Can Hillary Clinton Rescue her Candidacy?
This is turning out to be the presidential race many wish had not occurred. The most talked about issue seems to be the unfavorable ratings of the two principal candidates rather than which one can do the most to better the human condition. Neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump can take much comfort from the […]
Gov. Lorena Gonzalez?
Not many politicians have risen as fast as Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego. She just scored the 35th spot on Politco Magazine’s annual list of the Top 50 politicians in America, its “guide to the thinkers, doers and visionaries transforming American politics in 2016.” She’s listed as “The progressive ideas lab.” “If states are the […]
Initiative Process Only Obstacle to Democrats Total Power—for Now
Partisan dissatisfaction with the initiative process seems to be a little skewered from reality in the new Public Policy Institute of California poll given that the power in today’s state politics is nearly exclusively in the hands of Democrats. With such a situation, Republicans should embrace the initiative process as a way to leaven Democratic […]
Political Spending by California Personal Injury Lawyers Tops $22 Million
Just as surely as the the sun will rise in the east and set in the west, personal injury lawyers in California will spend big in an attempt to influence lawmakers, elections, and regulators. California’s personal injury lawyers spent more than $22 million on political contributions and lobbying lawmakers in Sacramento between January 2013 and […]
Fighting Fire with Diversity
Californians like to brag about our diversity, how our mix of people of all races, ethnicities and origins produces a vital culture and economy. But we rarely talk about the other less glamorous role diversity plays in our state—as protection against disasters, both natural and manmade. California is a disaster-prone state, and when calamity strikes, […]
Tsunami of Local Taxes Headed for State’s Taxpayers
Taxpayers beware: A tax tsunami is headed your way. According to a report compiled by the California Taxpayers Association, a record number 421 local taxes and bonds (paid by increased property taxes) will hit the state’s many local jurisdictions in November. In addition to the up to $10-plus billion a year in taxes on the state […]
Labor Tries to Make Ballot Access Costlier
There is disingenuous, there is deceptive and then there is the labor-backed legislation that purports to reform the ballot initiative process. That bill, SB 1094, would impose a requirement that 5 percent of all signatures submitted to qualify statewide initiatives and referenda be gathered by volunteers. In a Sacramento Bee oped that was almost Trumpian […]
U.S. Senate Race Should Focus on Cadiz Water Project
Parched riverbeds. Browning grass. Higher prices. Water bonds Everybody knows about the drought that has plagued Southern California in recent years. Which is why the race for U.S. Senate from California needs to focus on an important project that could bring water to us while helping the environment. Specifically, candidates Loretta Sanchez and Kamala Harris […]
The Desensitization Of Debt – An Accountant’s Analysis Of Propositions 51 & 53
In the 2016 June Primary, 81 percent of local tax and bond measures were passed by the California electorate. That, of course, would seem to make a pretty significant statement about the mood of these voters have in regards to incurring future debt and establishing additional local taxes. This November, they will have two chances […]