California’s Newest Litmus Test Requires Support of Government Healthcare – Or Else
I’m so disappointed in myself. I really should be 100-percent supportive of the effort to establish a single-payer health system in California. Because all the best Californians are for it. California’s next governor, Gavin Newsom, has made single-payer a central tenet of his campaign. America’s next president, California U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, just sprinkled her […]
Survey: Small Business Optimism Up in September
Economic sentiment among American small business owners rebounded to 64.87 percent in September, the first reversal since sentiment began trending downward back in April. Last month optimism dropped by over two points (from 65.77 percent to 63.46 percent), representing the largest fall since February 2016—and this month, it’s back on the rise in our survey […]
Sanctuary State Symbolism
With Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature on SB 54, California now calls itself a sanctuary state. There is strong symbolism in the move, although California governments’ actions relative to individuals in the country illegally will change little in many parts of the state. Brown’s demand that some 700 additional crimes be added to the list that […]
California Tax Reform Now
No more dawdling and delaying. California needs to pursue tax reform right now. It’s not just that there’s no time like the present. Or that it’s easier to do tax reform when things are good. It’s about defense. California needs to do tax reform before tax reform gets done to it. President Trump and the […]
Disney’s Lack of Corporate Presence
There’s one big rule for column writers: Take a stand; don’t be squishy. This is a heads-up that I’m going to violate that rule. More about that in a minute. The subject is the Walt Disney Co. You may have seen the Sept. 24 article in the Los Angeles Times – it was in the […]
Bill on Governor’s Desk could Reduce Penalties for Gun Use During a Crime
California has imposed multiple restrictions on guns in recent years, including restrictions on gun capacity, possession and even purchase of ammunition. Yet SB 620, which has been sent to the Governor for his approval or veto, would loosen penalties for those convicted of using a gun in a crime. Multiple shots fired during a drive-by […]
A Civic Lesson from SF on the Two-Thirds Vote for Taxes
Since Proposition 13 established a requirement for a two-thirds vote by the people for special taxes—that is, taxes earmarked for a special purpose–opponents of the idea have been critical. The major argument they make is that it is better to allow a majority vote because there is transparency in knowing how the tax money is […]
The Legislature Should Not Adopt APA Exemptions
A fundamental purpose of both the federal and California Administrative Procedure Acts (APA) is to allow public participation in the federal and state rulemaking processes. This is where the executive branch engages in quasi-legislative activities by adopting rules and regulations to implement statutes passed by the legislative branch of government. Key to allowing public participation […]
Standing Up to Trump–on the Big Screen
What’s playing at the Roxie? I’ll tell you what’s playing at the Roxie. This Friday night at the Roxie in San Francisco, you can see a series of short films – including one that documents some of the early and ugly Trump bullying against someone who was prescient about the danger he posed to democracy. […]