Let’s Send Both DiFi and KDL to Washington
California is so underrepresented in Washington D.C. that it seems a shame to have to choose only one of the two major candidates for U.S. Senate. In today’s battle between California and the Trump administration, we need every able politician we got there. And the race has produced two candidates – the 25-year incumbent Dianne […]
Class Action Loose Change
If you receive a notice about the availability of millions of dollars, it’s probably an overseas scam artist or trial lawyer dangling a class action settlement. Pick your poison, as both are likely to cost you money rather than increase the size of your bank account. The main difference? Scam artists steal your money upfront, […]
False Platitudes
During my three decades as a frontline firefighter, I had the honor to receive innumerable expressions of appreciation from the people we serve. Although firefighters and police officers don’t think of themselves as “heroes,” the heartfelt support from the public is humbling … when it’s sincere. Sometimes, though, it isn’t sincere. Then it’s downright infuriating. […]
A Teaching Moment: California’s High Pot Taxes
Do higher tax rates affect human behavior? As the nation considers tax reform, according to a report, taxes on pot in California could reach as high as 45% for the consumer. Combined with the slew of regulations on the way, suddenly the libertarian fervor of buying and selling pot doesn’t seem so, well, free. The question […]
Gov. Jerry Brown traverses Europe on a climate ‘crusade’
Imagine hosting a large gathering of supremely important people. Protocol is taken seriously. But there are at least two complications with the arrangements: One longtime leader has lost interest in the meetings but cannot be shunned outright. Another guest is increasingly influential but has a barely official invitation to the party in the first place. […]
Three Californias? California Independence? How about Simply: California Classic!
Venture capitalist Tim Draper’s new quest to break up California into smaller states will face legal challenges, political obstacles and even the hindrance of confusing names. Recall that Draper proposed an initiative in 2013 to re-stitch the Golden State into a six multi-faceted diamond. He never got enough signatures to qualify the measure so Draper […]
Rent Control: Trying to have it both ways
To begin to cure the state’s stubborn housing crisis, 2018 gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom recently called for nearly quadrupling California’s annual housing production, so that by 2025 the state would add 3.5 million to its inventory. That same day, a group called the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) filed for a ballot measure […]
Water Data Is For Fighting
If you thought California’s famously bitter water wars were hard-fought, just wait until you see our water data wars. Digital tools have expanded the ability of governments, companies and nonprofits to measure the uses of California water in detail, and thus build more water-efficient products, make water conservation a way of life, and replace expensive […]
Why can’t California lawmakers stop sexual harassment in the capitol?
You know who doesn’t look so weird anymore? Vice President Mike Pence. When Pence told the Washington Post that he doesn’t dine alone with women, and never, ever attends an event solo if alcohol will be served, many gasped. He seemed like a too-tightly wrapped antihero from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. But that was in ancient America, […]