Some of Gov. Brown’s Vetoes Get Praise from the Right
California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed only 118 of the 957 bills that came before his desk in the recently concluded legislative session, but some of his final vetoes earned a great deal of attention and praise – even from conservative Republicans. That’s an interesting turn of events given that Brown signed into law most of the main Democratic priorities […]
Citizen Bannon
Citizen Bannon came to California last week to address the Republican State Convention. Bannon is the Republican Party’s answer to Maximilien Francois de Robespierre, the “citizen” revolutionary who in 1790 brought the Reign of Terror to the French Revolution. Having destroyed the French establishment by guillotine without trial, Citizen Robespierre was himself guillotined without trial […]
Top 3 Surprises at Forum of Democratic Candidates for Governor
Four Democrats vying to become the next governor of California faced off for the first time Sunday at a forum in Anaheim hosted by a union for health care workers. The discussion focused largely on health care and labor issues—but it also gave the public the first glimpse at the intra-party dynamic that may shape […]
While LA Sleeps
California’s wine country fires delivered a vivid demonstration of the critical importance of governments being able to assemble armies of public safety workers when needed. Citizens expect their governments to provide public safety — but they also expect parks, animal shelters, transportation, road, sidewalk and tree maintenance, housing for the homeless, libraries and much more. What citizens don’t […]
Wine Country Triumph
The deaths and damage of this year’s Wine County wildfires are a historic disaster. They are also the product of an epic California success. That triumph is the growth of the wine industry, which has come to dominate our state’s land, culture and image. Indeed, it’s now outdated to refer to the burning stretches of […]
Spreading the California Gospel—Enlightenment or Plague?
California has long been considered a bellwether state. What happens here often trends across the country. Is the same true with the Golden State’s turn to progressive politics? Some hope the state’s positions on social, cultural and political issues are a vanguard to change attitudes and ultimately change policies across the country. That is part […]
Divestment: A Dangerous Move for San Francisco
If Californian billionaire Tom Steyer has his way, the San Francisco Employee Retirement System will soon dump its fossil fuel investments – $470 million in total – in a move known as divestment. Such a move would make the SFERS the first major pension fund in the nation to take this drastic action. Steyer pleaded […]
Ring true or be silent
For whom the bells toll? Nobody. That is because UCSB, which has an annual budget of $760 million, can’t find $5,000 to maintain its Carillon studio, i.e., the 61 bells in Storke Tower that can be played like a piano. Despite the fact that the campus spends $73 million per year on maintenance, UCSB claims […]
Where America’s Highest Earners Live
The mainstream media commonly assumes that affluent Americans like to cluster in the dense cores of cities. This impression has been heightened by some eye-catching recent announcements by big companies of plans to move their headquarters from the ‘burbs to big cities, like General Electric to Boston and McDonald’s to Chicago. Yet a thorough examination of Census […]