Voters Say They Pay Too Much in Taxes—But Vote for More
While a group of legislators push a constitutional amendment to lower the voting requirement for certain local taxes and bonds, voters told Public Policy Institute of California pollsters that they pay too much in local taxes. Maybe it is time they stop voting for some of the tax increases on the ballot. PPIC reported that […]
One Year Countdown to the Census
In just one year, the US government will fulfill its once-a-decade duty to count every American. April 1, 2020 is Census Day. Armed with a $15 billion budget, the Census Bureau will aim to gather a few key facts about all residents: location, age, race/ethnicity, home ownership, and household members. For the first time, the […]
How to Get Parents to Vaccinate Their Children
The ongoing spate of measles outbreaks in the United States has shown that many parents remain convinced, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that vaccines are unsafe. Many of these parents have decided to forgo vaccines for their children, which is both dangerous and socially irresponsible. While overall vaccination rates have risen over the past […]
The Very Short Rail Link California Can’t Build
How will California ever finish high-speed rail when it can’t finish San Francisco’s Downtown Rail Extension? Twenty-three years ago, a restauranteur named Gavin Newsom was appointed to his first political gig, as a San Francisco parking-and-traffic commissioner. Back then, a top priority of San Francisco transportation officials was a proposed 1.3 mile-rail line called the […]