Business Interest in the Public Interest: DisruptDC’s Case for Better Government
Most people — especially those who read this blog — are already aware of the political gridlock and dysfunction in Washington, D.C. Watching Democrats and Republican spend their time arguing with each other and posturing for the camera is frustrating for most of us—-and is no substitute for what most of us want—meaningful progress on the issues […]
Midterm Election Voter Turnout Will Influence Type of Initiatives on Ballot
A new report from the Public Policy Institute of California describes “missing voters” both in comparing California voter registration to other states and voter turnout problems in midterm elections. Awareness of voter drop off in midterm elections will affect what kinds of initiatives are likely to appear on the 2018 ballot. The study notes that […]
Can the arts save California?
On every public policy challenge other than climate change regulations, the state seems stuck. We can’t transform our underfunded and underperforming education system to meet the needs of our diverse people, expand our universities to prepare for future economic demands, or build nearly enough affordable housing. Silicon Valley, which still bills itself as savior of […]
Democrats gripe about secrecy in Washington but practice it in Sacramento
Knowledge, it’s been said, is power. And that explains, in a nutshell, why those in public office fundamentally dislike, and often resist, revealing information to the voting and taxpaying public. That’s especially evident in Washington, where information is a commodity to be acquired, hoarded and traded – and only reluctantly shared with the larger public. […]
The Health Care Issue in California and Beyond
Good move, Mr. Speaker. The single payer health care measure incorporated in Senate Bill 562 was “woefully incomplete” as Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon declared. Rendon’s move to bury the bill in the Assembly Rules Committee was driven by both policy and political concerns. The health care improvements cannot be fixed by one state alone, even […]
Pelosi Forever
It’s hard to believe that many Democrats are ready to put Nancy Pelosi’s leadership behind them. Pelosi seems to have trouble with departure, too, telling the New York Times that she’s worth it. I can’t help but agree. In these confusing and fast-changing times, Pelosi provides the continuity the country needs. Democratic candidates are tied […]
Re-regulating Markets is No Solution to State Housing Crisis
By almost all accounts, economists, academicians, social scientists, policy makers and industry experts agree that at the root of California’s housing problems is a profound lack of supply. Accordingly, what’s needed as a solution, these notables say, are more incentives for the private development sector to do what it does best: build. However, judging from […]
Gun Enhancements Should Not Be Rolled Back Because Victims Are Lucky Enough to Survive
Last month, the Association of Deputy District Attorneys exposed how a key witness told outright lies to a state Senate committee while advocating for SB 620, which would eliminate mandatory enhancements for gun crimes. The ADDA showed that the story told about the young criminal whose case supposedly spotlighted the unfairness of enhancements was untrue. So the bill’s […]
How do we address the housing crisis: one incremental step at a time
Productively addressing California’s housing crisis will require a long slog, not a magic bullet. The effective policies are politically treacherous, while the easy victories already have been chalked up. A broad consensus of nonpartisan policy experts and think tanks point to regulatory and litigation reform, particularly of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as the […]