Split roll property tax proposal is really a pension tax
When state Sens. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, and Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, introduce a split roll property tax to increase taxes on business property, you’ll hear arguments from advocates that the tax money is for the schools and local services such as libraries and police. In actuality, the measure is a tax to fund public employee […]
The Art of the Municipal Deal
Attending the US Conference of Mayors in January, I was struck by one particularly distressing and costly observation. Local governments are great at doing any number of things, from providing public safety to creating and maintaining infrastructure and – in some cases – engaging in urban planning. But there is one pursuit in which cities […]
Calexit Will Never Be Over
Some genies can’t be put back in the bottle. Reports of #Calexit’s demise are premature. Yes, its backers have withdrawn an initiative, after reports about the Russia-philia of one of its backers. But at least some of those backers are moving onto other movements to push forward the idea of California as its own country. […]
Supreme Court’s role in public safety is a judgment call
U.S. Supreme Court justices don’t patrol the streets of Los Angeles, but you might be surprised at how much the justices are responsible for what goes on in your neighborhood. As one example, judge for yourself the long-term consequences of the court’s decision in 1972 to throw out a law in Jacksonville, Florida, that allowed […]
AB 224-Protecting Children in the Dental Chair
Our state legislators have an important opportunity this week to vote on a bill that could save lives and improve patient safety for young children in communities throughout our state. The current laws related to pediatric dental anesthesia are insufficient and must be updated to better protect the safety of children undergoing these procedures. AB […]