Bill Signed by Gov. Brown Hurts Farmers and Farmworkers
California already is among the least business-friendly states in America. This legislation (AB 1066) Adds to an already long list of reasons why businesses and farmers are leaving California. The consequences of this legislation are hardly unknown. Farmers across the state have been sounding warning bells about AB 1066 since similar legislation was rejected earlier […]
California, Get Ready for President Trump
Hillary Clinton’s diagnosis of pneumonia, followed by her near collapse at Sunday’s 9/11 remembrance, followed by her dismissal of Trump supporters as a basketful of deplorable racists, followed by a dismal performance at Matt Lauer’s NBC veterans’ forum last week all lead to one conclusion: Donald Trump’s probable election as president in November, and the crisis that […]
Could the Chargers Join the Ranks of the Homeless?
No one wants the San Diego Chargers. A last-ditch ballot measure to support a new stadium for the NFL team (as part of a convention center next to Petco Park) is all but certain to fail on the November ballot. It would raise the hotel tax to help fund the project, and it would need […]
How to Make Enemies and Influence People With Newspapers
Are newspapers kaput? Not quite yet. And they still will be influential in this November’s election, especially at the state and local levels. On Thursday, the New York Times ran an article, “Want to Own a Newspaper? A Vermont Contest Has Trouble Finding Takers.” No question about that. Newspapers today are about as valuable as […]
Eric Garcetti: LA’s Flip-Flopper-in-Chief
In the 2013 Mayoral race, Candidate Eric Garcetti opposed Proposition A, the permanent half cent increase in our sales tax that would have raised our already regressive sales tax to a staggering 9½%, one of the highest rates in the country. According to Garcetti at the time, hard-working Angelenos were already burdened by a high […]
Hold the Outrage on Politicians’ Ballot Measure Committees
“Candidates are increasingly using these committees as slush funds for unlimited contributions from special interests. They’re paying off lawmakers without technically violating the law. It’s disgusting.” — Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause, a leading good-government advocacy group, as quoted by the Bay Area News Group We are supposed to be outraged by […]
SB 32 and AB 197 Need Amendments
(Editor’s note: Following is the statement issued by CalChamber President and CEO Allan Zaremberg following Governor Brown signing SB 32 and AB 197 into law) Taken together, SB 32 and AB 197, impose very severe caps on the emission of greenhouse gases in California, without requiring the regulatory agencies to give any consideration to the impacts […]
Neighborhood Integrity Initiatives’s Letter to Mayor Garcetti: Either Lead on Planning or Voters Will
(Editor’s Note from David Abel; on Wednesday, August 17, leaders of the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative and a representative array of community leaders met with Mayor Eric Garrett in his office to present a letter with detailed demands for long-promised development reform. The demands came with an ultimatum: Agree to the entire list—with enforceability mechanisms—by August 24, or NII will submit its […]
State Legislature Aids Business at End of 2015-2016 Session
Late on the night of Aug. 31, the California State Legislature wrapped up the 2015-2016 session. The end of the session contained a number of bright spots for the Los Angeles business community. Two bills were defeated that would have allowed Sacramento to usurp power from local boards. SB 522, then SB 1379 (both Mendoza) […]