Post-Primary Ponderings
After all the hand-wringing by Inside the Beltway pundits and politicos, the so-called “Jungle Primary” nightmare scenario failed to materialize, when none of the highly contested California Congressional races produced a GOP vs GOP runoff that would have shut out Democrats from contesting a potentially winnable district in November. If, and it is a big […]
After 40 Years, Proposition 13 Still Protects California Taxpayers
The Proposition 13 tax revolt was more than an uprising against out-of-control property taxes. Passed by voters 40 years ago Wednesday, Proposition 13 survives in deep-blue California because it stands as a strong symbol not only about controlling taxation but also about voters’ power to command the government. After 40 years, the measure still has overwhelming […]
If You Say You’re A Democrat or a Republican in California, You’re Not Telling the Truth
Another problem with the top two system: It makes liars of most of Californians. I’m not just talking about the state officials, media members and others who persist in labeling our June elections “primaries” when they are the exact opposite of primaries, which involve parties picking their candidates for a general election. California eliminated primaries […]
Will the State Legislature Over-Turn Governor Brown’s Veto of a High Speed Rail Related Bill?
Governor Brown has just vetoed AB-2037 a bill sponsored by State Assemblyman Jim Frazier. The Governor appoints 5 of the 9 voting members of the HSR Board (plus 2 ex-officio – non-voting members). This bill would have simply have made any of the Governor’s appointees subject to approval by the State Senate. The Governor’s veto message is disingenuous to […]
For the Health of Our Future, California Must Help Child Care Providers Serve Healthy Food
Three weeks ago, a teacher reached out to me because her six-year-old student decided he should stop eating; other kids were teasing the 130 pound boy, let’s call him Andres. For context, the average six-year-old boy weighs closer to 45 lbs. What his teacher didn’t know was that I had been made aware of Andres […]