Kevin McCarthy, Trump’s Man in Congress
In the early morning hours of Saturday, January 28, the day after Trump signed his executive order temporarily banning travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries, congressman Charlie Dent, a moderate Republican from Pennsylvania, put in a call to Kevin McCarthy, the six-term Republican from Bakersfield, California, and majority leader of the House of Representatives. Among the […]
Note the Missing Word……Victims
As crime rates rise and victims continue to be marginalized by some state legislators, the Los Angeles Times again provided a “criminal justice reform” advocate with a platform to expound on how the system is too harsh. This time it was Fordham law professor John Pfaff, who blamed budgetary incentives and the dark forces of prosecutors as reasons why […]
Education Changes? There’s Something Happening Here
The education status quo, buttressed by teachers’ unions and the education establishment, is beginning to buckle. It can be seen in poll responses and Tuesday’s school board election in Los Angeles. Charter school supporters have captured a majority of the Los Angeles school board despite strong opposition from the local teachers’ union. The victory is […]
Bills that are Good, Bad, and Ugly for Small Business Approach Deadlines
May is a critical month for legislation to move through various policy and fiscal committees before the house of origin deadline. Any Assembly bill which does not make it to the Senate (or Senate bill to the Assembly) by June 2 is effectively dead for the remainder of the calendar year, but can be revived […]
Move Over, San Francisco: Dallas Tops Our List Of The Best Cities For Jobs 2017
Dallas is called the Big D for a reason. Bigger, better, best: that’s the Dallas mindset. From the gigantic Cowboys stadium in Arlington to the burgeoning northern suburbs to the posh arts district downtown, Dallasites are reinventing their metropolis almost daily. The proposed urban park along the Trinity River, my Dallas friends remind me, will be 11 […]
Disney’s ESPN Has Fallen and Can’t Get Up
The biggest company in the San Fernando Valley – in fact, in the entire Los Angeles area – is the Walt Disney Co. So it’s increasingly alarming to see the company continue to fumble with ESPN, which is the biggest chunk of Disney’s biggest division. The sports channel accounted for the deeply disappointing portion of […]
AG Becerra: Lifting the Poor will Boost the Economy
At a Sacramento Press Club appearance this week, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra claimed California has the “secret sauce for economic success.” The formula includes growing the economy by boosting lower income individuals and immigrants. However, that secret sauce contains some bitter ingredients that has left many behind. Becerra recalled speaking to visitors from the […]
Why Can’t Adults Agree to Change a Corrupt System for Approving New Housing?
Last year, Brown proposed $400 million for housing projects in return for lawmakers loosening certain development restrictions. Talks stalled, and Brown’s budget revision this year includes no funding for the deal. “What’s changed is that we were unable to get the reforms that were the condition of spending the money.” Asked if he thought those […]
Fossil fuels are the economic powerhouse of California
The development of the internal combustion engine at the beginning of the 20th century, combined with the introduction of mass-produced affordable vehicles, got people moving on an unprecedented scale — and we haven’t looked back since. Fossil fuels and related chemicals and by-products have revolutionized our infrastructure and dramatically improved our quality of life. California […]