A Late Bargaining Chip and Other Capitol Thoughts
History is not on the side of Assembly Republicans who want to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to protect the two-thirds vote for special taxes following the California Supreme Court case announced this week that may have eviscerated that taxpayer protection. Too bad for outgoing minority leader Chad Mayes that the court case didn’t […]
Brown’s Legacy and Republican activist revenge
In what was an uncertain move, last month, Brown and his allies pushed for an extension of the AB 32-imposed cap and trade scheme to 2030. While the necessary majority to pass the bill was in no doubt, Governor Brown insisted that the extension receive a two-thirds majority to avoid lawsuits insisting the cap and trade […]
Congress Needs to Delay Health Insurance Tax
There has been endless talk about the need to lower health insurance premiums. It is widely understood that the already high and constantly escalating cost of healthcare is breaking the backs of small businesses and families across California and the rest of the country. In this strained environment, it is inconceivable that Congress would allow […]
Trump Damaged Democracy, Silicon Valley Will Finish It Off
When Democrats made their post-election populist “Better Deal” pitch, they took a strong stance against pharmaceutical and financial monopolies. But they conspicuously left out the most profound antitrust challenge of our time—the tech oligarchy. The information sector, notes The Economist, is now the most consolidated sector of the American economy. The Silicon Valley and its Puget Sound annex dominated […]