Trump Proved He Could Win. Now He Must Show He Can Govern
Shock and Revulsion. Joy and jubilation. Two clashing views of a nation irreconcilably divided, one segment of the population mourning for itself, the other experiencing the realization of a moment that could not have been predicted just months ago. This was the picture voters woke up to last week—a wholesale political makeover that could just as […]
A Budget Forecast Using a Cloudy Crystal Ball
The Legislative Analyst’s Office tried to do its best with the impossible—layout a budget forecast for the next four years in uncertain times. The budget estimates offered yesterday assumed state and federal laws and policies remain in place . But policy changes from a new administration in Washington will come and probably produce counter policy moves […]
California Is Different
With the stunning victory of Donald Trump in the presidential election, it is easy to overlook the significance of the California vote. The political experience here was starkly different from the US in ways that went beyond our normal “blue state” election performance. I’m going to focus on election and polling trends that caught my […]
Silicon Valley Keeps Us Stuck in the Political Past
As long as Silicon Valley and its futuristic technologies dominate our politics, we’re doomed to be stuck in the past. The big story of the poisonous 2016 elections was how new digital media tools ended up crowding out two big topics from our conversation: the present and the future. This phenomenon went way beyond the […]
With Election Over, Commercial Breaks are Safe Spaces Again
Congratulations. If you are reading these words, you have survived the 2016 election. On TV news, peace has returned to the commercial break. Did you ever in your life think you’d be grateful for the return of ads for reverse mortgages? A month of wall-to-wall political advertising is enough to make a person yearn to […]
GO-Biz Hosting Over 30 Workshops for Businesses Interested in Applying for $100 Million in Tax Credits
(Editor’s Note: The following release is from Go-Biz, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development) GO-Biz Partners with Advocacy Groups, Ethnic Chambers of Commerce, and Local Business Organizations Sacramento, Calif. – The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) today announced a series of workshops across California designed to help businesses apply for the California Competes Tax […]
Calexit? Or Back to an Old Idea—Splitting the State
Dissatisfied with the national election results, a chorus has sprung up in California arguing that the state should secede from the union—Calexit the move is labeled after Britain’s Brexit from the European Union. While not taken seriously by many, the idea does promote some thoughts. Financially, Calexit advocates feel the state can stand on its […]
U.S. Senate Race Should Be the Beginning of the End of Top Two
The U.S . Senate race, won by Attorney General Kamala Harris over Rep. Loretta Sanchez, ought to be the end of the top two system. The problems of the race weren’t unfamiliar; the contest followed a pattern Californians have now seen in our legislative elections for the last few cycles. The only difference this time […]
With Election Behind Us, Californians Look to “Mod Squad” as Bastion of Hope
Voters in this state continually tell pollsters that their number one concern is jobs and the economy. Following the election, I have to wonder if the new legislature will take that concern to heart when they fashion legislation. Given the political changes in this state, job creation and economic growth may rest in the hands […]