California Congressional Republicans Key to Tax Bill
Whether the newly introduced congressional tax bill makes it out of the House of Representatives may very well depend on the votes of California Republicans. Recall that all 14 California Republican members of Congress voted for the budget bill that barely passed the House last week 216-212. A few Golden State GOP members changing their […]
One Way DiFI Can Show That Age Doesn’t Matter
“Age doesn’t matter” is the all-but-official re-election slogan of Dianne Feinstein. Of course, that’s self-serving when you’re in your ninth decade. But, Senator, if you want to show people you really mean what you say about age, there’s a smart way to show it: Give 16 year olds the right to vote. In California, that […]
How Should the California Republican Party Respond to Steve Bannon
California doesn’t have any easy races for Republicans to win. So the question becomes: is it better to have a Representative who somewhat votes Republican or to be a purist? The challenge as presented by Steve Bannon’s fiery, populist speech at the recent California Republican Party (CPR) convention should give pause to Republicans across California. […]
After the wine country fires, what happens to the crops?
The full extent of the damage from the northern California wildfires that killed 43 people and destroyed 8,400 homes is still being tallied. The devastation left an obvious scar, but not all the damage is visible. Among the assessments still to be made is what impact millions of gallons of fire retardant—essentially a potent fertilizer—may […]
Villaraigosa, Business Support and Prop 13
Former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in a recent gubernatorial debate, made it clear that he thinks changes should be considered to Proposition 13. Advocating for a change in law that would raise taxes on commercial property could put in jeopardy business support for his candidacy that seemed to be growing. Villaraigosa’s stance on Proposition […]
California’s Top Two Primary is on the Voters’ Side
By definition, conventional wisdom is convention. It often has the added value of being right. I read a commentary by Joe Matthews in Fox and Hounds recently that argued California’s Top Two Primary works against centrists and actually increases the advantage of the more ideological candidates of the left and right. He argued that the pending primary […]
Shining a Light on Hidden Costs at the Pump
The following comments were shared with the California Energy Commission for their meeting this past September on California’s vulnerabilities to petroleum price hikes. The comments were intended to stimulate conversations and seek recommendations about California being transparent at the pump, with stickers, for the public to see, as to what makes up the cost of […]
Dark Money Didn’t Cause this CA Problem
Little about political contributions in California is hidden. Information is easily accessible at Cal-Access, a website run by California’s Secretary of State. For example, look here to see contributions to a special interest and then here for unfortunate consequences from political activity by that interest. There’s nothing dark about that money. Still, uninformed or lazy commentators all too often blame the state’s […]
CalChamber Poll Finds Voters’ Concerns at Odds with Political Leaders
Californians are anxious. The economy is growing, the state budget is balanced and the rains have resumed. Yet California voters are apprehensive about the future. They worry that state leaders are not addressing the issues that truly concern them, according to the third annual CalChamber Poll. For the first time in three years of polling, […]