Will President Trump and a Republican Congress End Federal Tax Deduction for State Income Tax?
(Editor’s Note: Arnold Steinberg looks at the politics and logic behind eliminating the deduction of state taxes for federal tax purposes. In Part 1 today, Steinberg offers a background on tax deductibility. Tomorrow in Part 2 he deals with the tax deductibility and California) A good friend and solid conservative is concerned that the Trump Administration wants […]
Expand CA Ag Production, Contribute to Better Nutrition
A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine concludes that reliance on processed rather than fresh foods is having a devastating impact globally on children, showing dramatically increasing body-mass index (BMI) levels in 195 countries, including the United States. The study describes the harmful side effects of obesity, such as heart disease, kidney disease and […]
Land-use Cowards
Amid the myriad and many examples of how government intervention upsets local housing markets comes one of the most shameful in the form of Assembly Bill 121 by Marc Levine, a Democrat from San Rafael. Marin County wants to be exempt from the state requirement that all cities and counties must plan for their fair […]
DWP Labor Contract: Arrogance Breeds Lack of Transparency
On Monday afternoon of June 19, 2017, the Board of Water and Power Commissioners sent us a notice that they were holding a Special Meeting on the following day, Tuesday, June 20, at 11:30 in the morning, to approve the new contract between the Department of Water and Power and the IBEW, its domineering union […]
For July 4th, A Nation Divided; But Words We Believe In
One cannot write about the July 4th holiday in 2017 without acknowledging a country divided. The rhetoric is more than heated; it is boiling. Policy debates melt down into accusations of the most dire circumstances imaginable. The fear quotient is hyped up on all sides; death threats and acts of violence are offered readily, in […]
California First, America Whatever
Dear America, I suppose I should wish you happy birthday. But I’m just not feeling it. You and I, the United States and California, used to be pretty darn close—“indivisible” was your word and “inseparable” was mine. Sure, we had our differences—I’ve always been a little out there—but America wouldn’t be America without California, and […]
The Grave Issue of Increasing Property Tax Revenue
My fellow Baby Boomers and I can help raise tax revenue for schools and local governments—all we have to do is die. That’s the message I got from this Bloomberg News headline: Boomers Nearing End of Life Seen Helping California Tax Revenue. The news story reports on a brief issued by the Legislative Analyst’s Office that […]
California’s High Housing Costs: Crippling Economic Productivity, Increasing Poverty
Living in California is a blessing and a curse these days. California’s most obvious best qualities are location, landscape and lifestyle. The Golden State has beautiful and diverse weather, limitless outdoor recreation, along with mountain ranges, valleys and coastline boasting some of the most breath-taking landscapes in the world. However, this beauty does not make […]
The Competition is Stiff, But I’m Still the Best Choice for Lieutenant Governor
Why do so many smart and accomplished people want to waste their time? It’s a bit ridiculous to see all the people who are running for lieutenant governor. There’s a rich donor and former ambassador, Eleni Kounalakis, who is running up the endorsements. There’s Dr. Asif Mahmood, a Pakistani Muslim immigrant who is running to […]