Dreams Deferred
In early September, President Trump announced the end of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) if Congress does not act within six months to permanently legalize their status. A lack of action by Congress would impact 800,000 young adults that have DACA status. In California alone, we have more than 230,000 DACA young people. The […]
An Affordable, High-Quality Healthcare System for California
A recent survey tells us that high cost of healthcare is the issue Californians are most concerned about today – more than schools, infrastructure, jobs, crime, even cost of housing (which is a close second). This shouldn’t be surprising given that Californians are experiencing year-over-year health insurance premium increases of more than 20%. Additionally, many […]
I Can’t Review Arnie Steinberg’s Book
Arnold L. Steinberg has written a book, called Whiplash! From JFK to Donald Trump-A Political Odyssey. I agreed to review it for Fox &Hounds three months ago. But I can’t. The problem is not that the book is long – it’s more than 600 pages. And it’s not boring—to the contrary, it’s overstuffed with analysis, […]
Los Angeles Consumers Cautious About Economy
(Editor’s Note: Billie Greer has been reporting quarterly on the Los Angeles County Consumer Sentiment Index, as it is released. This is her fourth update for Fox and Hounds) The confidence of Los Angeles County consumers, which has been steadily declining since year end 2016, has leveled off somewhat but concerns about the economy continue. […]
Civilian Oversight Commission Loses Some Credibility With Vote on Drone Program
Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell recently reaffirmed that it is his “responsibility to ensure the safety of more than ten million residents, which includes using whatever tools necessary and available that can save the life of a human being.” McDonnell added that “I will not face the loved ones of a victim whose life […]
CalChamber poll finds voters open to a middle lane
Last week in this space we summarized the findings of the Third Annual CalChamber Poll, which found California voters generally anxious about the future. Voters are very concerned about the cost of living – especially as it might affect the ability of their children to live in California. They cite the cost of housing, taxes and […]
Sacramento Bills that are driving up states’ costs of fuels
Next time you feel like cursing the oil industry when confronted with California gas prices that far exceed those almost anywhere else in the country, think again. We have state lawmakers and regulatory agencies to thank for much of the difference. Most recently SB 1, effective November 1st gasoline excise tax increased from 18 to 30 cents, […]
Are We Seeing the Disappearance of the Two-Party System?
For much of its recent history the nation has gotten along well enough with a two-party system which functions effectively if not always harmoniously. This is true even with and partly because of divided government when the White House and the two chambers of Congress are—as is often the case—in separate hands. With all branches […]
Californians Value Public Higher Education
Californians recognize the high quality of education provided by our public colleges and universities, but most Californians want college education to be more affordable. The way to do that is for the State to restore the cuts that have been made in public higher education funding over the past four decades. A new poll by […]