With SB1 behind us, California Has a Brighter Future for Water and Environmental Management
We applaud Governor Newsom’s veto of SB1, legislation that would have blocked efforts aimed at finding collaborative solutions to water supply and ecosystem challenges. He chose to calmly focus on the long-term rather than get caught up in the politics of the moment, which is often difficult. But it’s critical because what’s at stake is […]
California’s Conflict of Interest Obligations
Imagine you are a donor to a non-profit organization whose board members receive gifts from employees to whom the board, without your consent, promises retirement benefits. Now the organization is asking you for larger donations to cover surging retirement spending but not disclosing the real reason more money is needed. That describes the current situation […]
Ten Commandments for Modern Direct Democracy
Greetings from Taichung, Taiwan, and from the 2019 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy. We, more than 300 people from six continents, have met here to discuss direct democracy at a forum that was free and open to anyone in the world who wished to attend. Our conversations were inspired by Taiwan’s strong commitment to […]
Californians chased out of state by bad public policy
I remember getting that phone call 20-some years ago while at my desk at The Lima News, which was a sister newspaper to The Orange County Register. “Would I like to come to California to work at the Register,” the editor asked. “Why, yes,” I eagerly said. “When do I start?” I forgot to ask […]