000 are enrolled in public charter schools. Most of these charter schools operate with a degree of management autonomy and teacher accountability that goes well beyond what is permitted by the union work rules that govern traditional public schools. These charter schools themselves are accountable […]