Attempting to Bridge the Partisan Divide
In the shadow of the breaking news that bombs were delivered to high-profile Democrats and critics of President Trump, the USC Schwarzenegger Institute Wednesday held its first Bonnie Reiss Memorial Lecture on the subject of bridging the partisan divide. The panel discussing the political divide, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Obama political guru David Axelrod, and […]
The Case for Proposition 11 on the November Ballot
For the benefit of Californians across the state, the California Ambulance Association supports Proposition 11 on the November 6, 2018 statewide ballot and urges the state’s citizens to vote in favor of this important ballot measure. CAA’s members are private-sector emergency ambulance service providers. However, not only are we healthcare first responders, but also, we […]
PAGA Cost Wal-Mart 65 Million Dollars
If you are not familiar with PAGA, it stands for the Private Attorney General Act, a law referred to as the “sue your boss law”. It was enacted in 2004 and California is the only state in the union that has such a law. When the law was created there was a budget deficit in […]
Is a Deal Possible on Split-Roll Property Tax Measure?
The stage is seemingly set for a very expensive political battle in 2020 over changing Proposition 13, the iconic property tax limit that California voters enacted 40 years ago. A coalition of civic and stakeholder groups, led by the League of Women Voters and calling itself “Schools and Communities First,” has qualified an initiative ballot […]
Combine Ballot Initiatives With Citizens Assemblies
At a recent global conference on direct democracy in Rome, Erwin Mayer, who advocates for greater initiative and referendum power in his home country of Austria, made a powerful suggestion: Why not combine citizens assemblies with ballot initiatives? It’s a great idea, and one that should be adopted in California.