Protecting Newspapers at What Cost to Freedom of the Press?
Assemblyman Marc Levine plans to make proposals to help newspapers that are experiencing economic difficulties in the digital age. He should weigh his proposals carefully for while government should not interfere with the core democratic value of press freedom, neither should it sponsor the press putting a necessarily skeptical press in the hands of government […]
Critical Components Necessary to Implement AB 398 to Ensure Cap-and-Trade Market Stability
When Assembly Bill 398 (Garcia, E) was signed into law last year to extend California’s landmark greenhouse gas cap-and trade carbon market through 2030, it directed the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to modify the program’s cost containment mechanism. The intent of AB 398 is for ARB to develop safeguards that will help regulate the […]
Nunes Attack on the Fresno Bee Shows His Weakness
The last refuge of a scoundrel is patriotism, Samuel Johnson famously said. Another refuge is beating up on the local newspaper. Congressman Devin Nunes’. Attacks on the Fresno Bee – including TV ads – thus show both his character and his desperation. Nunes is distorting the Bee’s coverage of him and a winery with which […]
When Used Together, ‘Ranked Choice’ and ‘Top Two’ Elections Would Strengthen Major Parties and Favor Moderate Politicians
Political polarization has spread across the globe. The ensuing ideological purity might make each warring faction appear stronger, but in reality, hyper-polarization weakens parties by making them less appealing to a weary—and wary—electorate. To reverse this trend requires electoral innovation. I have studied such reforms for many years, and the time has come to change […]