Remembering John Glenn in California
In 1983 John Glenn decided to explore a run for president. He had been a senator from Ohio for nearly 10 years. Joe Cerrell, the legendary Los Angeles Democratic consultant, had connections to some of Glenn’s aides so Glenn asked Joe to show him around California and test his prospects. I had been with the […]
CA and USA: The Thrill is Gone
Que B.B. King’s “The Thrill is gone.” Face it, California, the rest of America doesn’t love you anymore. There won’t be a Calexit divorce. But America, especially all those Trump voters in Flyover Country, doesn’t listen and doesn’t care. You’re the neglected spouse. You voted 62 percent for Hillary, but she still lost to brutish […]
House Passes Water Bill
(Editor’s Note: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $10 billion water bill that includes $558 million for drought stricken California. Congressman Kevin McCarthy and Senator Dianne Feinstein teamed up on the bi-partisan measure. Senator Barbara Boxer opposes the measure, which now heads to the Senate. The vote was 360-61, with 222 Republicans and 138 […]
I Got Protested in the Basque Country
The week before Thanksgiving, I served again as co-president of the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy. This is a network of journalists, scholars, election administrators, experts in public participation, and activists who work in direct and participatory democracy. We get together about every two years or so to compare notes. Our gathering this November […]
When it comes to Taxes, CA Likely to React rather than Seek Reform
While academics and editorialists are urging the legislature to deal with tax reform (see this week’s L.A. Times editorial), changes to the tax system will likely be a reaction to federal tax moves or economic slowdowns. At a tax forum put on by the California Chamber of Commerce last week, experts gave their opinions about […]
Buy a House at Sea!
The devastating housing shortage in California keeps getting worse. Housing prices won’t stop rising. Why can’t we solve the problem? Perhaps it’s because all of the proposed solutions—more construction, sprawling construction, denser construction, granny flats, affordable housing mandates, new forms of financing and exemptions from regulation—are built on the same flawed premise: that housing must […]
It’s Time for the Safe, Re-Opening of Aliso Canyon
It has now been more than a year since the Aliso Canyon gas leak temporarily shuttered one of this region’s most critical pieces of energy infrastructure. The impact on adjacent communities was significant, but after much work, the leak was stopped and new, stringent safety measures have been implemented. Yet, the facility still sits idle. […]
Californians Approve $5.0 Billion per Year in New Taxes
For the last few years, using data provided by the watchdog organization CalTax, we have summarized the results of local bond and tax proposals appearing on the California ballot. Nearly all of them are approved by voters, and this past November was no exception. With only a couple of measures still too close to call (TCTC), as […]