Can Newspaper Endorsements Help Elect a Statewide Candidate?
Running as a No Party Preference or independent candidate for his old job as state Insurance Commissioner, Steve Poizner racked up newspaper endorsements at an impressive clip. In a news release Poizner noted he was 19 for 19 in newspaper editorial endorsements. Then he added even more newspaper endorsements so that a political aide could […]
Dynamex and the Future of Work
I’ve seen the future and it’s much like the present, only longer. – Dan Quisenberry As has been discussed in these pages, the California Legislature in the closing weeks of this year’s session chose not to address the state Supreme Court ruling on Dynamex. The Dynamex case, issued in April this year, effectively tightened the […]
How to Block Ballot Initiatives, Italy Style
You think it’s tough to get an initiative on the ballot in California? Think it’s even tougher to pass an initiative in California? Sure it is. But it’s a lot tougher in Italy. At a recent conference in Rome, an examination of Italian direct democracy showed the extent to which the traditional political system has […]
Changing Election Rules to Change Election Results
Clay Matthews, the Green Bay Packers’ much-feared linebacker, was penalized after a hard tackle on Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith on Sept. 23, running afoul of new league rules aimed at protecting Smith and other QBs from injury. It was the second straight week that Matthews had been ticketed for making hard tackles on quarterbacks […]