Why the Greens Lost, and Trump Won
When President Trump pulled out of the Paris climate accords, embraced coal, and stacked his administration from people from fossil-fuel producing states, the environmental movement reacted with near-apocalyptic fear and fury. They would have been better off beginning to understand precisely why the country has become so indifferent to their cause, as evidenced by the victory not only of […]
Will Gov. Campaign for Measure that Sealed Cap-n-Trade Deal?
A major concession Governor Jerry Brown made to secure Republican votes for his cap-and-trade extension was to allow a constitutional amendment to move forward that gives Republicans a chance to influence spending of cap-and-trade money one time in 2024. But that doesn’t mean Brown will campaign to pass the amendment. Republicans insisted that the provision […]
The right Rx for California’s housing problems
Christopher Thornberg’s “Stop Dissin’ the Housing Market—Set it Free!”, which recently appeared on these pages, is just what California’s housing markets need. Hail to this Beacon Economics PhD! Want more housing? as Thronberg asks: Stop messing with markets! Thornberg’s piece, which can be found by clicking on the following link, should be required reading for all 120 […]
Is CA an incubator — or a bubble?
California, do you want to be an incubator for great ideas—or a bubble that shuts out the world? That’s the question Californians need to ask, as we simultaneously confront three big challenges: building a more sustainable economy and future; reckoning with our crisis-level shortages in housing and infrastructure; and protecting ourselves from a deranged Trump […]
Will California politicians really address housing crisis or settle for tokenism?
Having checked gas taxes and cap-and-trade off their 2017 agenda, California political leaders will turn to the state’s housing crisis after a month-long midsummer vacation. It’s high time, because California is building barely enough new housing to handle current population growth and making no dent in a years-long backlog. Between 2003 and 2014, California built […]
Could We Have Four Parties By 2020?
The only thing nastier than the Democrat-Republican partisan battles are the battles inside the parties. Among Democrats, Sanderistas are attacking more moderate Obama Democrats. Among Republicans, Trumpian nationalists are seeking to bully traditional conservatives and moderates. The ferocity of the fighting is striking. Each side sees the other as scary and/or corrupt. Voices suggest we […]
How About Naming Rights For the State Capitol Building?
For $12 million a year, the Los Angeles Dodgers are willing to offer naming rights to the field within Dodger Stadium on which the ball club plays. If that helps the Dodgers meet its budget obligations, perhaps the state should adopt a similar plan. Wonder how much the state could get for naming rights for parks, […]
Is Cap-and-Trade Really a Free Market Solution to Climate Change?
The mood was reportedly celebratory on the evening of July 17 after legislators approved a decade-long extension of the state’s carbon dioxide cap-and-trade program. But that’s not to say everyone was happy, or should be. Assembly Bill 398 will continue the current cap-and-trade system through 2030. It places a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and […]
Prior Legislative Efforts on Banning or Restricting Arbitration That Have Been Vetoed
With pending legislation this Session that attempts to limit the use of arbitration in civil litigation, including SB 33 (Dodd) and SB 238 (Monning), there are at least five instances in which prior efforts results in a veto, including the following ones from three separate governors: 2000 – SB 1570 (Dunn) – Gov. Davis vetoed […]