Brown’s Bad Governance Past Returns to Haunt Us All
You may have read that there’s a new problem for the state budget. If the state raises taxes and brings in more money – perhaps for infrastructure – it may bump up against an old spending limit from 1979 that has long thought to be irrelevant. The 1979 measure was known as the Gann limit, […]
A Progressive Take on Public Pensions
While the public pension crisis has been an issue on the right for many years, left-wing thinkers show relatively little interest in the issue. When progressives do opine on pensions, they often reject the alarm expressed by conservatives, seeing it as a smokescreen for unneeded austerity or a way to attack the public sector. In […]
Survey shows what small business owners think about regulations
Running a small business isn’t easy. Being your own boss might sound appealing, but it means putting in lots of hard work to make it happen. Among the many things an owner has to think about are balancing the books, hiring and keeping employees, and pleasing customers. Increasingly, something else weighs on the minds of […]
Brackets—California Style
The brackets are set (for the time being) for the big contest. The seeding is in place. The committee adjusted the seeding based on chance to win and likelihood to compete—with a couple of whimsical, but interesting, selections thrown it. The contest is on. Make your bets. The next Governor of California will be: (click […]
Anti-Trump Arnold in the Senate Makes Sense, But There’s No Path to Get There
There’s a compelling logic behind the idea of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a United States senator. But, as he recognized in a Facebook post saying he wouldn’t be making the race, it’s hard to see how he would get there. Of course, one Facebook post or statement from Arnold that he’s not running doesn’t end anything. […]
Nestle’s Move Hard to Swallow
It’s been a month since Nestle USA announced it was moving out of Glendale, and still it bothers me. Why? It occurred to me that Nestle’s publicly announced reason for moving to the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. – to be nearer its vendors, factories and the like – doesn’t ring quite right. Oh, sure, […]
They’re Calling it a “Park Bond.” Here’s Why it Isn’t
Later this week, the State Assembly will vote on AB 18, a $3.105 billion bond to be placed on the June 2018 ballot. Supporters have referred to it as a “Park bond,” marketing it as a way to improve, rehabilitate, and expand our state’s parks. However, like with so many other proposals to come out of Sacramento, […]
In Defense of the Disney CEO Staying “In the Room”
Walt Disney Company CEO, Bob Iger, at the company shareholder meeting, rejected a request that he quit President Donald Trump’s business advisory committee over Trump’s policies. Iger, while objecting to a number of the president’s policies, gave the sensible answer that it is best be “in the room” so that he can address his concerns […]
L.A. Mayor is a Life Sentence
The speculation about Mayor Eric Garcetti’s political future is entertaining—will he run for governor in 2018, or in 2022, or for U.S. Senate when Dianne Feinstein retires? But it’s laughable. Doesn’t everyone know Garcetti is the mayor of Los Angeles? The world is full of change and uncertainty, but there is one immutable law of […]