Jeopardy for the Bullet Train with Cap-n-Trade Amendment?
Late Friday, Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes threw into the cap-and-trade negotiation mix a plan to require a one-time two-thirds vote requirement on how cap-and-trade revenues are spent. The vote would come no sooner than 2024. That proposed vote is a long way off but it could play a role in the funding of the controversial […]
Legislators Should Know California Fuel Facts Before Making Laws
As the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) reports, there are no easy answers to our complex energy challenges for the future, as we need more than “green” electricity, we need replacements for hundreds of thousands of fossil fuel products that contribute to modern civilizations’ industries and infrastructures. If there was a silver bullet answer to the […]
The Jerry Primary
Will Gov. Jerry Brown get to name his successor? California may have abolished primaries with its top two system, but within the 2018 gubernatorial contest there is still one primary: The Jerry Brown primary. The current governor isn’t wildly popular, but he is clearly the most respected politician in the state. And he is the […]
Republicans were made to oppose taxes
If you want to understand Assembly Bill 398 (Garcia), the so-called “cap and trade” bill, just follow the money. As with most “juice” bills in the California Legislature, the negotiations go on behind closed doors where the special interests decide who will pocket what piece of the new revenue stream. Players include large corporations, unions, […]
SB 10 Ignores the Reality of California’s Inner Cities
This week I came to the “People’s House” to voice my concerns about how ending California’s bail system would impact my own house. My testimony was met with jeers and accusations as I talked about the real life ramifications to “my house” (inner-city neighborhoods in Los Angeles) if California starts to automatically release hundreds of […]
Stop Dissin’ the Housing Market—Set it Free!
High housing costs continue to be at the center of policy debates in Los Angeles—and across much of the state. This intensifying focus is warranted now more than ever given how the crisis has moved from simply eating up the disposable income of residents to slowing overall employment growth in coastal economies – something driven […]
A Friday Wrap: Politicon, Monkey Rights, and CalExit Comic
Politicon Politicon, the unconventional political convention, is returning to Pasadena. On July 29 and 30 at the Pasadena Convention Center political junkies can be satisfied to their heart’s content with panels, debates, art, interviews, comedy shows and more. Among the many political personalities and journalists scheduled to participate in the proceedings are Ann Coulter, James Carville, Jake Tapper, Lesley […]
Not Just Enviros, Biz Also Split on Cap-n-Trade Bills; GOP Might Hold the Key
Much has been made in news reports that the environmental community is not of one mind on the cap-and-trade bills produced by the governor’s negotiations. They are not alone. The business community is split as well. Tom Scott, Executive Director of the National Federation of Small Business/California argues on behalf of his membership that small […]
Cap and Trade Deal Will Raise Costs, Hurt Small Businesses
California has a full-time legislature with more staff than any other state in the nation, but for some reason, Governor Brown and the Supermajority Party have made it a habit of reserving large, sweeping public policy actions for private closed-door deal making and rushed votes before arbitrary deadlines. The $15 minimum wage hike, the gas […]