Why California’s Greatest Historian Couldn’t Get Elected in San Francisco
(This essay appeared earlier this week in Zocalo Public Square, and has been slightly edited). Kevin Starr is widely regarded as California’s pre-eminent historian—a prolific author and public intellectual for nearly 50 years—and his death earlier this year generated much writing about his life and scholarship. But one episode in his life was not widely […]
Rapidly growing hyperloop industry offers alternative to California high-speed rail
Since Elon Musk introduced hyperloop in 2012, several startups have been formed to commercialize the technology. Hyperloop is a 21st century approach to intercity travel in which pods fly through sealed, low pressure tubes at speeds of up to 760mph. Although a large amount of hyperloop research is occurring in California, our state government is ignoring it while […]
Road to PAGA Ballot Initiative Paved by CA Supreme Court Ruling
As if businesses were not troubled enough by substantial penalties tied to minor labor law infractions when private attorneys take on lawsuits under the Private Attorney General Act (PAGA), a California Supreme Court ruling has opened the door for more business burdens when confronting PAGA lawsuits. In a recent unanimous decision in Williams v. Marshalls […]
In Defense of Republicans Who Supported the Cap and Trade Compromise
Long, long ago and very close by, I was Assembly Republican Leader charged by my caucus to get the best deal I could in budget negotiations and on major appropriations bills requiring a 2/3 vote. Sometimes, I was the target of the same kind of criticism that David Kersten (“Has the California GOP Become Too […]
The California Republican Party is at a Crossroads
The California Republican Party (CRP) is in worse shape than the national party, because they believe leaders like Rocky Chavez are the future of the party who said this after voting for the crony-filled Cap-and-Trade gas tax: “You’re right, we’re a very small component of the world on this (only 1% of global greenhouse emissions come from California), […]
AB 398 is Most Cost Effective Way to Reduce Emissions for Business & the Economy
When SB 32 passed in 2016, California businesses and consumers were confronted with huge costs due to the Air Resources Board command-and-control regulations created to achieve mandated and unprecedented emission reductions, even though California represents only one percent of total global emissions. As a result, we aggressively sought reforms to create a market-based cap-and-trade program […]
Paying The Price For The Healthcare Fiasco
The next question in the fight over healthcare is what price will Republicans pay at the polls for this fiasco. Some folks think angry conservatives will punish the moderates who refused to repeal Obamacare, but the more likely political consequence is defeat for those vulnerable Republicans who voted for this unpopular bill in the House. Chief among […]
As California goes, so go driverless vehicles
Self-driving cars are the future. But exactly what that future will look like is still to be determined. What is more certain is that California will play an outsize role in shaping our transportation future. Our state is at the epicenter of automated driving technology development. It is also a pioneer in tackling climate change at the gas pump, through our Low […]
Dave Cogdill, R.I.P.
Dave Cogdill was a respected leader and a man of great integrity. He cared deeply about his community, those he worked with and his loving family. Honorable, principled and virtuous, Dave always strongly believed in doing what was right and best for all – even if it meant putting people before politics. All of us […]