Respect and Cooperation with Trump Key to California’s Many Interests
Donald Trump was elected president in part because of the public’s distain for politicians who focus on personal, partisan conflict instead of pragmatic problem solving. The hostile, vehement opposition to President Trump displayed by California Democratic leaders since Election Day confirms that confrontational attitude flourishes in our deep blue state. But why do they keep […]
A Presidency Getting Built On Lies?
Some readers of this column may not like what follows—-and for those who favored Donald Trump enough to vote for him, my conclusions will be disagreeable or worse. I say this in advance not because more justification is needed—the “facts” speak for themselves. However, we are in an over-heated atmosphere of clashing values and viewpoints […]
The New California Ferrari Goes 196 Miles Per Hour, And Comes With a Cupholder
When I finally got the keys to California, I wondered how fast it would go. So, on the 210 freeway, I floored the accelerator, and within seconds, I was driving 100 miles per hour. I immediately felt exhilaration—and fear. This speed was totally unfamiliar to someone who has spent his life driving beaten-up Toyotas. In […]
Why Newsom Should be Rooting for Faulconer to Run
After last year, you may not want to hear this, but in California another election year has already arrived. The reason is that under the top two primary in a one-party-dominant state, ultimate outcomes in 2018 will be largely determined by the makeup of the candidate field in the primary. And for potential candidates, the […]
If the question is upward mobility the answer is California colleges
What’s the most effective tool to improve economic mobility in California? Higher minimum wage? No. Mandatory employment benefits? Nope. Higher redistributive taxes? Nada. It’s the California State University and community colleges. According to a landmark study for the Equality Opportunity Project, Stanford’s Raj Chetty and coauthors found that certain state and community colleges offer effective pathways to higher incomes […]
The State Is Cutting My Kids’ Schools
The email from the school superintendent dropped like an anvil in small school district (just one high school and middle school, and three elementary schools) where I live. Under Gov. Brown’s January budget proposal, our schools would get $900,000 less from the state than they did in 2016-17 budget. The superintendent admitted to surprise. This […]
Equality of poverty spreads in California
Tucked away in Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2017-18 budget was some very disturbing news about jobs in California. Although new jobs have been created, they don’t pay much. The governor’s budget proposal says the tax revenue coming into the state treasury isn’t growing fast enough to keep up with spending because over the last four years, […]
Transitioning to an Emerging Green Economy
California may not be alone in its efforts to deal with climate change but neither can state officials ignore the need for a smooth transition to a greener economy that would rely on traditional energy sources. That was the message gleaned from the opening sessions of the 10th annual VerdeXchange conference in Los Angeles dedicated to […]
Where Is the Fight in Eric Holder?
The state legislature did the right thing in hiring an outside lawyer who knows Washington as it prepares for a multi-front battle against our unhinged new president and his administration. But did they pick the right lawyer? That’s the question Sacramento should be asking about former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. The lawyer has a […]