It’s the Picket Line Versus the Bottom Line in the Coming LA School Strike
Barring a last minute deal or court decision, there will be a teacher’s strike tomorrow in Los Angeles. Each side has their own view of the school district’s fiscal health and its ability to raise salaries and hire new teachers, nurses and counselors. But the teachers have the upper hand in an effort to rally […]
Housing Woes Threaten California’s Middle Class
California’s housing crisis is the worst threat to our middle class lifestyle since the recession. Our median home listing price is nearly twice the national average, and besides Hawaii is higher than any other state. Our median rental rate is half again higher than the national average, and is also the highest in the nation (other than Hawaii). When […]
Kevin McCarthy in Position to be a Hero
If the GOP wants to stay in the game and restore some of its fading luster, one person who could have a lot to say about it is the new House Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, who will now have the unenviable task of assuming command over some badly demoralized troops. He also has […]
Pension Funds, Meet the “Super Bubble”
Earlier this month, outgoing California Governor Jerry Brown predicted “fiscal oblivion” if California’s state and local agencies are not granted more flexibility to modify pension benefits. As if to help Governor Brown make his point, U.S. stock indexes took an obliging plunge. The Dow Jones average cratered in December, dropping nearly 16 percent in three […]