It’s All Over…But the Shouting: Democratic Convention Wrap-Up
The California Democratic Party Convention came to a raucous close Sunday afternoon following a convention with an energy brought forth by new delegates elected largely as Bernie Sanders supporters. The divide between new and returning delegates extended from caucus meetings to the state party chair’s race. In the end, the establishment largely won. The hottest issue was […]
The “Mighty” California Nurses Association/National Nurses Union? Not So Much
Rack up another high-profile loss for the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, as the union’s backed candidate for California Democratic Party chair, Kimberly Ellis, was defeated by party stalwart Eric Bauman on Saturday night. (Most of the state’s unions with electoral success, including the California Professional Firefighters, California Faculty Association and the Building Trades were […]
The Governor’s Race Doesn’t Need Steyer
The billionaire Tom Steyer is widely reported to be exploring a campaign for governor of California. Here’s hoping he doesn’t get in. The race doesn’t need him. The 2018 gubernatorial field, as it currently looks, is an exceptionally strong one. I’d suggest that any of the five leading candidates would be an improvement on the […]
Eliminating Bail in California Will Be An Economic Disaster
Nothing in California comes cheap. It doesn’t matter if you try to build a bridge, link communities together via rail, upgrade a computer system, or fix the state’s payroll system. In California, most state projects seem to run over budget and are rarely completed on time. Currently in California, over 300,000 defendants choose to bail […]
Pension Loan would Cover Up Wealth Transfers to Employees
California proposes to issue a pension obligation bond to finance extra contributions to the state pension fund, CalPERS. It would also cover up wealth transfers from citizens to state employees. Here’s how it works: When pension promises are made by the state to its employees, both the state and employees incur costs (“Normal Costs”) in the form of contributions […]