By Using The Wrong Comparisons, California Hides Big Collapse In Turnout
The June election is finally over. But the misinformation about it goes on. The latest problem involves headlines and reports that June turnout was a tick up from June elections 2014 and above turnout in June elections in 2010. By using these comparisons, election officials and media folks were able to tout progress in turnout […]
Ambitious Democrats to Blame for Newman Downfall
As the California State Legislature enters the final two months of the legislative session, there are a lot of lessons California Democrats can learn from the recent recall of California State Senator Josh Newman. There is no question that California State Senator Josh Newman was angry about getting recalled this past June, but if he […]
Deconstructing the Opposition to the California Water Fix
Here we go again. There’s nothing better than California water politics to prove the sagacity of French writer Alphonse Karr’s immortal quip: “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” (“The more things change, the more it’s the same thing.”) Last week the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) Board voted for a second time to finance […]
As Predicted: Prop 30 Taxes Go for Pensions and Health Costs
In January 2012 California Governor Jerry Brown announced he would ask California voters “to approve a temporary tax increase on the wealthy, a modest and temporary increase in the sales tax, and to guarantee that the new revenues be spent only on education.” Later that year his proposal was embodied in Proposition 30, a temporary tax increase projected by […]