The Curse of the California State Lottery
School advocates have always had a love-hate relationship with the California State Lottery. On the one hand the Lottery has supplied billions of dollars to the schools since it was passed by voters 36 years ago. On the other hand, when school supporters seek more money for education—as they do on a regular basis—they run […]
Why California’s crossover primary is bad for democracy
California’s crossover presidential primary — touted as empowering the states’s 5.3 million unaffiliated, No Party Preference voters — actually disenfranchises them and others, by perpetuating a winner-take-all duopoly of limited choices, and getting little in return. In the process, it distracts from needed reforms that could actually enable a more vibrant democracy. Since 1999, the […]
The Impact of a Virus on Global Economic Integration
Last week, the Commerce Department released gross domestic product data shedding light on the overall economy and the road ahead in 2020. Low unemployment, climbing wages, lower household debt, and a robust stock market are credited with supporting a strong economy. Consumer spending extended growth at 1.8% in the fourth quarter. As for the trade […]
Latino small business owners are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in U.S.
On the weekends, Salinas food truck owner Orlando Osornio, 30, and his wife, Denise, sell mile-high tortas, filled with California fusion-inspired ingredients: hot Cheetos, bacon, mango-habañero sauce, or pineapple. Some come for the birria torta or the chicken-bacon-alfredo torta. A line of customers winds its way around the side of his tent as meat sizzles […]