Return of the “San Francisco Democrats”
While San Francisco Bay Area politicians dominated California politics over the past couple of decades as the state became more Democratic, the term “San Francisco Democrats” doesn’t play so well nationally. Those with long memories will recall the term “San Francisco Democrats” served as a pejorative attack against the party following the Democratic National Convention […]
Continued Education Critical to Ability of California Physicians to Treat Patients
Legislation currently before the Assembly that is aimed at eliminating undue influence in pharmaceutical prescribing will instead hinder the education of California medical professionals and limit their access to critical information about new medicines and treatments. The intent behind the legislation is to limit the promotional expenditures of the pharmaceutical industry, with the belief that […]
Trailer Bills Let California Lawmakers Slip New Policies into Budget
California senators were deep in heated debate about a small but politically explosive attachment to the state budget last week when a Riverside Democrat could be heard to suddenly channel Forrest Gump. “Trailer bills,” said Sen. Richard Roth—referring to pieces of legislation tied to the budget but sometimes bearing little connection to it—“are a box […]
California Single Payer Health Care Rush
Echoes of California’s fabled Gold Rush can be heard in the proposal for single payer health care—but instead of migrants taking gold nuggets out of the ground, a new Health Care Rush likely would see many people rushing to California to claim taxpayer funded health care. Much like Samuel Brannan, publisher of San Francisco’s first newspaper, […]
Sen. Dianne Feinstein Should Run for Re-Election
One Californian who is getting heavy press coverage these days is the venerable Democratic U.S. Senator, Dianne Feinstein—and for good reasons. Feinstein came to the national stage in 1992—the so-called “Year of the Woman” when four were elected to the U.S. Senate, more than in any prior election or decade. In doing so California became the […]
California’s Global Warming High-Speed Train
The California High-Speed Rail Authority promises to “achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in construction” and is committed to operate the system on “100% renewable energy” by contracting for “400 to 600 megawatts of renewable power”. These promises may please environmentalists, but they cannot be kept. Construction Emissions The Authority has provided only limited […]
Is California Budget as ‘Balanced and Progressive’ as Gov. Brown Suggests?
The California Assembly and Senate have until Thursday to approve the budget deal announced by Gov. Jerry Brown last week, but there’s little uncertainty about the outcome. The general-fund budget is a record-setting $125 billion – something Brown describes as “balanced and progressive,” given that it spends more on social programs, but doesn’t bust the […]
In Governor’s Race, Left Turns Worry Business Community
In deep blue California, many Democratic gubernatorial candidates have their left turn blinker on constantly supporting policy moves in a progressive and risky direction. How does that sit with the state’s business community, which treasures certainty? While the business sector is not monolithic, there is a common concern expressed by all types of business leaders […]
Run as a Republican, Then Leave the State
I’m not a big fan of demanding certain pledges of political candidates, like the no-tax pledges that are so common. But I’d like to suggest that the California Republican Party push major statewide candidates to take a pledge – that they won’t quickly leave the state after they lose. The Republican record in recent statewide […]